Westmoreland - Paperback

by Lewis Sorley (Author)

In this definitive portrait, prize-winning military historian Lewis Sorley convincingly argues how General Westmoreland was responsible for losing the Vietnam War.

Is it possible that the riddle of America's military failure in Vietnam has a one-word, one-man answer?

Until we understand Gen. William Westmoreland, we will never know what went wrong in the Vietnam War. An Eagle Scout at fifteen, First Captain of his West Point class, Westmoreland fought in two wars and became Superintendent at West Point. Then he was chosen to lead the war effort in Vietnam for four crucial years.

He proved a disaster. Unable to think creatively about unconventional warfare, Westmoreland chose an unavailing strategy, stuck to it in the face of all opposition, and stood accused of fudging the results when it mattered most.

An authoritative study offering tragic lessons crucial for the future of American leadership, Westmoreland is essential reading.

"A terrific book, lively and brisk . . . a must read for anyone who tries to understand the Vietnam War." --Thomas E. Ricks

"Eye-opening and sometimes maddening, Sorley's Westmoreland is not to be missed." --John Prados, author of Vietnam: The History of an Unwinnable War, 1945-1975

Front Jacket

Westmoreland is a great book, a classic by an author who knows his subject well and tells the story without hesitation. General Donn A. Starry, U.S. Army (ret.), Commander, Army Training and Doctrine Command (1977 1981)
Is it possible that the riddle of America s military failure in Vietnam has a one-word, one-man answer?
Unless and until we understand General William Westmoreland, we will never understand what went wrong in Vietnam. An Eagle Scout at fifteen, First Captain of his West Point class, Westmoreland fought in two wars and became Superintendent at West Point. Then he was chosen to lead the war effort in Vietnam for four crucial years.

He proved a disaster. He could not think creatively about unconventional warfare, chose an unavailing strategy, stuck to it in the face of all opposition, and stood accused of fudging the results when it mattered most. In this definitive portrait, Lewis Sorley makes a plausible case that the war could have been won were it not for Westmoreland. The tragedy of William Westmoreland carries lessons not just for Vietnam, but for the future of American leadership.

Westmoreland is essential reading from a masterly historian."

Back Jacket

In this magnificent book we have another of Sorley s powerful, authoritative studies, this time the most stunning portrait of General Westmoreland who he was, how he fought his war, and why. It is a masterful analysis, sure to stand alone and dominate the current and past writing on Vietnam. Himself a soldier, Sorley is sympathetic where he ought to be, but relentless where the whole truth must be known. In the mountains of good and bad considerations of the war, Sorley has given us something we did not have: a deep understanding of this most complex man, his extraordinary life, and how his decisions affected us all. General John R. Galvin, U.S. Army (ret.), Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (1987 1992)
Lewis Sorley s brilliant portrait of General Westmoreland also helps us understand why our war lasted so long and ended as it did. This is biography at its finest. Bui Diem, Republic of Vietnam Ambassador to the United States (1967 1972)
A terrific book, lively and brisk and surprisingly interesting . . . This will be the definitive book on Westmoreland, and a must-read for anyone who tries to understand the Vietnam War. Thomas E. Ricks, author of Fiasco and The Gamble
To understand the Vietnam War in its totality one must logically try to understand General Westmoreland. Lewis Sorley has made an enormous contribution by revealing Westmoreland s complex personality and the role it played in U.S. foreign policy. Melvin R. Laird, Secretary of Defense (1969 1973)
Eye-opening and sometimes maddening, Sorley s Westmoreland is not to be missed. John Prados, author of The History of an Unwinnable War

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Author Biography

LEWIS SORLEY is a third-generation graduate of the U.S. Military Academy who also holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. He served in Vietnam and in the Pentagon, in the offices of Secretary of Defense James R. Schlesinger and Army Chief of Staff General William C. Westmoreland. He also taught at West Point and the Army War College. He is the author of five highly regarded works of military history.