Excellent, the best book I've read so far on the Vietnam War.

One of the biggest strengths Young brings to her book is a clearer (and in many ways, more damning) analysis of American aims during the war. For being much shorter than Karnow's book on the war, or Sheehan's book on John Paul Vann, it's both more memorable and more insightful—like not pretending the post-Diem coups were due to arbitrary personalities; instead, casting them as who was willing and able to uphold American aims during the war, and not slip into a neutralist stance or even negotiate with Hanoi.

It's also, frankly, a lot clearer about how much of the war was an outright atrocity knowingly perpetuated on Vietnam by American money, American troops, and American bombs. Highly highly recommended, even though it'll drive you a little more crazy to live in this hell nation.