It focuses on the mothers of two of the strikers, and their struggle. We seem to be making the same mistakes now, with results that are likely to be just as bad for Iraq as they were for Vietnam, and a lot worse for the West. This was an interesting book with lots of history. "Bright Shining Lie" is the longest of the lot, and its 800 pages are not for the faint-hearted, though neither were the deeds and words of the mercurial, brilliant, brave, reckless, flawed John Paul Vann, both of which Neil Sheehan covers and contextualises so brilliantly. A Bright and Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam September 8, 1990, Random House Value Publishing Hardcover in English What resonates most with me, is that the general tenor of this book, comports with the memories that my oldest brother, who served two tours in Vietnam as an Officer (being Honorably Discharged as a Major), shared with me individually - before, during, and after that experience, paralleling his unique, distinct and personal recollections. A field adviser to the army when US involvement was just beginning, he quickly became appalled at the corruption of the S. Vietnamese regime, their incompetence in fighting the Communists & their brutal alienation of th, This passionate, epic account of the Vietnam War centres on Lt Col John Paul Vann, whose story illuminates America's failures & disillusionment in SE Asia. Includes index. . We seem to be making the same mistakes now, with results that are likely to be just as bad for Iraq as they were for Vietnam, and a lot worse for the West. An incredible accomplishment. I was reluctant to start this one, at least now, since I had only read Stanley Karnow's massive "Vietnam: A History" less than a year ago, and didn't feel like spending so much time on the same topic. The Vietnam War is one of the most important events in modern history. Discover some of our favorites from the wide range of films the Academy chose to honor with a recap of the big winners at the 2021 Oscars. About A Bright Shining Lie. A Bright, Shining Lie by Neil Sheehan is an erudite, well-informed and exhaustive narrative of the Vietnam War. I read this book in 1988 while a member of the "Book of the Month Club," before it became a best-seller and Neil Sheehan won a Pulitzer for this remarkable book, 16-years in the making. Arriving in Saigon in 1962 as a Lt. A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam (1988) is a nonfiction book by Neil Sheehan, a former New York Times reporter. John Vann was a unique character in the war both as a soldier and an officer and ultimately as a civilian involved in depth with the decision making process at the highest levels. “A Bright Shining Lie” opens with an incredible scene, Vann’s funeral, full of Washington power: Senator Edward Kennedy and the Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg were in … Twenty five years later they are reunited. A Bright Shining Lie I've had this on my to-read list for 15 years or so, so when a copy became available a few days ago at Half Price Books for $1 it was a no-brainer. See how many you recognize now that they're grown up. --The New York Review of Books "Enormous power . . -- The New York Review of Books "Enormous power . Refresh and try again. The story of Joe and Paddy, whose childhood friendship is shattered by the troubles in Northern Ireland. At the end of the book there are extensive notes by the author about how he researched the book until it's completion in 1988. I think I leapt headlong into the subject because I was convinced that this was where America started to get it really wrong--fighting colonialist wars, whose outcomes were manipulated by unscrupulous actors like Nixon and Kissinger; having the knowledge of the atrocities we were capable of but not holding ourselves accountable, because patriotism/tribalism wins out over the humanity of the brutalized other; the dawning feeling of vulnerability and decay that is still being exploited by demagogues to speed, rather than reverse, our decline. Consequently, author Sheehan begins, after a brief review of Vann's funeral, with a description of the war from what appears to be a supportive position. During the Vietnam War, Colonel Hambleton's aircraft is shot down over enemy territory and a frantic rescue operation ensues. He shrewdly observed and held that had we prosecuted the war purely from the abstract of a rifleman slogging it out toe-to-toe with his adversary the outcome would have been victory. However, he disagrees vocally (and on the record) with the way the war is being run and is forced to leave the military. I'm assuming that Ken Burn's series on Vietnam will drive further interest in Sheehan's story, and that will be good as it, I skimmed this book again over the last couple of weeks having plowed my way through it over some months in 1989, me a 30 year old twit in grad school in New Hampshire, co-reading with my historian of war Dad in Wyoming. The epic drama of the Vietnam war, as expressed through the lens of John Paul Vann, profoundly resonates with me as a former infantry soldier of the post-Vietnam era. A Bright Shining Lie by Neil Sheehan is a superior book that took 5 months, and every ounce of my concentration, to finish. Best that I can remember I purchased the book because: 1) It won a Pulitzer, 2) It won the National Book Award, 3) It was a National Bestseller; and 4) It's about the Vietnam War, a place and event I was told by the draft board that I could expect to visit (I didn't). Showing all 2 items Jump to: Summaries (2) Summaries. Genre Biography. On 16 January 1944, a reconnaissance pilot survives a plane crash in Delahaut in the Nazi occupied Belgium. A Bright Shining Lie. people who enjoy reading about military strategy. US GIs hold an isolated cabin in the Ardennes against a handful of Germans cut off from their main force. Add the first question. It is a humbling and relevan. This passionate, epic account of the Vietnam War centres on Lt Col John Paul Vann, whose story illuminates America's failures & disillusionment in SE Asia. It seems hard to believe that the Vietnam War, which played such an important in my young adulthood, has now been over for over 40 years. A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam - Ebook written by Neil Sheehan. This movie, however, is still a combat war movie, but sprinkled with family and personal issues, presented straight forward and down to earth. The story follows a unit of American G.I.s in Vietnam, all with different backgrounds and motives for being there, through the lens of his camera. A Bright, Shining Lie by Neil Sheehan is an erudite, well-informed and exhaustive narrative of the Vietnam War. Combat-weary and short of rations, both sides are determined to survive. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Walking through a book store one day I spotted this book and purchased it on the fly. John Vann was a unique character in the war both as a soldier and an officer and ultimately as a civilian involved in depth with the decision making process at the highest levels. A great compliment to The Best and the Brightest. Highly recommended. almost spiritual." Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Then such assertions possess a crystal clarity the finest diamonds cannot match. Returning to Vietnam as a civilian working with the Army, he comes to despise some South Vietnamese officers while he takes charge of some of the U.S. forces and continues his liaisons with Vietnamese women. by Vintage, A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. John Paul Vann, it's biographical subject, was a supporter of the USA being militarily involved in Vietnam. I'm assuming that Ken Burn's series on Vietnam will drive further interest in Sheehan's story, and that will be good as it includes remarkable historical detail from the Pentagon Papers and also journalistic accounts that didn't always make it into the US media coverage of the war. John Paul Vann became an adviser to the Saigon regime in the early 1960s. I read 790 pages about Vietnam. . Some parts of the war are handled in great detail (the Battle of Ap Bac), whole periods of the war (including its climax in '68-'69) are glossed over. I'll always hold Mr.Sheehan in the highest regard for the way he crafted this impressive work. During the air war over Vietnam, a U.S. Navy A-6 Intruder bomber pilot schemes with a hardened veteran to make an unauthorized air strike on Hanoi. The Army was experimenting with the weapon and had issued Armalites to a company of 7th Division troops to see how the soldiers liked it and how well it worked on guerrillas. The title refers to the U.S. Army's former "MOS" (job code) for a combat cameraman. Storyline. Neil Sheehan’s work “A Bright Shining Lie” is a deeply profound and insightful biography of the people and events that drew the U.S. into the national morass of Vietnam. We then get a blow-by-blow of those lies. Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. Much better reading for making policy decisions than "The Pet Goat.". A bright shining lie John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam 1st ed. Check out some of our favorite child stars from movies and television. The book began at the funeral of John Paul Vann, a former Army lieutenant colonel who served in both … full of great accomplishments . And, maybe that was one point the, Walking through a book store one day I spotted this book and purchased it on the fly. Something in his past keeps career Army man John Paul Vann from advancing past colonel. Something in his past keeps career Army man John Paul Vann from advancing past colonel. almost spiritual." He is a pro-military, conservative (Boll Weevil) type Democrat, and everything I read across the disciplines were pushing me further and further hard-left. The book begins with Vann's funeral, attended by people who remained his loyal friends even as they had clashed over policy. He is a pro-military, conservative (Boll Weevil) type Democrat, and everything I read across the disciplines were pushing me further and further hard-left. This WW2 psychological drama plays out at Christmas. One of the things I took away from reading this book is Vann's insight with respect to keeping the war personal. . Edition Notes Bibliography: p. [821]-833. He bombed the Viet Cong by tossing hand grenades out the windows.”, “Lansdale was a victim in Vietnam of his success in the Phillipines. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in … prisoner Bobby Sands led a protest against their treatment as criminals rather than as prisoners of war. Thus, a war, yes, but one with. Find out where A Bright Shining Lie is streaming, if A Bright Shining Lie is on Netflix, and get news and updates, on Decider. (TV Movie 1998). But like I say, I've only started reading this; I've gleaned much already in Neil Sheehan's first chapter. Finding his superiors too blinded by political lies to understand the war was being thrown away, he secretly briefed reporters on what was really happening. True story of Army man John Paul Vann, whose military success provided him the fulfillment he never found in his personal life. I cannot fathom the time, commitment, and energy it must have taken to create a book of this magnitude and scope. Be the first to ask a question about A Bright Shining Lie. . Looking to watch A Bright Shining Lie? Paperback The Pentagon Papers: The Secret History of the Vietnam War. Sheehan uses the life and career of one American officer, Colonel John Vann, to show the evolution, corruption, and destruction of a nation's policy and strategy over time. (The Armalite had a selector button for full or semiautomatic fire and shot a much smaller bullet at a much higher velocity than the older .30 caliber M-1 rifle. But, overall, the book was way to detail-oriented and focused on military conflicts and strategy for my taste. I suspect that should I read it now I would give it more stars. . This is one of the many books written about it. A Bright Shining Lie is a very great piece of work; its rewards are aesthetic and . A Bright Shining Lie is a very great piece of work; its rewards are aesthetic and . Thus, a war, yes, but one with an element of idealism. I am not typically interested in war histories, but this appropriately massive biography (of both Vann and the Vietnam War) held my interest for all of its 800 pages. Search for "A Bright Shining Lie" on Amazon.com, Title: A Bright Shining Lie [DVD] UK Import Bill Paxton (Actor), Amy Madigan (Actor), Terry George (Director, Writer) & Rated: Suitable for 15 years and over Format: DVD. 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