war from Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt through Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy to the bombings and invasions of the Johnson and Nixon administrations. The book shows that "The Vietnam War" is a euphemism for the war crimes the United States perpetrated against the peoples of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. It shows that the war was unnecessary, immoral, and strategically illogical. The book argues that America defeats itself on the altar of a contradiction called democratic imperialism. It also argues that America's invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan constitute the equivalent of a Second Vietnam War, showing how much America still needs to learn from its recent past. The book is a study of history, geopolitics, political psychology, and courageous protest. It reveals the lies of five successive presidents in launching and sustaining an absurd and self-defeating war on the other side of the world. It also argues that Congress is criminally complicit in American war crimes. The book begins with a quote from Karl Kraus: "How do wars start? Politicians lie to journalists, then believe what they read." It ends with a quote from the chief architect of the war, Robert McNamara: "We were wrong, terribly wrong. We owe it to future generations to explain why." Stefan Schindler does an extraordinary job of telling the story of The Vietnam War in simple, clear, compellingly dramatic language, thoroughly documented and completely accessible to anyone who can read. I hope it gets wide circulation. Howard Zinn Author of A People's History of The United States and Declarations of Independence

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