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Synopsis
Outspoken, professional and fearless, Lt Colonel 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 assessment to the US press corps in Saigon. Among them was Neil Sheehan, who became fascinated by the angry Vann, befriended him, and followed his tragic and reckless career. Blunt, idealistic, patronizing 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.
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Review
This passionate, epic account of the Vietnam War centers on Lt. Col. John Paul Vann, whose story illuminates America's failures and disillusionment in Southeast Asia. Vann was a field adviser to the army when American involvement was just beginning. He quickly became appalled at the corruption of the South Vietnamese regime, their incompetence in fighting the Communists, and their brutal alienation of their own people. Finding his superiors too blinded by political lies to understand that the war was being thrown away, he secretly briefed reporters on what was really happening. One of those reporters was Neil Sheehan. This definitive expose on why America lost the war won the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction in 1989.
From the Publisher
"If there is one book that captures the Vietnam war in the sheer Homeric scale of its passion and folly, this is it."--The New York Times Book Review
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- PublisherPimlico
- Publication date1998
- ISBN 10 0712666567
- ISBN 13 9780712666565
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages880
- Rating
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A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam
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Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. 1st Edition. This copy of 'A Bright Shining Star' is a definitive account of the Vietnam War and Lt. Col. Paul Vann. Illustrated with b/w photos. Complete, firm and tight. Contents pages and page edges lightly toned; cover corners tiny bit bumped. 861 pages. Dimensions: 23 1/2 x 15 cm. Seller Inventory # 2794D
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Bright, Shining Lie
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Condition: New. 1998. Paperback. Lt Colonel John Paul Vann went to Vietnam in 1962, but soon became appalled by the slaughter, leaking his pessimistic assessments to the US press corps in Saigon. Neil Sheehan was among them, and became fascinated by the angry Vann, befriended him, and followed his tragic and reckless career. Num Pages: 896 pages, 16pp b&w halftones. BIC Classification: 2ABM; BTM. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 233 x 153 x 58. Weight in Grams: 1042. . . . . . Seller Inventory # V9780712666565
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A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam
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Vintage Publishing, 1998
ISBN 10: 0712666567
ISBN 13: 9780712666565
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Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. 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. Seller Inventory # B9780712666565
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