Between a River and a Mountain: The AFL-CIO and the Vietnam War

By: Edmund F. Wehrle

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Synopsis: Between a River and a Mountain details American labor's surprisingly complex relationship to the American war in Vietnam. Breaking from the simplistic story of "hard hat patriotism," Wehrle uses newly released archival material to demonstrate the AFL-CIO's continuing dedication to social, political, and economic reform in Vietnam. The complex, sometimes turbulent, relationship between American union leaders and their counterparts in the Vietnamese Confederation of Labor (known as the CVT) led to dangerous political compromises: the AFL-CIO eventually accepted much-needed support for their Vietnamese activities from the CIA, while the CVT's need to sustain their relationship with the Americans lured them into entanglements with a succession of corrupt Saigon governments. Although the story's endpoint--the painfully divided and weakened labor movement of the 1970s--may be familiar, Wehrle offers an entirely new understanding of the historical forces leading up to that decline, unraveling his story with considerable sophistication and narrative skill.

Book Quality:: Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:: 9780472025794
Publisher:: The University of Michigan Press
Date of Addition:: 01/31/12
Copyrighted By:: the University of Michigan
Adult content:: No
Language:: English
Has Image Descriptions:: No
Categories:: History, Military, Nonfiction, Business and Finance, Politics and Government
Submitted By:: Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:: This is a copyrighted book.