Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewReaders who protested the war in Vietnam will appreciate the unearthing of a noteworthy yet little-known event, while younger activists will draw inspiration from the example of a 'breathtakingly creative protest march.' This well-told deep dive packs in plenty of rewards. * Publishers Weekly *
[A] thrilling story of patriotism and dissent....
Battle Green Vietnam is a great book, highlighting an event that should be better known and remembered by students of history...Lemire brings the story of the march vividly to life. * Discover Concord *
With this volume, Lemire has eloquently captured the spirt and practice of VVAW, an organization whose history has much that is important and relevant for today...[T]his eminently readable book would be excellent for course adoptions and would interest anyone wanting to learn about how place and performance are employed by social activists.
* The Public Historian *
The brilliance of Vietnam Veterans against the War’s (VVAW) political performance is captured by Lemire through photographs, newspaper archives, and oral histories. She tells how the Lexington authorities denied VVAW space on the Green and how the 100 veterans rallied hundreds more residents to their cause. Each of her six core chapters introduces an individual VVAW organizer or Lexington activist. The chapters, written as parallel histories of the Paul Revere legend and the VVAW action, are a walk through history as readers witness historical memory in the making. * Choice *
Elise Lemire’s
Battle Green Vietnam offers a thorough accounting of [a] regional protest, Operation POW—a multipronged march organized by VVAW’s New England chapter (VVAW-NE) over the 1971 Memorial Day weekend..Lemire is a gifted writer with keen insights. At her best, she illustrates the symbolic weight VVAW brought to its protests and its deft deployment of creative performance in service of peace. * Peace & Change *
Battle Green Vietnam is an excellent read for those looking to broaden their knowledge of the antiwar movement in the United States….This is a must-read for modern-day activists and the future generation of change-makers. * Journal of Military History *
[A] sharp analysis...
Battle Green Vietnam is a lucid and well-researched study that should be read by scholars of the Vietnam War and America’s history in the post-WWII era. * Society for U.S. Intellectual History *
Elise Lemire focuses on one of the most interesting protests in the latter years of the U.S.'s engagement in its war in Southeast Asia, when using the hallowed sacred spaces of the martial birthplace of the nation, a group of Vietnam vets sought to contrast what they understood as a disastrous, criminal war with what they understood as the founding principles of the nation. * Edward Linenthal, author of
Sacred Ground: Americans and Their Battlefields *
Battle Green Vietnam is a vital piece of America's national history, written with passion and care. * Gerald Nicosia, author of
Home to War: A History of the Vietnam Veterans' Movement *
Lemire offers a citizen's handbook on the importance of active participation in our democracy to keep it alive for future generations. * The Hon. John Kerry *
Powerful and beautifully written, this is one of the most important books to come out of the Vietnam War. * Ron Kovic, author of
Born on the Fourth of July *
Table of ContentsContents
Introduction. The Power of Place and Performance
Chapter 1. Paul Revere's Ride
Chapter 2. Minute Men Statues
Chapter 3. Memorial War Obelisks
Chapter 4. Battle Roads and Fields
Chapter 5. Historical Reenactment
Chapter 6. Memorial Day
Epilogue. Memorializing the Vietnam War
Abbreviations of Sources and Organizations
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgments
