Haunting Legacy: Vietnam and the American Presidency from Ford to Obama

(Paperback, Second Edition)

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The United States had never lost a warthat is, until 1975, when it was forced to flee Saigon in utter humiliation and abandon South Vietnam to a victorious communist army. The legacy of this first defeat has haunted every president since, especially on the decision of whether to commit troops to war. In Haunting Legacy, the father-daughter journalist team of Marvin and Deborah Kalb presents a compelling, accessible, and hugely important history of presidential decisionmaking on one crucial issue: in light of the Vietnam debacle, under what circumstances should the United States go to war

Reviews

"What a terrific book! Scrupulously researched and beautifully told, Haunting Legacy proves that try as they might, our past seven presidents have one after the other failed to exorcize the ghost of Vietnam." Lesley Stahl, correspondent for 60 Minutes

"The Kalbs are at their best when they draw from their own fascinating, high-level interviews." Washington Post

"If you wonder whether Vietnam still matters, it does. Read this book and discover why and how." Ted Koppel, anchor of ABC's Nightline for twenty-five years

"A clear-eyed look at the Vietnam War's fateful consequences especially subsequent wars up until the present in Afghanistan. It could not be a more timely and thoughtful contribution to the literature." Jamie Stiehm, Huffington Post

"The ghost of the Vietnam War has influenced and haunted two generations of American policymakers. Now, a brilliant two-generation team looks at that legacy in an insightful and fascinating way." Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute

"It could hardly by more timely, as America and its leaders grapple with the challenges posed by Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya all at once." Mark Thompson, Time, Battleland Blog

" Haunting Legacy should be required reading for all occupants of the White House and every presidential aspirant." Larry Berman, author of Lyndon Johnson's War: The Road to Stalemate in Vietnam

Author Bio

Marvin Kalb is the Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice (emeritus) at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and founding director of the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Policy. His distinguished career covers thirty years of award-winning coverage and commentary for CBS and NBC News, and he is a former host of Meet the Press. Deborah Kalb is a freelance writer and editor. She worked as a Washington journalist for two decades, writing for Congressional Quarterly and U.S. News and World Report, among other publications.