National Book Award Non Fiction Winner
A Bright Shining Lie
by Neil Sheehan
Summary
A vast biography of Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Vann that doubles as a damning history of America's war in Vietnam. Through Vann's career as adviser, civilian official, and quasi-general, Sheehan exposes the institutional self-deception, body counts, and counterinsurgency myths that drove U.S. failure. Drawing on sixteen years of reporting and the Pentagon Papers archive, the book remains a foundational account of the conflict.
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Historical Context & Significance
Sheehan worked on the book for 16 years; it is considered the most important work on Vietnam written from a military and diplomatic perspective.