How we lost the Vietnam War (Nguyen Cao Ky)

A first-hand account by the man himself

"Outstanding. One of the three best books written about

Vietnam." -The tna,annar>ol,s News



HowWe
Lost

The
Vietnalll

War



NGUYEN CAO KY

HOW WE LOST
THE

VIETNAM WAR

published in hardcover as

Twenty Years and Twenty Days

STEIN AND DAY/Publishe,-s/New York

STEIN AND DAY PAPERBACK EDITION 1984
Scarborough Books Edition 1978
How We lost the Vietnam War was originally published in 1976 in
hardcover by Stein and Day/ Publishers
as Twenty Years and Twenty Days.
Copyright© 1976 by Nguyen Cao Ky

All rights reserved, Stein and Day, Incorporated
Designed by David Miller
Printed in the United States of America
Stein and Day/ Publishers
Scarborough House
Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. 105 IO
ISBN 0-8128-8039-0

CONTENTS

I A QUESTION OF HONOR: "I'm sorry, the answer is 'No'� 7
2 INTO BATTLE: The reason why 11
3 AIRBORNE: I work with Colby of the CIA 23
4 DIEM: The CIA backs our coup 31
5 1964: The year of the seven coups 45.
6 YOUNG TURKS: The road to power 59
7 PRIME MINISTER: My three days with Johnson 71
8 THE BUDDHISTS: Confrontation at Danang
9 CORRVPTION: The PX millionaires ffT
10 AD>: Knots in the strings
11 TRAINING AN ARMY: A question of advise and consent 101
12 HEARTS AND MINDS: How the battle was lost 117
13 LIMITED WAR: America's fatal flaws 125
14 TET: The breaking of America's morale 135
15 THE PRESIDENT: One reason why Nixon won 143
16 VIETNAMIZATION: What's in a name? 155
17 PARIS: When the killing had to stop 165
18 ALONE: The promise Nixon could not keep 171
19 GRAHAM MARTIN: Formula for a double cross 183
20 SAIGON: The final agony 193
203
INDEX 219
233