United States involvement in the Vietnam War was one of the most important events in the post-World War II period. The political, social and military consequences of US involvement and defeat in Vietnam have been keenly felt within the US and the international community, and the ''lessons'' learned have continued to exert an influence to the present day.

This book focuses on the effects of US propaganda on America''s Western allies – particularly France, West Germany and Great Britain – from the time when the Vietnam War began to escalate in February 1965, to the American withdrawal and its immediate aftermath.

One of its main aims is to assess the amount and veracity of information passed on by the US administration to allied governments and to compare this with the level of public information on the war within those countries.