Vietnam War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The 2015 Baker Peace Conference on “The Vietnam War: A Fifty-Year Retrospective” on March 26 and 27.
The keynote speaker Dr. Fredrik Logevall opens the conference with “Embers of War: The Meaning of the Vietnam War on Thursday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. in Baker 240/242.
Dr. Fredrik Logevall
Logevall is an award-winning, renowned historian, accomplished educator, and prolific writer on the Vietnam War. His epic and groundbreaking book, Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s Vietnam, won both the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in History and the prestigious Parkman Prize, which deemed it an “extraordinary work of modern history.” The book draws on more than a decade of research, accessing sources and archives on three continents never before tapped. In Embers of War, Logevall takes us inside the councils of war and gives us a seat at the conference tables where peace talks founder. He brings to life the bloodiest battles of France’s final years in Indochina—and shows how, from an early point, a succession of American leaders made disastrous policy choices that put America on its own collision course with history. An epic story of wasted opportunities and tragic miscalculations, featuring an extraordinary cast of larger-than-life characters, Embers of War delves deep into the historical record to provide hard answers to the many questions surrounding the demise of one Western power in Vietnam and the arrival of another.
In addition to his prolific writing career, Logevall is also the John S. Knight Professor of International Studies and professor of history at Cornell University, where he serves as director of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies. He is a popular speaker at lecture series, colleges and universities, and historical organizations across the United States. In addition to his expertise in all aspects of the Vietnam War, his in-depth knowledge of international relations and foreign policy allows him to skillfully draw parallels between history and modern day—inspiring audiences and encouraging dialogue about the lessons we can learn from the past.
More Baker Peace Conference Events
On Friday, March 27, the conference continues in Nelson Commons with three discussion panels focused on important topics related to the Vietnam War.
- The first panel, “The Commitment of Ground Troops,”convenes at 10 a.m. with Dr. George Herring, University of Kentucky, Dr. Meredith Lair, George Mason University, and Dr. Chester Pach, Ohio University.
- The 1 p.m. panel, “War and Social Change” features Dr. Andrew Johns, Brigham Young University, Dr. Penny Lewis, City University of New York, and Dr. Kevin Mattson, Ohio University.
- The final panel convenes at 3 p.m. and focuses on “The International Context” with Dr. Pierre Asselin, Hawai’i Pacific University, Dr. Mark Atwood Lawrence, University of Texas, and Dr. Lien-Hang Nguyen, University of Kentucky.
The Baker Peace Conference is sponsored by the Baker Peace Studies Program and the Contemporary History Institute. All events are free and open to the public.
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