Kennedy's Coup: A White House Plot, a Saigon Murder, and America's Descent into Vietnam

ISBN: 1668082403

Author: Cheevers, Jack

Condition: New

Combining the dark intrigue of a Cold War thriller and the propulsive writing of a novel, Kennedys Coup is a landmark work that will change your understanding of Americas involvement in one of the most controversial and consequential wars in our history.Based on a decade of research and writing, enriched by eyewitness interviews and revealing documents obtained through dozens of freedom of information requests, Kennedys Coup vividly recreates the Kennedy Administrations secret encouragement of the fatal 1963 military coup against South Vietnams defiant president.The brutal assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem by his own generals-which capped weeks of bitter White House infighting amid JFKs wavering-led to dreadful consequences for the United States, opening the door to nine years of costly and futile warfare in Vietnam. A meticulous researcher and fluid writer, Jack Cheevers etches unforgettable portraits of the people behind this fascinating drama: the kindly, philosophy-loving American ambassador who tried to save Diem; the powerful Pentagon and State Department figures who battled for JFKs ear; the hard-driving young American journalists in Saigon who braved police beatings and death threats to dig out the story; the adder-tongued Madame Nhu, Diems beautiful sister-in-law, who enraged critics with outrageous insults; the scheming South Vietnamese generals who slowly tightened a noose around their commander in chief; the hard-drinking CIA agent who carried secret US messages to the generals; and Diem and his Machiavellian brother Nhu, head of the feared secret police, who tried but failed to outwit both the Americans and their traitorous generals.While many Vietnam books mention Diems murder in passing, this gripping account delves into the participants personalities, motives, and actions in greater detail than ever before. The definitive history of one of the most catastrophic decisions ever made by a US president, shedding new light on events that altered the world, Kennedys Coup will be a work of lasting importance.