Taylor relates how this war for liberation from foreign oppressors also liberated Vietnamese women from centuries of Confucian influence that had made them second-class citizens. She reveals that Communism's promise of freedom from those strictures influenced their involvement in the war, and also shares the irony that their sex gave them an advantage in battle or subterfuge over Western opponents blinded by gender stereotypes.

As their country continues to modernize, Vietnamese Women at War preserves the stories of the "long-haired warriers" while they remain alive and before the war fades from memory. By showing that they were not victims of war but active participants, it offers a wholly unique perspective on that conflict. This rare study reveals much about gender roles and cultural differences and reminds us of the ever-present human dimension of war.