Bruce Herschensohn (1932–2020)

Raising the Baton is a fascinating, beautifully written and - at times - poignant historical novel. If you're interested in history, or just enjoy reading captivating books, you will love Raising the Baton!

Author Bruce Herschensohn is brilliant, as always. As he leads the reader through major historical events from the 1930s to the present, you feel as if you are actually experiencing the events yourself.

When the book ends you'll feel as if you've lived through a part of history, enjoying a greater understanding of those events. And, if you're like me, you'll feel deeply connected to Christopher Straw.… (meer)

How do I review this? This was an extremely difficult book for me to read. I had to stop after every one or two chapters, usually in tears or almost shaking with anger, and read something else. The "something else" was a collection of short stories, and a line from that collection runs through my mind whenever I think of An American Amnesia: "A good heart doesn't mean shit if you make bad decisions." I can't think of a better line to sum up the actions of the American Democratic party since the time of FDR and particularly (excruciatingly) during the era of Vietnam. This is called "An American Amnesia" because we've allowed the fictionalization of the the Vietnam story. The truth has been willingly forgotten, and this book is a vital, brutal reminder.

We won the war in Vietnam. No doubt you have been taught differently. I certainly was, and having just re-read my old high school history book's treatment of the subject, I'm disgusted at the glossing over of the facts surrounding the end of the war and the years following. In the Paris Peace Accords, we achieved our mission in the war: the North Vietnamese agreed to South Vietnamese self-determination and freedom. They swore to abandon their conquest of South Vietnam. Unfortunately, after the Paris Peace Accords, the United States congress (with huge Democrat majorities) refused to honor the U.S.A.'s promises, like funding the South Vietnamese military by replacing equipment/weapons/etc on a 1-to-1 basis. In fact, the Congress refused any further aid to the South Vietnamese, even as the North Vietnamese began another offensive, with the support of China and the Soviet Union, breaking their Peace Accord promises. When North Vietnam witnessed the actions of the U.S. Congress, they were emboldened and assured that the United States would DO NOTHING to aid the South Vietnamese (there are many quotes from N. Vietnamese generals stating exactly this).

American liberals said the best thing for the Vietnamese would be for the U.S. to butt out and "let the war end." Maybe they actually believed this; maybe they were truly "good hearted". But what happened as a result of their decision? Torture and genocide in South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia (the last where the Khmer Rouge slaughtered 2 MILLION people after Jimmy Carter supported their regime), and the negation of thousands of American lives sacrificed to free the South Vietnamese. The book also details the repulsive actions of anti-war protesters, journalists (pretty much all of them), and celebrities during the war -- the North Vietnamese were greatly encouraged in their fight by these people, as shown in letters from N.V. generals).

We won that war abroad and were sabotaged at home, forced into surrender by liberals who would rather millions die than admit they were wrong. (Granted, there were a few who realized their folly -- even Joan Baez!) This book gives new meaning to the phrase "another Vietnam". If we can't learn from these mistakes, we're doomed as a nation. And I can't help but wonder: do we even care?… (meer)