Fire in the Lake
by Frances FitzGerald
Author's Description:
“This magisterial work, based on Frances FitzGerald's many years of research and travels, takes us inside the history of Vietnam--the traditional, ancestor-worshiping villages, the conflicts between Communists and anti-Communists, Catholics and Buddhists, generals and monks, the disruption created by French colonialism, and America's ill-fated intervention--and reveals the country as seen through Vietnamese eyes.
Originally published in 1972, FIRE IN THE LAKE was the first history of Vietnam written by an American, and subsequently won the Pulitzer Prize, the Bancroft Prize, and the National Book Award. With a clarity and insight unrivaled by any author before it or since, Frances FitzGerald illustrates how America utterly and tragically misinterpreted the realities of Vietnam.”
Originally published in 1972, FIRE IN THE LAKE was the first history of Vietnam written by an American, and subsequently won the Pulitzer Prize, the Bancroft Prize, and the National Book Award. With a clarity and insight unrivaled by any author before it or since, Frances FitzGerald illustrates how America utterly and tragically misinterpreted the realities of Vietnam.”
My Review - Rating - 8.75/10
This book is a must-read for history nerds (like myself). Fire in the Lake is a comprehensive guide to all the strategic and cultural mistakes and misunderstandings that Americans made during and before the Vietnam war. It gives you an insight into Vietnamese life, thought, and culture that all other books on the Vietnam war fail to see or appreciate. This book is well-written, insightful, engaging, and, above all else, informative. Most of this book was dedicated to just understanding Vietnamese history and the Vietnamese mindset, not the war itself. If you’re only or mainly interested in tactical military history and the “action” then skip this book and go pick up Four Hours of Fury, Hell in a Very Small Place, or any other of the military books I've recommended. If you want to learn about why our war in Vietnam was such a catastrophe, and have your way of thinking completely challenged, read this incredible book.
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