Overview

"In this definitive portrait, prize-winning military historian Lewis Sorley convincingly argues how General Westmoreland was responsible for losing the Vietnam War. Is it possible that the riddle of America's military failure in Vietnam has a one-word, one-man answer? Until we understand Gen. William Westmoreland, we will never know what went wrong in the Vietnam War. An Eagle Scout at fifteen, First Captain of his West Point class, Westmoreland fought in two wars and became Superintendent at West Point. Then he was chosen to lead the war effort in Vietnam for four crucial years. He proved a disaster. Unable to think creatively about unconventional warfare, Westmoreland chose an unavailing strategy, stuck to it in the face of all opposition, and stood accused of fudging the results when it mattered most. An authoritative study offering tragic lessons crucial for the future of American leadership, Westmoreland is essential reading. ""A terrific book, lively and brisk . . . a must read for anyone who tries to understand the Vietnam War."" --Thomas E. Ricks ""Eye-opening and sometimes maddening, Sorley's Westmoreland is not to be missed."" --John Prados, author of Vietnam: The History of an Unwinnable War, 1945-1975"

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Scalding . . . Sorley, a West Point graduate and retired Army lieutenant colonel, is unsparing in his analysis of Westmoreland. -- Los Angeles Times The subtitle says it all: 'The General Who Lost Vietnam' . . . Sorley has stripped away Westmoreland's after-the-fact mythologizing, leaving us with a deeply unflattering portrait of an army careerist who unintentionally did much damage to an institution -- and a country -- that he loved dearly. Westmoreland is a valuable addition to the growing 'revisionist' literature that shows the Vietnam War was winnable if we had fought differently. -- Max Boot, Wall Street Journal Sweeping . . . [Sorley] pillories the hapless general for what are now seen as horrendous gaffes of counterinsurgency. -- TIME A first-rate biography of a second-rate soldier. -- Washington Times No American general has ever been more vilified than William C. Westmoreland, our senior military commander in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968 and the only American general to lose a war . . . Lewis Sorley, a distinguished military historian and Vietnam veteran himself, offers a stinging assessment . . . Napoleon supposedly said, 'Don't give me good generals, give me lucky ones.' This well-researched, engrossing, and hard-hitting biography demonstrates that its subject was neither. -- Cleveland Plain Dealer An important contribution to the literature of the Vietnam War . . . The research is meticulous and the writing fascinating. -- Proceedings A military historian's harsh take on the career of the general most associated with America's most controversial war . . . The general's defenders will have their hands full answering Sorley's blistering indictment. -- Kirkus Reviews An engrossing portrait and analysis of how the decisions of one military leader could impact the lives of so many. -- Library Journal

This is a terrific book, lively and brisk, and surprisingly interesting. How could this deeply flawed, limited man rise so high in the U.S. Army? This will be the definitive book on Westmoreland, and a must read for anyone who tries to understand the Vietnam War. -Thomas E. Ricks, author of Fiasco and The Gamble Lewis Sorley's brilliant portrait of General Westmoreland helps us understand why our war lasted so long and ended as it did. This is biography at its finest. - Bui Diem, South Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States (1967-1972) A riveting history of how ambition corrupted soldierly virtues and led to slyness, hubris and national disaster. A scorching indictment of how generals covered up for each other. -Bing West, author of THE WRONG WAR: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan To understand the Vietnam War in its totality one must logically try to understand General Westmoreland. Dr. Lewis Sorley has made an enormous contribution by revealing General Westmoreland s complex personality and the role it played in U.S. foreign policy. -Melvin R. Laird, former Secretary of Defense and nine-term Member of Congress Reaching beyond the surface to penetrate the enigma of General William C. Westmoreland, Lewis Sorley gathers the recollections of Westy s Army colleagues, the man s personal papers, and official records to tell the story of a general who has remained opaque despite the many debates over his role in the Vietnam war. Eye-opening and sometimes maddening, Sorley s Westmoreland is not to be missed. -John Prados, author of Vietnam: The History of an Unwinnable War

<p> This is a terrific book, lively and brisk, and surprisingly interesting. How could this deeply flawed, limited man rise so high in the U.S. Army? This will be the definitive book on Westmoreland, and a must read for anyone who tries to understand the Vietnam War. <p>-Thomas E. Ricks, author of Fiasco and The Gamble <p> Lewis Sorley's brilliant portrait of General Westmoreland helps us understand why our war lasted so long and ended as it did. This is biography at its finest. <p>- Bui Diem, South Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States (1967-1972) A riveting history of how ambition corrupted soldierly virtues and led to slyness, hubris and national disaster. A scorching indictment of how generals covered up for each other. -Bing West, author of THE WRONG WAR: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan&#12288; To understand the Vietnam War in its totality one must logically try to understand General Westmoreland.&#12288; Dr. Lewis Sorley has made an enormous contribution by revealing General Westmoreland's complex personality and the role it played in U.S. foreign policy. -Melvin R. Laird, former Secretary of Defense and nine-term Member of Congress Reaching beyond the surface to penetrate the enigma of General William C. Westmoreland, Lewis Sorley gathers the recollections of Westy's Army colleagues, the man's personal papers, and official records to tell the story of a general who has remained opaque despite the many debates over his role in the Vietnam war. Eye-opening and sometimes maddening, Sorley's Westmoreland is not to be missed. -John Prados, author of Vietnam: The History of an Unwinnable War

Author Information

LEWIS SORLEY is a third-generation graduate of the U.S. Military Academy who also holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. He served in Vietnam and in the Pentagon, in the offices of Secretary of Defense James R. Schlesinger and Army Chief of Staff General William C. Westmoreland. He also taught at West Point and the Army War College. He is the author of five highly regarded works of military history.

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