Book Analysis: The 25-Year War: America's Military Role in Vietnam, by General Bruce Palmer, Jr

Book excerpt: The author chose the book analysis as his project because it allowed him the opportunity to read additional material related to the military. He chose The 25-Year War; America's Military Role in Vietnam by General Bruce Palmer, Jr. In order to determine if the lessons learned were sound, the author compared the lessons with the principles of war studied in this school. The book, On Strategy: The Vietnam War in Context, by Colonel Harry G. Summers, Jr. was used as the primary source to support General Palmer's assessment of the war. The project is organized in four chapters: Chapter One provides background information on General Palmer and examines his military experiences. This insight helps identify any bias in the author. Chapter Two is a synopsis of the American involvement in Vietnam and develops the framework for the reader to use in understanding the author's assessment of the year. Chapter Three summarizes the author's assessment of the operational performance of the military forces, the strategy and by the US, and finally the lessons learned. This chapter also compares General Palmer's views of the war with other sources, particularly, Colonel Summers. Chapter four is a brief conclusion to the project.