The defeat of South Vietnam was arguably America's worst foreign policy disaster of the 20th Century. Yet a complete understanding of the endgame, from the 27 January 1973 signing of the Paris Peace Accords to South Vietnam's surrender on 30 April 1975, has eluded us. This work addresses that deficit. It represents a culmination of exhaustive research in three distinct areas: primary source documents from American archives, North Vietnamese publications containing primary and secondary source material, and dozens of articles and numerous interviews with key South Vietnamese participants, and a trove of formerly top-secret North Vietnamese cables and memoranda to create the definitive history of one of the least understood and most traumatic defeats in American history. -- From the publisher.

"The U.S. will react vigorously" : signing the Paris Peace Accords --|t "South Vietnam will have both peace and war" : the collapse of the Accords --|t "Enough to make the angels weep" : trading ammunition for blood --|t "A rainy season like no other" : the war resumes --|t "Even the gods weep for Phuoc Long" : the beginning of the end --|t "How can the free world abandon us?" : preparing for the strategic blow --|t "Good-bye for now, Ban Me Thuot" : beginning the "Great Spring Offensive" --|t "Light at the top, heavy at the bottom" : decisions that destroyed a nation --|t "The road of blood and tears" : the retreat from the highlands --|t "Chaos and disintegration" : surrounding Saigon --|t "How could I abandon this rocky soil?" : fighting to save Hue --|t "The hours of hell" : the collapse of I Corps --|t "The sea is our only hope" : the battle for the coastal cities --|t "Lightning speed, daring, surprise, certain victory" : the PAVN surrounds Saigon --|t "Hold fast the remaining land" : the South Vietnamese fight back --|t "No matter what happens, do not stop your attack!" : capturing Phan Rang --|t "I will knock them down!" : the ARVN hold at Xuan Loc --|t "Do not come home until victory is won" : the fall of Saigon. "The U.S. will react vigorously" : signing the Paris Peace Accords -- "South Vietnam will have both peace and war" : the collapse of the accords -- "Enough to make the angels weep" : trading ammunition for blood -- "A rainy season like no other" : the war resumes -- "Even the gods weep for Phuoc Long" : the beginning of the end -- "How can the free world abandon us?" : preparing for the strategic blow -- "Good-bye for now, Ban Me Thuot" : beginning the "Great Spring Offensive" -- "Light at the top, heavy at the bottom" : decisions that destroyed a nation -- "The road of blood and tears" : the retreat from the highlands -- "Chaos and disintegration" : surrounding Saigon -- "How could I abandon this rocky soil?" : fighting to save Hue -- "The hours of hell" : the collapse of I Corps -- "The sea is our only hope" : the battle for the coastal cities -- "Lightning speed, daring, surprise, certain victory" : the PAVN surrounds Saigon -- "Hold fast the remaining land" : the South Vietnamese fight back -- "No matter what happens, do not stop your attack!" : capturing Phan Rang -- "I will knock them down!" : the ARVN hold at Xuan Loc -- "Do not come home until victory is won" : the fall of Saigon.