This is a sophisticated work by American journalist and writer David Halberstam - a Pulitzer Prize winner who reported directly from the Vietnam battlefield in the early 1960s. As a war correspondent for Time Magazine, David Halberstam spent more than a year living and working in South Vietnam during the crucial period (from October 1963 to December 1964). Based on direct observations and contacts with many high-ranking political figures in the Saigon government as well as from American diplomatic and military delegations, he sketched a panoramic picture of the formation, operation and inevitable collapse of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime.
According to the Truth National Political Publishing House, the value of the book lies in the honesty in its tone and approach. David Halberstam does not embellish or avoid, but frankly points out the systematic strategic mistakes of the US in South Vietnam: the misunderstanding of the nature of the war, the blind dependence on the Ngo Dinh Diem government and the decisions of military intervention that are getting deeper and deeper without stopping.
What is special about the book is the critical spirit of the author himself, an American citizen, a reporter working for Time Magazine. Halberstam clearly recognized that the American war in Vietnam was an unjust war, justified by false arguments and "painted" statistics. Under his pen, the image of America appears not as a defender of freedom, but as an interloper in a war with no way out, where justice does not belong to them.
According to the publisher of the book, although some of Halberstam's assessments are still emotional and do not fully understand the role and stature of the Vietnamese revolutionary forces, it cannot be denied that he was one of the strong voices of reflection in the United States during the war. From his perspective, today's readers can better understand why the United States, despite its overwhelming economic and military advantages, still failed against a nation with an independent will and a blood relationship with the people like the Vietnamese revolution.
The publication of this work is not only to introduce a book, but also to send a message: Historical truth, even from an American writer, still needs to be recognized, discussed and shared. Because the more we understand the perspective of an “insider” like Halberstam, the more clearly we see why the Vietnamese revolution was inevitable, why the desire for independence and patriotism cannot be subdued by bombs and bullets, and why, in the end, justice will prevail.
The book “The Development and Collapse of the Ngo Dinh Diem Regime – Drowning in the Swamp” is an important reference for readers interested in modern Vietnamese history, war journalism, as well as Vietnam-US relations in the 20th century. Above all, it is a reminder of the value of national independence, freedom and patriotism, values that the entire Vietnamese people have won and preserved with blood and unshakable faith.
Source: https://cand.com.vn/Chuyen-dong-van-hoa/xuat-ban-cong-trinh-cua-nha-bao-my-ve-chien-tranh-viet-nam-chinh-quyen-sai-gon-truoc-1964-i776624/
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