Comrades at Odds explores the complicated Cold War relationship between the United States and the newly independent India of Jawaharlal Nehru from a unique perspective―that of culture, broadly defined. In a departure from the usual way of doing diplomatic history, Andrew J. Rotter chose culture as his jumping-off point because, he says, "Like the rest of us, policymakers and diplomats do not shed their values, biases, and assumptions at their office doors. They are creatures of culture, and their attitudes cannot help but shape the policy they make." To define those attitudes, Rotter consults not only government documents and the memoirs of those involved in the events of the day, but also literature, art, and mass media. "An advertisement, a photograph, a cartoon, a film, and a short story," he finds, "tell us in their own ways about relations between nations as surely as a State Department memorandum does."While expanding knowledge about the creation and implementation of democracy, Rotter carries his analysis across the categories of race, class, gender, religion, and culturally infused practices of governance, strategy, and economics.Americans saw Indians as superstitious, unclean, treacherous, lazy, and prevaricating. Indians regarded Americans as arrogant, materialistic, uncouth, profane, and violent. Yet, in spite of these stereotypes, Rotter notes the mutual recognition of profound similarities between the two groups; they were indeed "comrades at odds." (view table of contents)

Of all of the wars in which the U.S. has been engaged, none has touched a chord as deeply as the conflict in Vietnam. The repercussions of this unsettling episode in American history still resonate in our society. Although it ended more than 20 years ago, the Vietnam War continues to fascinate Americans.This updated and revised edition of Light at the End of the Tunnel is an exhaustive account of the Vietnam War that gives a total overview of the conflict. Starting with Ho Chi Minh's revolt against the French, Andrew J. Rotter takes the reader through the succeeding years as scholars, government officials, journalists, and others recount the important events and examine issues that developed during this tumultuous time.Light at the End of the Tunnel offers a broad selection of some of the best writing on the war, with such notable contributors as Stephen Ambrose, Noam Chomsky, and Frances FitzGerald. Vietnam contemporaries such as Robert McNamara and Henry Kissinger lend their voices and perspectives to events surrounding the war. In addition, the subject matter is not just limited to the conflict itself, but also focuses on social issues that affected the American landscape.This book is essential for anyone who has an interest in truly understanding the Vietnam War. These readings will both educate and entertain students about this turning point in the history of the United States and, indeed, the world.

Analyzes the historical background of the United States' involvement in Southeast Asia since 1950