Twenty years later, the Vietnam War remains a haunting and divisive memory for American society. Partisans on all sides still debate why the war was fought, and whether it could have been won at all.

1. "A Different Kind of War": The Johnson Administration and the Conduct of Limited War in Vietnam -- 2. No More MacArthurs: Johnson, McNamara, the Military, and the Command System in Vietnam -- 3. The "Other War": Management of Pacification, 1965-1967 -- 4. The Not-so-secret Search for Peace -- 5. "Without Ire": Management of Public Opinion -- 6. "Fighting while Negotiating": The Tet Offensive and After -- 7. Conclusion.