The political and military struggles in Vietnam consumed the resources of both the East and the West. Once the United States committed its armed forces in 1965 to defend South Vietnam's independence, the conflict took on epic dimensions. The Vietnam War marked the largest commitment of American combat forces since World War II and became the longest war in US history. This remarkable collection of human stories from all sides of the conflict charts the war from its opening stages to the dramatic evacuation of Saigon in April 1975. Compiled from hundreds of interviews with veterans and eye-witnesses, and including rare archival photographs, it provides a unique insight into the most socially and politically divisive war of recent times.