While much has been written about the Vietnam War, less has been written about the aftermath, especially the normalization process between the United States and Vietnam, through first-hand accounts of the diplomats involved. Due to the recent event – normalization happened less than 30 years ago in 1995 –  the lack of anecdotal accounts is understandable.

Ted Osius’ “Nothing Is Impossible: America’s Reconciliation With Vietnam,” published in 2021, offers a rare glimpse into the process through the lens of a junior diplomat who would become the sixth U.S. ambassador to Vietnam. According to Andrew Wells-Dang from the U.S. Institute of Peace, the book is an “unusual insider’s guide to the rapprochement of two former enemies.”