In 1995, when America was still deeply divided about the Vietnam War, a shocking book was published: “In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam” by Robert S. McNamara - former US Secretary of Defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, who contributed to planning and expanding US military intervention in Vietnam.
Unlike many other political memoirs, McNamara wrote this book after more than 25 years of silence, not to justify or justify, but to share the truth. In the introduction, he admitted: "This is a book I never intended to write." The urge came from the torment of historical responsibility and the desire to help Americans and the world understand why intellectuals and patriots like him could make serious mistakes in Vietnam.
The memoir does not shy away or embellish, but frankly looks straight at the author's own mistakes and those of the United States, sending a valuable historical message to many generations.
The book consists of 11 chapters and 1 appendix, based on hundreds of archival documents, internal meeting minutes and memoirs of the characters, recreating the whole picture of the US involvement in Vietnam from early 1961 to the period of war escalation. McNamara does not blame anyone, but analyzes the root cause of the failure as the lack of understanding of the history, culture and will of the Vietnamese people.
The book, which will be released in 2025 in Vietnam, is special because it has a foreword by two outstanding sons. They are Craig McNamara, who returned to the Ia Drang battlefield with American veterans to return the Liberation Army flag - a symbol of reconciliation - and Vo Hong Nam, son of General Vo Nguyen Giap.
Mr. Vo Hong Nam shared: “We should read more - read to understand more deeply the nature of war, to see that on the other side of the battle line there are also people who want to find the root cause of the war to answer the question of right and wrong and courageously open up opportunities for reconciliation.”
Mr. Craig McNamara expressed hope that through the book, Americans and Vietnamese people can look back at the past thoroughly and together heal the wounds of war.
The book “Looking Back at the Past: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam” not only helps readers have more research materials on our people's resistance war against the US to save the country, but also opens a new chapter in historical dialogue, contributing to deepening understanding and tolerance between the two nations, while reminding today's and future generations of the valuable lessons of the past.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/ra-mat-cuon-hoi-ky-ma-cuu-bo-truong-quoc-phong-my-mcnamara-dinh-khong-viet-ra-705910.html
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