num_pages: 880
description: This passionate, epic account of the Vietnam War centres on Lt Col John Paul Vann, whose story illuminates America's failures &amp; disillusionment in SE Asia. 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 &amp; their brutal alienation of their own people. 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. One of those reporters was Neil Sheehan.--Amazon (edited) Neil Sheehan was a Vietnam War correspondent for United Press International &amp; the NY Times &amp; won a number of awards for reporting. In 1971 he obtained the Pentagon Papers, which brought the Times the Pulitzer gold medal for meritorious public service. A Bright Shining Lie won the National Book Award &amp; the Pulitzer Prize for Non-Fiction. He lives in Washington DC.MapsThe funeral Going to war Antecedents to a confrontation The Battle of Ap Bac Taking on the system Antecedents to the man A second time aroundJohn Vann staysAcknowledgmentsInterviewsDocumentsSource NotesBibliographyIndexAbout the Author
language: English
title: A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam
titlecomplete: A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam
genres: Asia, American, Politics, Biography, Military Fiction, American History, War, Nonfiction, History, Military History
ratings_count: 11835
awards: awardedAt: 599644800000
name: Pulitzer Prize
category: General Nonfiction, awardedAt: 568022400000
name: National Book Award
category: Nonfiction, awardedAt: 599644800000
name: Ambassador Book Award
category: American Studies, awardedAt: 568022400000
name: National Book Critics Circle Award
category: General Nonfiction
publisher: Random House (NY)