This volume investigates the diplomatic and strategic decision-making processes of the United States government regarding Vietnam during the critical transition period of 1958 to 1960. John P. Glennon, serving as a historian for the Department of State, compiles and edits declassified records to provide a comprehensive view of American foreign policy. The work argues that these years were foundational in shaping the subsequent escalation of U.S. involvement in the region, documenting the internal debates and external pressures faced by the Eisenhower administration.

Historians and political scientists consider this series a foundational primary source for understanding the evolution of American policy in Southeast Asia. Readers frequently note the high density of the prose and the technical nature of the diplomatic cables, making it a resource primarily intended for academic research and historical study.