Sev's Response to The Tragedy of Vietnam:

I found The Tragedy of Vietnam to be an extremely well-written, incredibly researched, and highly informative book. I am sure like anyone, the image of the elderly monk burning to death had the greatest emotional impact on me. I wondered how anyone could have such high beliefs and obviously feel so oppressed that they would resort to public suicide to plead their case. I am sorry for the country as a whole because it had been under domination or fear of incursion for so many thousands of years and only now is beginning to enjoy a little cultural and economic freedom. The book provided me with the opportunity to expand my knowledge of the Vietnam War more so than any other document I had come across prior. I am now very interested in the topic and looking forward to exploring the subtle nuances of the conflict, possible alternatives, and theoritical ideas of how events might have transpired had different decisions been made. The book provided so many details, that I feel an entire semester could be devoted to it alone, were every name and event fully researched in detail before continuing on with the primary reading.