The book Hue by Mark Bowden (2017) narrates about the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War holds a special place in American history and is significant on a global scale. The battle served as a metaphor for the failure of American cold war strategy. Force was not effective in stopping the rise of Communism, despite efforts by the US government. Both sides suffered significant losses, and this demonstrated that America’s military might was insufficient to halt the spread of Communism. Nevertheless, not everybody thought the Vietnam War was a just conflict.
The Vietnam War’s Battle of Hue had a significant impact on US politics and military planning. Lyndon B. Johnson’s political career was ended by anti-war sentiment, which also contributed to the symbolism of Communist forces hoisting the flag above Hue and other fundamental urban warfare tactics. The Tet Offensive in early 1968 was a turning moment in the Vietnam War, which is the main message of this book. Hue was among the targets of several unexpected Communist North Vietnamese strikes that astonished the globe and fundamentally altered American public opinion of the war.
The US military command was not the only one who failed to recognise the full scope of the Communist attack on Hue. Additionally, it had gone practically undetected by the general public. Instead, the daring Viet Cong attack on the US embassy in Saigon had captured the attention of the media. News of Hue finally broke thanks to the courageous reporting of Gene Roberts, a journalist for the New York Times. The day after the city was captured, Roberts had arrived there. At the American compound, he observed numerous injured soldiers as well as a large number of body bags. He also listened to eyewitness accounts of the bridge massacre.
Reference
Bowden, M. (2017). Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam. Grove Atlantic.