This is the story of our longest war, a war that continues to divide Americans twenty years after it ended. The black flags flying over police and fire stations all over the country are reminders that for many, the war is still not over. We will look at the war itself, its origins, the strategies of both sides, and the experiences of ordinary soldiers. We will also look at the things that have kept memory of the war alive: the place Vietnam has in movies and popular culture, the controversies that still fuel debate, and the ways the war changed the United States and the world.
James S. Olson and Randy Roberts. Where the Domino Fell: America and Vietnam, 1945-1990. New York: St. Martin's, 1991.
Truong Nhu Tang, A Viet Cong Memoir. New York: Vintage: 1985.
Frederick Downs, The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War. New York: W.W. Norton, 1993.
Robert McMahon, Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War. Lexington: D.C. Heath, 1990.
A300 has a homepage on the worldwide web at http://www.indiana.edu/~istorya. In it you will find announcements, the class schedule, battle maps, and links to other Vietnam related sites.