""Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has passed to a new generation of Americans - born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace...." These sentiments, expressed by John F. Kennedy in his inaugural address, inspired Bradley Marshall to enter government service. But by 1972 Kennedy is dead - and so are Marshall's ideals. An envoy for three presidents, he has negotiated with kings and dictators, the world's foremost liars. Now, Marshall stands in the Oval Office, Kissinger on one side, Nixon on the other. Next stop: Vietnam. "Peace," Nixon says to Marshall, "is in your hands."" "A Bitter Peace takes us into a world where men succeed at carving up continents but fail to protect their own children...where nothing has value, everything a price. Ultimately, beyond the battlefields, the conference tables, and the enclaves of power, a man of conscience finds a far more challenging world within himself, and the one goal worth pursuing - that of personal redemption."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Demonstrating the centrality of diplomacy in the Vietnam War, Pierre Asselin traces the secret negotiations that led up to the Paris Agreement of 1973, which ended America's involvement but failed to bring peace in Vietnam. Because the two sides signed the agreement under duress, he argues, the peace it promised was doomed to unravel. By January of 1973, the continuing military stalemate and mounting difficulties on the domestic front forced both Washington and Hanoi to conclude that signing a vague and largely unworkable peace agreement was the most expedient way to achieve their most pressing objectives. For Washington, those objectives included the release of American prisoners, military withdrawal without formal capitulation, and preservation of American credibility in the Cold War. Hanoi, on the other hand, sought to secure the removal of American forces, protect the socialist revolution in the North, and improve the prospects for reunification with the South. Using newly available archival sources from Vietnam, the United States, and Canada, Asselin reconstructs the secret negotiations, highlighting the creative roles of Hanoi, the National Liberation Front, and Saigon in constructing the final settlement.

This comprehensive text provides a balanced survey of the Cold War in a genuinely global framework. Presenting not only Soviet and Western perspectives, but also the outlooks of peoples and leaders throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, Edward H. Judge and John W. Langdon offer in-depth treatment of imperialism, anti-imperialism, decolonization, national liberation struggles, and their Cold War connections. The authors explore the background and context for all major developments during the era, as well as capsule biographies and character analyses of key figures. Tracing the Cold War from its roots in East–West tensions before and during World War II through its origins in the immediate postwar era, the book concludes with the Cold War’s legacy, which continues today. Written in a clear and lively style, this compelling text will bring the era to life for readers who didn’t experience its dramas and crises directly.

A period of China's tumultuous history when millions died while the country was at peace.

During the months right before the Tet Offensive in Viet Nam, Bradley Marshall is sent to Viet Nam to bring back critical information that will allow the President of the United States to overrule his military advisors and pull American troops out of the conflict. Marshall is eventually drawn into even another conflict that will involve a Vietnamese girl, a French colonial, and others.