Alliances & Armor

“Jim Pomeroy’s Alliances & Armor bridges the gaps between Cold War diplomacy and military operational history. With a firm grasp of multi-archival and secondary sources, Pomeroy provides a comprehensive look at the international issues that influenced Hanoi’s decisions in the Second Indochina War in a concise and deftly written narrative. This is a strong addition to the voluminous literature of the war in Vietnam.”–Kelly Crager, Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive“Alliances & Armor thoughtfully synthesizes the evolution of Hanoi’s military strategy in the Vietnam War and beyond. It offers particularly trenchant insights on the shift to Soviet-style warfare during the latter stages of the conflict.”–Pierre Asselin, Professor of History and Dwight E. Stanford Chair in US Foreign Relations, San Diego State University“Pomeroy vividly describes the evolution of Hanoi’s army from guerrilla bands to tank-led offensives, a development intricately aligned with North Vietnam’s turn toward the Soviet Union as the war progressed. Well-researched and hard-hitting, Alliances & Armor examines the process that led to the war’s final scene: a North Vietnamese tank crashing through the main gate of South Vietnam’s Independence Palace.”–Dr. George J. Veith, author of “Black April: The Fall of South Vietnam, 1973-1975” and “Drawn Swords in a Distant Land: South Vietnam’s Shattered Dreams”“When the Vietnam War is mentioned, visions of black pajama-clad jungle fighters come to mind. In truth, Hanoi won the war by employing large formations of tanks and infantry in conventional operations. In Alliances & Armor, James Pomeroy argues that there is a direct connection between diplomacy and tactics, maintaining that the evolving alliance between North Vietnam and the Soviet Union provided the impetus for Hanoi to shift from a Chinese ‘people’s war’ to more Soviet-style conventional tactics. Impeccably documented and effectively argued, this book is an essential addition to the historiography of the Vietnam War; it is highly recommended for those wanting to understand how and why the war evolved over time.”–James H. Willbanks, PhD, Vietnam combat veteran and author of “Abandoning Vietnam” and “A Raid Too Far”

Jim Pomeroy has a BA in History & Political Science from James Madison University and a Master’s in History with a Master’s Certificate in Strategic Studies from Texas Tech University. He has also worked in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Congressional staffer. He currently lives in Roanoke, VA.