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Amazon.co.uk Review
This passionate, epic account of the Vietnam War centres 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 exposé on why America lost the war won the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction in 1989.

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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11 Reviews 5 star:  (6) 4 star:  (5) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review (11 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   8 of 8 people found the following review helpful: A Bright Shining Lie, 26 Jul 2003 By  Mr S P Price - See all my reviews This review is from: Bright, Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam (Picador Books) (Paperback) Sheehans book is a huge work not to be contemplated by the light hearted. As an accesible history of Vietnam it has little competition. It is the story of John Vann, a US military officer who enters the war full of belief in the way it is run yet quickly becomes cynical about his superiors and their tactic. He leaks the truth to the press and is vilified as a result. As a biography one would expect support for the main character. However Sheehan presents a harsh portrait of his "hero." He is portrayed as a deeply flawed man beset by depression, cynicism and a womaniser. We are not made to like Vann but Sheehan presents the facts and lets the reader decide how they feel. This book does not leave the reader feeling warm and comfortable; if anything we are left more confused about the whole war than before opening the book. Questions are asked but not answered, moral issues raised but not resolved. Maybe this sums up the whole war? The book also acts a comprehensive work of history with accessible descriptions of the key battles and political intrigues that made up Vietnam. This book is not pretty or fluffy. At the end I did not feel happy or pleased with its closure-it however is about reality and reflects this well. Sheehan has written a powerful book which should be read by anyone wanting to understand Vietnam and more widely the impacts of war on people.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you?