The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam

For decades during and after the Second World War, Edward Lansdale served in the U.S. military and intelligence services in the Western Pacific. From the Philippines to Vietnam he made a name for himself as the “T.E. Lawrence of Asia.” Historian Max Boot’s new biography, The Road Not Taken, argues that Lansdale’s pioneering focus on winning the “hearts and minds” of the people of South Vietnam could have formed the basis for a visionary and successful approach to the Vietnam conflict if he had not been overruled by the American military bureaucracy. Join us for a discussion with the author about the life of a fascinating and enigmatic American and what he can teach us about the Vietnam War and the history of American foreign policy.

Copies of The Road Not Taken will be available for purchase before and after the event.