"Seth Jacobs makes a seminal contribution to the study of the origins of American involvement in Vietnam. Combining prodigious research in a rich variety of primary sources, a sophisticated conceptual framework that illuminates the intersection of high politics and popular culture, and an especially engaging writing style, Jacobs fundamentally recasts how we view this critical period in the history of the Vietnam wars and the Cold War."--Mark Bradley, author of "Imagining Vietnam and America: The Making of Postcolonial Vietnam, 1919-1950"
"Seth Jacobs's interesting and provocative argument adds a new interpretation to the massive literature on the United States and the path toward full deployment in Vietnam. Jacobs writes with a lively, punchy style that makes his work both entertaining and instructive."--Michael Latham, author of "Modernization as Ideology: American Social Science and 'Nation Building' in the Kennedy Era"
