Reviews

From San Francisco Examiner 
Diem has written the most extraordinary tour d'horizon of the Vietnam War I have ever read, a document all the more remarkable for its absence of bitterness.

From The Washington Times 
...[I]mportant...gives [Americans] a candid look at ourselves as the Vietnamese saw us.

From Library Journal 
LJ's reviewer found this firsthand account of Vietnam's post-World War II struggles "well-written and at times illuminating" but also assessed Diem, the country's ambassador to the United States, as "seldom self-critical" and "detached." The author, however, clearly makes his case that when the United States became involved, our troops essentially took over the war with a "blatant disregard of South Vietnamese interests." (LJ 9/1/87) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

From Library Journal 
Active in the Vietnamese nationalist movement, the nephew of Emperor Bao Dai's short-termed prime minister Tran Trong Kim, founder of the Saigon Post , and ultimately South Vietnam's ambassador to the United States, Bui Diem was both a participant in and observer of the post-World War II struggles of Vietnam. Though well written and at times illuminating, his perspective is seldom self-critical and often reveals how detached he was from the decision-making process. This may not be the most satisfying historical expose but it does serve to illustrate his central point: that when the Americans sent in troops they took over the war, exhibiting a blatant disregard of South Vietnamese interests (culminating in the forced acceptance of the Paris Accords). A useful addition to Vietnam collections. Kenneth W. Berg er, Duke Univ. Lib., Durham, N.C.

From Alan Tonelson - The New York Times Book Review 
This memoir offers a game apologia for anti-Communist Vietnamese nationalism between 1945 and 1975. But Bui Diem's insistence that a viable democratic Vietnamese state could have been created with the right set of leaders, the right programs and the right kind of help from the West will not convince many opponents of America's war effort. If anything, this kind of speculation strengthens the case that the ingredients for success never existed to begin with

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Last Updated: 10/19/01