Without Honor

Arnold R. Isaacs, freelance writer and educator, reported on the closing years of the Vietnam war during six years in Asia as a correspondent for the Baltimore Sun. Following his career in daily journalism, he continued to travel widely as a teacher and international journalism trainer. He lives in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

“Without Honor should be required reading for any American politician contemplating the issues of war, particularly American involvement in a war in Asia.”—The VVA Veteran; “Forty years on, ‘Skip’ Isaacs's Without Honor remains an indispensable feature in any Cold War historian’s professional library. This updated edition, with new insights on the limits of American power abroad, showcases the human element of war that far too many accounts lack as they debate the merits of US foreign policy and grand strategy or Cold War ideologies. Isaacs excels in telling a harrowing tale of Americans’ withdrawal from Vietnam and a war that persisted long after they departed. A stellar work of enduring importance.”—Gregory A. Daddis, USS Midway Chair in Modern U.S. Military History, San Diego State University, author of Pulp Vietnam: War and Gender in Cold War Men's Adventure Magazines; “Without Honor is by far the best English-language book which provides unsurpassed coverage of the two years following the Paris Peace Agreement, ending U.S. participation in the Vietnam War. As a Baltimore Sun reporter on the ground, Arnold Isaacs writes eloquently and with deep insight into the unfolding events of that latter period. His description of events in South Vietnam and Cambodia is riveting, while joined to a keen analytical perspective. For those who missed reading Without Honor the first time, the re-issue of this book will provide a surprising and enriching experience.”—Carolyn Eisenberg, author of Fire and Rain: Nixon, Kissinger and the Wars in Southeast Asia; From the previous edition: 1983 Notable Book of the Year—New York Times; 1983 Notable Book of the Year—American Library Association; Outstanding Academic Title—Choice

• Table of ContentsPreface to the New EditionPreface to the First EditionPart I: The PeaceChronologyChapter  1. “This war will never end”: January 28, 1973Chapter  2. The Paris AgreementChapter  3. CeasefireChapter  4. “An army with a country”: Thieu’s VietnamChapter 5. The Americans Leave (1)Part II: The PawnsChronologyChapter 6. Laos: The Kingdom of Lane-xangChapter 7. Cambodia: “The land is broken”Chapter 8. Fall of the Khmer RepublicPart III: The FallChronologyChapter  9. “A broken sword”Chapter 10. CollapseChapter 11. “It is like an avalanche”Chapter 12. “Your mission is very heavy”Chapter 13. The Fall of SaigonChapter 14. The Limits of CredibilityChapter NotesBibliographyIndex