Summary Of A Better War By Lewis Sorely

In A Better War Lewis Sorely presents his audience with a well thought out, and well written examination of the last years of the Vietnam War. In 1968 then commander William Westmorland was superceded by General Creighton Adams(16-17). Several vitally important events during the war had taken place under the direction and leadership of Adams but by the time he had taken over, the people and media of the United States were declining in their concern towards the war in Vietnam. Because of this limited amount of attention towards the end of the war, most of the media coverage having to do with it focused on the time before Tet, when the tensions were high revolving the topic of Vietnam. Sorely points this fact out, using material that was only available in recent times, he delivers to us a swift and corrective story in which the little known truths are brought to light. His novel reveals Abrams as one of our country's most reputable commanders, one who most definitely deserved "a better war" then the one he got.
Before General Abrams took command, for three and a half years, the situation in Vietnam was only

The first of these was the way that the United States decided to back out. Agreeing to, and signing the Paris Peace accord on January 27th, 1973. This allowed North Vietnam to be able to keep their forces in the South (349). Despite multiple assurances, President Nixon, so as to reinforce the accords, denied requests to continue bombing. This cease fire allowed for the North to move their troops and supplies further into the South putting pressure on the Allied forces. Sorley also puts the blame in the fact that the US media, and the public, had lost their faith in the War. (386). The Peace Movement was shaken down, the troops had lost their morale, as well as the public, and so eventually the United States government pulled out of the war for good in