Vietnam War (DK Eyewitness Books)

Vietnam War (DK Eyewitness Books)

Growing up in the 60s and 70s, I was very aware of the Vietnam War. I was not old enough to be a warrior or a peace activitst. However, I watched and read a lot about the war. Even at a young age, I knew enough to get information from different points of view.

In the first decade of the new century, few children and teenagers have much understanding of the lessons of the Vietnam War. This is a serious lack. To be informed citizens, we need to understand our own history. But how do you explain such a complex war to a 10 year old?

I gave this book to my 10 year old son in anticipation of a trip to Vietnam. He enjoyed it and was able to be quite articulate in discussing a number of things about the war.

DK does a good job of making history relevant by using a visual presentation. It would have been much more difficult to get a child or young adolescent to read a print-only book about a "parents' generation" war. Each page has several color photographs and then uses these to explain the history of the war. This particular book makes an effort to be even handed by presenting information about the American troops, the protesters, and the various Vietnamese factions. It shows the weapons used by both sides. There is a discussion of Agent Orange and Napalm. The medical sections shows how both the Americans and the Vietcomg treated their wounded. The section on "The Television War" helps explain how television shaped the American reaction to the war.

At the end of the book there is a helpful glossary of terms. There is also a "Find Out More" section that lists useful websites and has a list of museums and memorials to visit in the US.

I would recommend supplementing the book by encouraging the child or adolescent to talk to adults who served in Vietnam, or protested the war. Following these discussions, one might ask the child to consider the similarities and differences to the current war in Iraq.

Download
http://rapidshare.com/files/177455337/dk_vietnam-053.rar