TET!

Finalist for the 1971 National Book AwardIn early 1968 Communist forces in Vietnam launched a surprise offensive that targeted nearly every city town and major military base throughout South Vietnam. For several hours the U.S. embassy in Saigon itself came under siege by Viet Cong soldiers. Militarily the offensive was a failure as the North Vietnamese Army and its guerrilla allies in the south suffered devastating losses. Politically however it proved to be a crucial turning point in America's involvement in Southeast Asia and public opinion of the war. In this classic work of military history and war reportage-long considered the definitive history of Tet and its aftermath-Don Oberdorfer moves back and forth between the war and the home front to document the lasting importance of this military action. Based on his own observations as a correspondent for the Washington Post and interviews with hundreds of people who were caught up in the struggle Tet! remains an essential contribution to our understanding of the Vietnam War.