First published 2000
Jonathan Schell witnessed the Vietnam War firsthand as a reporter. He flew into Ben Suc aboard attack helicopters during the largest American military operation of the conflict. He watched soldiers destroy the village and followed residents as they were relocated to refugee camps. He rode in air control planes that directed bombing runs across two South Vietnamese provinces. He observed ground operations that leveled entire regions. Decades later, Schell looks back at the war he documented. He recalls the specific moments that defined the conflict. He describes what he saw, heard, and felt during those crucial years. The book combines three of his Vietnam reports with personal reflections on covering the war. Schell recreates the immediate experience of being present during key military actions. His account captures the physical reality of combat operations and their impact on Vietnamese civilians.
Genres: 20th-century, war, non-fiction, military-history, journalism, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: first-hand-account, personal-reflection
Setting: Ben Suc, South Vietnam
Period: Vietnam War
416 pages · Paperback · Da Capo Press