Summons of the Trumpet : US - Vietnam in Perspective by Palmer, Dave Richard

San Rafael, Calif.: Presidio Pr., 1978. 1st edition, hard bound in dj ( VG/VG condition - light dj wear) 277 pp., maps. 6 1/4 x 9 1/4, index. ---------------------------Thousands of young Americans fought in Vietnam with little knowledge of the reasons why. Even greater numbers protested against the war and had less understanding of common dilemmas which confounded the experts. The combat areas were saturated with newsmen and the Vietnam war turned out to be one of the best documented and least comprehended wars in our history. The seesaw from battlefield victory to psychological defeat (and vice versa) seemed never-ending.Why did we get involved? Why did we stay? And why did we have to rationalize defeat? In Summons of the Trumpet, Colonel Palmer addresses and explains the complex issues of America's military involvement in Southeast Asia.-------------------------------------------This book is "by far the best synthesis of the confusing military events of the Vietnam war" (Prof. Russell F. Weigley). Palmer traces the conflict from the advisory decade of 1954-64. He explains the politics of America's ever-growing commitment and the futility of the strategy of restricted warfare that failed to persuade Hanoi to end the struggle. He shows the United States lurching from the brink of military disaster in 1965 to a surprise reminiscent of Pearl Harbor in the 1968 Tet offensive. He tells of our agonizing departure.-------------------------------------The emotional wounds caused by the war may take longer to heal than the physical scars worn by the veterans. Only understanding of the issues can help. Palmer provides this in clear and forceful writing that gives credit where deserved but does not dodge the most embarrassing arguments. If there are to be no more Vietnams, we need to understand and apply the lessons of Summons of the Trumpet.