This collection of essays by highly respected social historians looks at the Vietnam War era through the eyes of the ordinary citizens caught up in those tumultuous times. Focusing on the period between 1961 and 1975 from the dramatic U.S. military escalation to the fall of Saigon it offers fresh insight on the impact of the war on individuals on the home front and the battlefront.

Each chapter of "Vietnam War Era: People and Perspectives" examines how a particular group of Americans interacted with the war and its related issues, among them military advisors and soldiers, the silent...