"From the first large-scale Viet Minh offensive against the French in 1950, to the fall of Saigon in 1975, the United States tried desperately to understand the nature of the fierce Communist-led struggle to create a unified, independent Vietnam. Even before its military involvement, and through the years of combat, American intelligence played a key role in gathering information on the political and military situation in Vietnam and on the strengths and weaknesses of both sides."

Includes index.

A Taste of War --The French in Indochina -- A Growing U.S. Involvement -- After the Geneva Accords -- The View from Pearl Harbor -- At the Center of Policymaking -- Politics in the Countryside -- At the CIA -- Assignment in Saigon -- Escalation -- The Public Opinion Campaign -- Counting the Enemy -- The Tet Surprise -- The End of My Tunnel -- The U.S. Failure in Vietnam.