Description:The Vietnam War raged for ten years and when it was over 58,000 Americans lay dead. The war changed the consciousness of the military and the very nature of warfare in the future. Gathering the voices and eyewitness stories of seventy-seven veterans from all branches of the military, THE SOLDIERS' STORY is the first major oral history of the Vietnam War. Through story after story, we come to understand that war is harrowing, powerful and unforgettable. The men in this book are a tribute to the triumph of the human spirit over terrible adversity in a world they neither made nor wanted. These veterans have opened their hearts and souls to readers, and Steinman's commentary puts everything into perspective. "Of all the words written since the war, few are as powerful as those of soldiers recalling their own experiences in a war that lasted too long and came to such an inglorious end." (Booklist)