Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow - Book Report/Review Example

This book focuses on the exclusive interviews with many of those that were greatly involved in the Vietnam War, from the high government officials to the nurses who took care of the wounded soldiers. This narrative starts all the way back in the year 1787 when Pierre Pigneaux returned to France to give up his King with the goal of a Christian empire in Asia. It then spans several years and delves into the time America left Vietnam, and the downfall of South Vietnam, which was supported by the United States.

This book is indeed a highly comprehensive historical novel that gives its readers a full history of the Vietnam War, starting from almost two hundred years before the war actually began. Karnow also focuses in this book on the theme of mourning and expressing negativity about the idea of war itself saying that it was a “war that nobody won” and this war strived for “peace that never was.” It tells the heart-rending stories of thousands during the time.