Now available in a completely revised and updated second edition, Vietnam: Explaining America s Lost War is an award-winning historiography of one of the 20 th century s seminal conflicts. * Looks at many facets of Vietnam War, examining central arguments of scholars, journalists, and participants and providing evidence on both sides of controversies around this event * Addresses key debates about the Vietnam War, asking whether the war was necessary for US security; whether President Kennedy would have avoided the war had he lived beyond November 1963; whether negotiation would have been a feasible alternative to war; and more * Assesses the lessons learned from this war, and how these lessons have affected American national security policy since * Written by a well-respected scholar in the field in an accessible style for students and scholars