From the Colonial War with France in the 1940s and 50s, through to the final evacuation of Saigon, each chapter of Rolling Thunder in a Gentle Land focuses on a different aspect of the Vietnam War. The 15 chapters are written by a diverse set of expert authors including participants in the war, journalists and historians, who give startling and, in some cases exclusive, insights into one of the most controversial conflicts of the 20th century. Officers from both the NVA and ARVN take a first-hand look at the strategy and tactics of both sides and give critical assessments of where the war went wrong; Le Ly Hayslip, a Vietnamese civilian trapped between the Viet Cong and Southern authorities, provides a harrowing account of life for the typical South Vietnamese civilian caught up in the war; and acclaimed historians and journalists, such as Bernard Edelman and Arnold Isaacs, take a critical look at the many aspects of the war from the river and air wars to the strategy and doctrine used by the USA forces and the controversial roll of the media in the war. Illustrated with contemporary color photography that evocatively complements the text, this book shows the Vietnam War in a radically new light.