An insightful look into the immediate and long-term impact of the Vietnam War on a wide range of people and social groups both Americans in the United States and in Vietnam. This collection of essays by highly respected social historians looks at the Vietnam War era through the eyes of the ordinary citizens caught up in those tumultuous times. Focusing on the period between 1961 and 1975--from the dramatic U.S. military escalation to the fall of Saigon--it offers fresh insight on the impact of the war on individuals on the home front and the battlefront. Each chapter of Vietnam War Era: People and Perspectives examines how a particular group of Americans interacted with the war and its related issues among them military advisors and soldiers the silent majority and antiwar activists women labor unions African Americans students government leaders veterans the media and religious communities. The authors draw clear connections between the stories of individual lives and the larger social movements that defined the era s human drama.