John Foster

Our resident historian Dr. John Foster discussed the continued fighting in Vietnam from 1954 to 1963 during a special program last week. We recorded it for anyone who could not attend.

He discussed the leadership of Ngo Dinh Diem, the frustration of John Paul Vann, and the catastrophic Battle of Ấp Bắc.

This is the third lecture in Foster’s year-long series on The Vietnam Wars. Both of the previous lectures in Foster’s series can be viewed in their entirety on our website:

• European colonialism in Vietnam
• The French war in Indochina

As part of his talk, Foster recommended several books on this era in Vietnam, including:

• A Bright Shining Lie by Neil Sheehan
• Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow
• The Making of a Quagmire by David Halberstam
• A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo
• Vietnam-Perkasie: A Combat Marine Memoir by W.D. Ehrhart
• Dispatches by Michael Herr
• Fire in the Lake by Frances Fitzgerald
• If I Die in a Combat Zone by Tim O’Brien
• Close Quarters by Larry Heinemann
• Street Without Joy by Bernard B. Fall

In addition to being a reference librarian, Foster has a doctorate degree in history. He has taught history at both high school and college levels. Previously, he has led series on the Battles of World War II, the Cold War, the American Revolution and US Presidents of the 20^th Century at the library.

Our resident historian Dr. John Foster discusses the French war in Indochina from 1945 to 1954 when the French government sought to reimpose colonial rule in Vietnam. However, they met fierce resistance from homegrown anticolonial forces calling themselves the Viet Minh. Foster examines the goals and choices of the many nations involved, including the United States.

This talk is the second program in a year-long lecture series on The Vietnam Wars. The first lecture in Foster’s series – which was on the long history of European colonialism in Vietnam – can be watched in its entirety online on our website.

The next talk in his series will be Thursday, July 8. It will discuss America’s involvement in Vietnam from 1956 to 1963.

In addition to being a reference librarian, Foster has a doctorate degree in history. He has taught history at both high school and college levels. Previously, he has led series on the Battles of World War II, the Cold War, the American Revolution and US Presidents of the 20^th Century at the library.

Our resident historian Dr. John Foster began his year-long examination of the Vietnam Wars with a lecture last week on the long history of European colonialism in Vietnam. The talk can be viewed here.

Foster describes the story of French involvement in Vietnam from the arrival of the first Catholic missionaries until the defeat of French colonial forces by the Japanese in 1940. This history provides the backdrop for what would follow.

The next talk in his series will be Thursday, May 6. It will examine the war between France and Vietnamese anti-colonial forces.

For those interested in the subject, Foster has compiled a list of recommendations for further reading:

• Indochina: An Ambiguous Colonization, 1858 – 1954 by Pierre Brocheux and Daniel Hémery
• France in Indochina: Colonial Encounters by Nicola Cooper
• Vietnam: A New History by Christopher Goscha
• Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow
• Viet Nam: A History from Earliest Times to the Present by Ben Kiernan

In addition to being a reference librarian, Foster has a doctorate degree in history. He has taught history at both high school and college levels. Previously, he has led series on the Battles of World War II, the Cold War, the American Revolution and US Presidents of the 20^th Century at the library.