About the book
Popular representations of the Vietnam War tend to emphasize violence, deprivation, and trauma. By contrast, in Armed with Abundance, Meredith Lair focuses on the noncombat experiences of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam, redrawing the landscape of the war so that swimming pools, ice cream, visits from celebrities, and other “comforts” share the frame with combat.
To address a tenuous morale situation, military authorities, Lair reveals, wielded abundance to insulate soldiers — and, by extension, the American public — from boredom and deprivation, making the project of war perhaps easier and certainly more palatable. The result was dozens of overbuilt bases in South Vietnam that grew more elaborate as the war dragged on. Relying on memoirs, military documents, and G.I. newspapers, Lair finds that consumption and satiety, rather than privation and sacrifice, defined most soldiers' Vietnam deployments. Abundance quarantined the U.S. occupation force from the impoverished people it ostensibly had come to liberate, undermining efforts to win Vietnamese “hearts and minds” and burdening veterans with disappointment that their wartime service did not measure up to public expectations. With an epilogue that finds a similar paradigm at work in Iraq, Armed with Abundance offers a unique and provocative perspective on modern American warfare.
Editions of Armed with Abundance
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807834817
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469619033
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807869185
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469602523
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890885388
- EBook
- ISBN 9798893134308
Read an Excerpt
Popular representations of the Vietnam War tend to emphasize violence, deprivation, and trauma. By contrast, in Armed with Abundance, Meredith Lair focuses on the noncombat experiences of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam, redrawing the landscape of the war so that swimming pools, ice cream, visits from celebrities, and other “comforts” share the frame with combat.
To address a tenuous morale situation, military authorities, Lair reveals, wielded abundance to insulate soldiers — and, by extension, the American public — from boredom and deprivation, making the project of war perhaps easier and certainly more palatable. The result was dozens of overbuilt bases in South Vietnam that grew more elaborate as the war dragged on. Relying on memoirs, military documents, and G.I. newspapers, Lair finds that consumption and satiety, rather than privation and sacrifice, defined most soldiers' Vietnam deployments. Abundance quarantined the U.S. occupation force from the impoverished people it ostensibly had come to liberate, undermining efforts to win Vietnamese “hearts and minds” and burdening veterans with disappointment that their wartime service did not measure up to public expectations. With an epilogue that finds a similar paradigm at work in Iraq, Armed with Abundance offers a unique and provocative perspective on modern American warfare.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Armed with Abundance about?
Popular representations of the Vietnam War tend to emphasize violence, deprivation, and trauma. By contrast, in Armed with Abundance, Meredith Lair focuses on the noncombat experiences of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam, redrawing the landscape of the war so that swimming pools, ice cream, visits from celebrities, and other “comforts” share the frame with combat.
To address a tenuous morale situation, military authorities, Lair reveals, wielded abundance to insulate soldiers — and, by extension, the American public — from boredom and deprivation, making the project of war perhaps easier and certainly more palatable. The result was dozens of overbuilt bases in South Vietnam that grew more elaborate as the war dragged on. Relying on memoirs, military documents, and G.I. newspapers, Lair finds that consumption and satiety, rather than privation and sacrifice, defined most soldiers' Vietnam deployments. Abundance quarantined the U.S. occupation force from the impoverished people it ostensibly had come to liberate, undermining efforts to win Vietnamese “hearts and minds” and burdening veterans with disappointment that their wartime service did not measure up to public expectations. With an epilogue that finds a similar paradigm at work in Iraq, Armed with Abundance offers a unique and provocative perspective on modern American warfare.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Armed with Abundance?
History and Archaeology > History > Military history > Specific wars and military campaigns > Military history: post-WW2 conflicts
Where can I read a sample of Armed with Abundance?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807834817
How long is Armed with Abundance and how many pages does it have?
Armed with Abundance has 320 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Armed with Abundance?
Meredith H. Lair
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Armed with Abundance is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807834817) and paperback(ISBN 9781469619033) and ebook(ISBN 9780807869185) and ebook(ISBN 9781469602523) and ebook(ISBN 9798890885388) and ebook(ISBN 9798893134308)
Where can I buy Armed with Abundance online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Armed with Abundance from below
Where can I buy Armed with Abundance?