AllMovie

Based on Mike McClear's book of the same name, this program chronicles the history of American involvement in Vietnam. From the 1950s, when Eisenhower sent advisors to help the French in Vietnam, through the American withdrawal of troops from the region, to ultimate surrender by North Vietnam in 1975, the Vietnam issue occupies a unique place in American history. Archival film footage, photographs, personal accounts of soldiers and civilians, as well as commentary by scholars tell the story. The first episode gives the viewer an overview of the transition of the Vietnam issue from early Cold War hot spot to the center of a controversy that threatened to tear America apart.