“Across the years of the war in Vietnam, the AP photographers saw more combat than any general,” Hamill writes in his introduction. “This book shows how good they were. As a young reporter, I had learned much from photographers about how to see, not merely look. From Vietnam, photographers taught the world how to see the war. Say the word ‘Vietnam’ today to most people of a certain age; the image that rises is usually a photograph. An AP photograph.”
AP say: To cover the Vietnam War, the Associated Press gathered an extraordinary group of superb photojournalists in its Saigon bureau, creating one of the great photographic legacies of the 20th century.
From Malcolm Browne’s photograph of the burning monk to Nick Ut’s picture of a 9-year-old running from a napalm attack to Eddie Adams’ photograph of the execution of a Viet Cong prisoner, this book contains the pictures that both recorded and made history, taken by unbelievably courageous photojournalists. In a moving essay, writer Pete Hamill, who reported from Vietnam in 1965, celebrates their achievement.
“Vietnam: The Real War” features more than 50 photojournalists, including Eddie Adams, Horst Faas, Henri Huet, Nick Ut and Dang Van Phuoc, and highlights the work of such distinguished war correspondents as Peter Arnett, Malcolm Browne and Seymour Topping. A chronological text that is woven throughout places their work in historical context.
“Vietnam: The Real War” (Abrams; Oct. 1, 2013; 304 pages; 300 photographs; US $40.00)
Enjoyed our review copy thanks James – buy your copy here