A Bright Shining Lie

A Bright Shining Lie is a book by Neil Sheehan, a former New York Times reporter covering the Vietnam War, about U.S. Army retired Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Vann and the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. Image File history File links added permission given by http://www. ... Image File history File links added permission given by http://www. ... Cornelius Mahoney Neil Sheehan (born October 27, 1936) is an American journalist. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... John Paul Vann (July 2, 1924 – June 9, 1972) was a Colonel in the United States Army, later retired, who became well-known for his role in the Vietnam War. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

He was awarded a non-fiction Pulitzer Prize in 1989 and the National Book Award. In 1998, the book was turned into a film by HBO, starring Bill Paxton and Amy Madigan. The gold medal awarded for Public Service in Journalism The Pulitzer Prize is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical compositions. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Book Award is one of the most important literary prizes in the United States, presented annually for the best books by living U.S. citizens published in the U.S. The awards have been presented since 1950 in at least one category, and are presently awarded in each... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... William Bill Paxton (born May 17, 1955 in Fort Worth, Texas) is a Golden Globe award nominated American actor and film director. ... Amy Madigan (born 11 September 1950) is an American actress. ...

Synopsis

John Paul Vann became an advisor to the Saigon regime in the early 1960s. He was an ardent critic of how the war was fought, both on the part of the Saigon regime, which he viewed as corrupt and incompetent, and as time went by, increasingly on the US military. In particular he was critical of the US military command, especially under William Westmoreland, and their inability to adapt to the fact that they were facing a popular guerrilla movement while backing a corrupt regime. He argued that many of the tactics employed (for example the strategic hamlet relocation) further alienated the population and thus were counterproductive to US objectives. When being unable to influence the military command, he often used the Saigon press corps, Sheehan among them, to leak his views. John Paul Vann (July 2, 1924 – June 9, 1972) was a Colonel in the United States Army, later retired, who became well-known for his role in the Vietnam War. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ... General William Westmoreland William Childs Westmoreland (March 26, 1914 – July 18, 2005) was a U.S. Army General who commanded American military operations in the Vietnam War at its peak from 1964 to 1968 and who served as US Army Chief of Staff from 1968 to 1972. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ... People whose surname is or was Sheehan include: Billy Sheehan, an American rock bassist Casey Sheehan, an American soldier Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist Timothy P. Sheehan, an American Congressman William F. Sheehan, an American politician Frank Sheehan, a Canadian politician John J. Sheehan, an American General, first Marine...

Trivia

Sheehan told Times columnist Maureen Dowd in November 2006: "In Vietnam, there were just two sides to the civil war. You had a government in Hanoi with a structure of command and an army and a guerrilla movement that would obey what they were told to do. So you had law and order in Saigon immediately after the war ended. In Iraq, there’s no one like that for us to lose to and then do business with." ^[1] Maureen Dowd (born January 14, 1952) is a columnist for The New York Times since 1983, when she joined as a metropolitan reporter. ... Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Ná»™i)  , estimated population 3,083,800 (2004), is the capital of Vietnam. ... Guerilla may refer to Guerrilla warfare. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ...

Notes

1. ^ Dowd, Maureen (2006-11-24). Maureen Dowd: No One to Lose to. Originally published by The New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-12-23.