A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam Neil Sheehan 9780712666565

‘Superb. If you ever read just one history of the Vietnam war, read and admire and celebrate this one ‘ John le CarreWINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD AND THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR NON-FICTIONOutspoken, professional and fearless, Lt. Col. John Paul Vann went to Vietnam in 1962, full of confidence in America’s might and right to prevail. He was soon appalled by the South Vietnamese troops’ unwillingness to fight, by their random slaughter of civilians and by the arrogance and corruption of the US military. He flouted his supervisors and leaked his sharply pessimistic – and, as it turned out, accurate – assessments to the US press corps in Saigon. Among them was Sheehan, who became fascinated by the angry Vann, befriended him and followed his tragic and reckless career.Sixteen years in the making, A Bright Shining Lie is an eloquent and disturbing portrait of a man who in many ways personified the US war effort in Vietnam, of a solider cast in the heroic mould, an American Lawrence of Arabia. Blunt, idealistic, patronising to the Vietnamese, Vann was haunted by a shameful secret – the fact that he was the illegitimate son of a ‘white trash’ prostitute. Gambling away his career, Vann left the army that he loved and returned to Vietnam as a civilian in the pacification programme. He rose to become the first American civilian to wield a general’s command in war. When he was killed in 1972, he was mourned at Arlington cemetery by leading political figures of the day. Sheehan recounts his astonishing story in this intimate and intense meditation on a conflict that scarred the conscience of a nation. ‘Superb. If you ever read just one history of the Vietnam war, read and admire and celebrate this one ‘ John le CarreAbout the AuthorNeil Sheehan was a Vietnam War correspondent for United Press International and the New York Times and won a number of awards for his reporting. In 1971 he obtained the Pentagon Papers, which brought the Times the Pulitzer Prize gold medal for meritorious public service. A Bright Shining Lie won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Non-Fiction.ReviewsIf there is one book that captures the Vietnam War in the sheer Homeric scale of its passion and folly, this book is it… A dazzling montage: vividly written and deeply felt… The dramatic scenes of lonely men locked on combat…the clash of wills and egos…all these combine in a work that captures the Vietnam War like no other… An impressive achievement * New York Times Book Review *Superb. If you ever read just one history of the Vietnam war, read and admire and celebrate this one — John le CarreI have never read such a book and never expected to… It’s not just about John Paul Vann. Not just about America and all of us. Not just Vietnam and all the Vietnamese. It is tragedy and comedy and I don’t care how many pages it is. I’ll never tire of reading it again and again — Harrison E. SalisburyIt will stand as the definitive account of the passions, loyalties (guided and not), inspirations, follies and tragedies of the Vietnam War * Sunday Times *Probably the book on the Vietnam War…sophisticated, humane. It contains some of the best military reporting ever written — Francis FitzgeraldAwardsWinner of Pulitzer Prize General Non-Fiction Category 1989.Book InformationISBN 9780712666565Author Neil SheehanFormat PaperbackPage Count 896Imprint PimlicoPublisher VintageWeight(grams) 886gDimensions(mm) 234mm * 153mm * 38mm Reviews There are no reviews yet. Be the first to review “A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam Neil Sheehan 9780712666565” Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Your rating * Rate… Perfect Good Average Not that bad Very poor Your review *Name * Email * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.