Customer Reviews

Four Hours in My Lai

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After reading the Four Hours description of the massacre at village 4, one can only see the absolute insanity of the moment. I recently heard a program on PBS with Hugh Thompson, the helicopter pilot who observed this atrocity and attempted to stop it. This is a absolute must read for all baby boomers or anyone else who served our country in the viet nam conflict.

Where is the true meaning of international law....the only time ever served by any military personnel for this deed was a total of 3 days spent in confinement by william calley.

We need to all read this to be sure this NEVER happens again.

I thought that Lt Calley was made a scapegoat for the
event that happened at My Lia, but after reading the book.
I find that he was a coldblooded killer,and cause many other young men to be the same way. I will never understand why Cpt Medina,and the other oficers involved in this incident was not brought to trail. The order given by these Oficers were just as much the cause of the problem, as were the men that did the actual killing.
I served two tours in Nam , and I thank God that I never
witnessed any such thing. I would probably have been brought to trail myself for killing those that would do such a coldhearted
thing.
However I must say that I am exremely proud of those that did not participate in the shooting.

The book offers exceptional detail on the events of and after the My Lai Massacre. A good example of the detailed research is the memo penned by the oft lauded Collin Powell in which Powell shows his true colors-politician/careerist. Powell was a staffer at the time and wrote a memo responding to a commander's request for information about a rumored massacre. In the memo Powell talked of both the unliklihood of the event and the Vietnamese locals' love for the Americans. Most of us GIs, even decades later, know the Americal Division was ill-disciplined and prone to criminal acts. And this is where the author falls short. The military and political leaders that created an entire division, say 12-15,000 men, from primarilly "shake and bake" officers and NCOs ought to be taken out and shot. The results of such desparate schemes to keep from calling up Guard and Reserve units are both forseeable and, in this book, documented in one incident. The Americal had many others. I pity the good soldiers and officers who were almost vainly placed in the Division to try and inject some professionalism. Politicians unwilling to act to win a war, top level generals afraid to resign to defy ludicrous policies, careerism at nearly all levels of command, and the seeming ease with which a murderous mob can be created are what the book fails to fully address. Although, perhaps this begs for a second volume.

I originally bought this book to help me with a paper for a genocide class and found my self reading it for more than raw facts. It is expertly written and can be classified as a text, as well as an emotional recounting. The authors have strived to research facts and present them in a historic and unemotional manner, but the emotion of the story peeps through in the interviews with soilders and families of those massacred. After all of my research, I would consider this book the best in the field. My Lai must not be forgotten and this cronicles the events and reminds us of a lesson we need to learn. I beleive that Four Hours should be required reading for all students and is essential to understanding humanity both good and evil.

I started reading this book preparing to be morally outraged, but came away with admiration for those who acted honorably throughout this ordeal, specifically Thompson (the helicopter pilot) and members of the investigative team. There were also some within the company that were able to distinguish between right and wrong in the heat of the moment, and refused to take part in the carnage. My Lai was the flashpoint of a very complicated war, and this book should be read by anyone wanting a deeper understanding of our involvement there.

I purchased this book when I was writing a sociology paper on crime and deviance. I read numerous books about My Lai and this outstanding book stands as a shining testament to the authors' though research efforts concerning this controversial `incident'. The British authors provide an unprejudiced and comprehensive chronological recount of the series of events and institutional factors that surrounded Charlie Company's massacre of Vietnamese civilians during the `Vietnam Conflict'. Interviews with ex-members of Carlie Company are complemented with an unparalleled recounting of the historical facts. The authors detail the chain of command within the US army, the US's policy agenda relating to the `Vietnam Conflict', an attempt by officers to cover-up the massacre and the subsequent prosecution and defence of those who were brought to trial. Vague orders, a guerilla warfare scenario, an endemic culture of racism that promoted the dehumanisation of the Vietnamese people, an altered moral sphere, a revenge filled frenzy and soldiers' unquestioning deference to authority were among factors that contributed to the massacre. This book is both disturbing and fascinating and will provide the reader with a valuable insight into the US's military institution during the troubled times of the late sixties and early seventies.

I started reading this book preparing to be morally outraged, but came away with admiration for those who acted honorably throughout this ordeal, specifically Thompson (the helicopter pilot) and members of the investigative team. There were also some within the company that were able to distinguish between right and wrong in the heat of the moment, and refused to take part in the carnage. My Lai was the flashpoint of a very complicated war, and this book should be read by anyone wanting a deeper understanding of our involvement there.

It is a shocking book that left my stomach in a knot. There is no indication that the Troops in Charlie were battle scarred as the synopsis here at Amazon states. In fact, the troops had seen very little action (according to the authors) and had been there for only three months. It will sicken you to the core with its graphic details of rape, mutilation, pyschological abuse, wanton destruction, torture and cold blooded murder and mass execution of babies, toddlers, kids and their parents, the sick and elderly by American Troops in the undefended village of My Lai, Vietnam. It gets worse. The authors reveal how High ranking Officers covered up this massacre and politicians (some still in power today) and the American people overwhelmingly supported this disgusting event. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. Lest we forget.

The politics, policies, ideology and shameless ignorance shown throughout the Vietnam War is outright repulsive and disgusting. Bilton and Sim somehow capture an angle on the American operation before, during and after the My Lai massacre. The book is essentially reinforcement to the television documentary done by Bilton and Sim. It tells the tale of how orders are interpreted and followed by American soldiers. It follows how a military unit known as Charlie Company, goes into My Lai and destroyed the village along with over 400 or so unarmed villagers some of which were women and children. The true story told here is that of personal morality versus following orders. I understand that a soldier in the trenches of war undergoes an experience that only the soldier can truly understand. A person sitting millions of miles away wouldn't necessarily know how severe a particular situation in war is without having to go through it themselves. But, the distance offers a collected insight that the soldier cannot hope to attain in the middle of a firefight or jungle infested with enemies. The story of Four Hours in My Lai finds a troubled relationship between Captain Ernest Medina and William Calley. Calley, a man that could not command the respect of his troops was known to `kiss up' to Medina, his commanding officer. In hopes to satisfy Medina, there wasn't an order Calley wouldn't follow. Always loyal and obedient, Calley followed Medina's orders very literal and without question, trashing his personal morality in the process. An order from Medina, instructed Calley to simply `get rid' a group of unarmed Vietnamese Charlie Company came across. Calley without question instructed his squad to get rid of all of them. `Calley and Meadlo, standing side by side, blazed away. They stood only ten feet from their hapless victims, changing magazines from time to time. The Vietnamese yelled and tried to get up. It was pure carnage as heads were shot off along with limbs; the fleshier body parts were ripped to shreds.'

I understand that most of these men were actually kids booted off to war prematurely. After months of seeing their friends killed, I'm sure some of these individuals may have become desensitized to the illusion of death. Vietnam was a dirty war without a clearly defined purpose. Americans weren't exactly there to claim territory.

I opened this book expecting to be disgusted. I did indeed find myself curious as to how some soldiers reacted to the massacre. Thompson, the helicopter pilot is my personal favorite. Thompson turned his helicopter on his fellow American troops after witnessing the massacre below. Thompson told the Charlie Company he would fire at them if any more people were fired upon. Thompson is remarkable in the sense that his morality was unmoved even within the complicated reality of the Vietnam war.



Women were raped, kids were stabbed with bayonets, victims were mutilated and many more atrocities took place in what appeared to be a playground of madness. At the end, William Calley was the only one convicted for the crimes. Funny enough, Calley poured his heart and spoke about how he never wanted to truly kill anyone during his trial. He talked about his fellow soldiers being slaughtered by the invisible enemy (Vietcong) and how that affected him. All in all, Nixon ordered Calley's freedom and eventually adjusted him with a lesser sentence.

Four Hours in My Lai is not for everyone. I was deeply parted by the material simply because of the events that occurred during the massacre. It can be a tearjerker and a heart ripping experience. Like I had mentioned before, Four Hours in My Lai shows how Charlie Company played in a playground of madness.

I agree with Tim O'Brien that this book is a must read for anyone who enters a voting booth or contemplates military service. This book is nothing short of a masterpiece in terms of deconstructing, and carefully piecing back together again not only one of the most haunting events of the Vietnam War but the horrors of war itself. The authors write with a sense of crystal clarity and dogged determination not often seen in their attempt to to overturn every stone in understanding and revealing the ugly truth -- and recognizing the few heroes, in this important story.