This book, first published in 1984, provides a wealth of original evidence that explores not only the impact of the Vietnam War on the beliefs of American leaders - the 'lessons' they believed had been learnt by Americans from the conflict in Vietnam.

Ole R. Holsti and James N. Rosenau

1. Beneath the Flaps, Flips and Flops of American Foreign Policy 2. Vietnam, Consensus and the Belief System of American Leaders, 1976: Beliefs About the War 3. Vietnam, Consensus and the Belief System of American Leaders, 1976: Post-Vietnam Foreign Policy Issues 4. The Three-Headed Eagle 1976: Three Perspectives on Foreign Affairs 5. A Leadership Divided: Who Are the Cold War Internationalists, Post-Cold War Internationalists, and Semi-Isolationists? 6. End of the 'Vietnam Syndrome'?: Continuity and Change in American Leadership Beliefs, 1976-1980 7. Consensus Lost? Consensus Regained? 8. Conclusion: Prospects for Consensus in the 1980s