Book Review

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Book Review | The Journal of American History, 86.1 | The History Cooperative

Honorable Warrior: General Harold K. Johnson and the Ethics of Command. By Lewis Sorley . (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1998. x, 364 pp. $39.95, isbn 0-7006-0886-9.)

It seems every time some "expert" says that the study of United States involvement in Vietnam has dried up, another quality study appears. Lewis Sorley, a former army officer and Vietnam veteran, has crafted an excellent biography of the respected former army chief of staff Harold K. Johnson, using the general's experiences during Lyndon B. Johnson's presidency to examine the policy-making processes that led to the American disaster in Southeast Asia. 1

In some ways, the author covers little that scholars do not already know. Yet, as I read, I found myself falling under the spell of this compelling soldier. Soon, I realized that not only had Sorley discovered a fascinating topic, but he had so thoroughly researched and written the work as to make it of immense value to all. 2

Still, the reader should understand that the author has a particular perspective. Because Johnson is such a heroic figure, having been a pow (prisoner of war) of the Japanese in World War II and having demonstrated integrity throughout his career, it is understandable that the author, a young officer in Vietnam, would write with a less critical pen. Even the book's publicity calls it a "fitting testament to this remarkable man." . . .

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