The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was fought between the Communist North Vietnamese and anti-Communist South Vietnamese, with the support of French and American forces, during the late 1960s and 1970s. It is the primary subject of this book. The author, in an effort to avoid preconceived ideas and show its connection to war generally, chooses to refer to the Vietnam War as simply “the war."

The United States

The United States was a participant in the Vietnam War and the primary adversary of the North Vietnamese forces. The United States is a superpower, both militarily and through its industry of memory. Both of these, Nguyen argues, allow it to influence international events and memory.

Vietnam

Vietnam is a Communist country in Southeast Asia. As the site of the Vietnam War, many Americans associate the country solely with their memories of the war. This book explores the ways...