This is the first English translation published of Moshe Dayan’s Vietnam Diary. The original edition was published in Hebrew in 1977 in a small print run.
In the summer of 1966, from July 4 until August 31, Israeli military leader and politician Moshe Dayan was not serving in the Israeli military or government. In the interim, he wanted to study war and believed that the Vietnam War was the best laboratory for doing so. After going to France and to England, where he spent time with retired Field Marshal Lord Montgomery of Alamein, and then to Washington, DC, he flew to Vietnam. During his time in Vietnam, Dayan went aboard the USS Constellation (CV-64) and spent weeks with U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army units.
The American presence in Vietnam had not yet reached its zenith at the time of Dayan’s visit. His observations and critique of the war American effort in 1966 is powerful and prescient. His reflections present a unique perspective and touch on many topics that remain relevant more than half a half a century later.
About the Author:
MOSHE DAYAN (1915–1981), served as a soldier, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Agriculture among other positions in the government of Israel. As Minister of Defense during the 1967 Six-Day War, Dayan led the IDF to significant and stunning military victories resulting in popular support. He was the author of several books, including Diary of the Sinai Campaign and Moshe Dayan: Story of My Life.
PETER C. APPELBAUM, MD, PhD, is Emeritus Professor of Pathology at Pennsylvania State University. An author and award-winning translator, he has published fifteen books and translations about Jews in Central Europe during World War I and thereafter.
