How did it all happen?

Over a period of three decades, two Western nations, first France and then the United States, lost their way in Vietnam, committing themselves to waging doomed military struggles against Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary forces.

Using newly accessible diplomatic archives in several nations, distinguished scholar Fredrik Logevall will talk about his new book which traces the political, military, and diplomatic paths of two western nations. For a new generation of readers, “Embers of War” (Random House; 1st Edition; Aug. 21, 2012) helps us relive this extraordinary story.

Fredrik Logevall is professor of history at Cornell, where he serves as the director of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies. He is also the author of "America's Cold War" (Belknap Press/Harvard University Press, 2009) and “Choosing War” (University of California Press, 1999).

Light refreshments will be available after the talk, and books will be available for purchase and signing.