In his previous books, most notably "Patterns of war since the 18th century", Larry H. Addington has proven himself a masterful guide to the causes and conduct of war in the western world. In this new book, he turns his narrative skills to a brief history of the war in Vietnam. Not intended as a competitor to the many excellent comprehensive studies of the Vietnam era, this book presents a short, narrative history of the origins, course, and outcome of the America's military involvement in Vietnam. The author begins with a review of the history of Vietnam before the coming of the French, the impact of French imperialism, and the United States's collaboration with Ho Chi Minh during the Second World War. He examines the course of the French Indochina War and the Cold War origins of the early American involvement in Vietnam. He then traces in more detail US policy after the 1954 Geneva Accords, its role in the establishment of a permanent and independent state in South Vietnam and its role in the outbreak of a new war. As his narrative turns to America's deepening involvement in the war, Addington examines the US strategies for waging air and ground war, and the domestic impact of its policies on public support on the anti-war movement. he suggests reasons for the ultimate failure of US policy under President Johnson and examines the successes and failures of the policy of withdrawal under President Nixon. Addington concludes with an overview of the aftermath of the war and a summing up of America's experience in Vietnam Based upon years of experience teaching about the war, this volume will prove a useful introduction and a concise reference to America's longest and most controversial war.