Vietnam Inc. [Paperback]

Philip Jones Griffiths (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1971

First published in 1971, Philip Jones Griffiths' account of the Vietnamese War was the outcome of three years' reporting and is a detailed survey of the conflict. Showing us the true horrors of the war as well as offering a study of Vietnamese folk life, the author argues against the de-humanizing power of technology and highlights the arrogance and hypocrisy of American imperialistic attitudes. This new edition is a recreation of the original with Philip Jones Griffiths' personal layouts and commentaries. There is a foreword by Noam Chomsky, who was profoundly affected by the book when it was originally published.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Few photo books can claim the social and historic importance of Vietnan Inc.' (Bookforum) 'The greatest description of war since Goya", raved Henri Cartier-Bresson... Thirty years on, Vietnam Inc. is still a classic... essential to anyone interested in Vietnam's history, America, photography or war.' (Far Eastern Economic Review) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Philip Jones Griffiths's has been a member of Magnum Photos since 1971. His photographs have appeared in every major magazine in the world, and his assignments, often self-given, led him to over 120 countries in all five continents. He has exhibited widely in the US and Europe, continues to work for Life and Geo on such stories as Buddhism in Cambodia, Drought in India, Poverty in Texas, The Re-greening of Vietnam, and the legacy of the War in Kuwait. He has also made a number of films including a documentary for the BBC on the descendants of the HMS Bounty living on Pitcairn Island, a film about the effects of strip-mining on a valley in South Wales and a film about the Khao-I-Dang Refugee camp in Thailand for the United Nations' High Commission for Refugees. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan Pub Co; First Edition edition (October 1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0020804008
• ISBN-13: 978-0020804000
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,047,823 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars superb collection, December 30, 2001

By 

Kingston - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vietnam Inc. (Hardcover)

This is a superb collection of photos that depicts the ironies and inanities that resonated throughout the US misguided war in Vietnam. There are haunting images of casual and mindless brutality, there are wonderful juxtapositions and there are the unforgettable faces of those caught up in the war as they try to lead their lives amidst wanton destruction. This is a book about betrayal...the betrayal of American ideals by US leaders, betrayal of soldiers by arrogant leaders, betrayal of allies for geopolitical machinations and betrayal of a people who suffered more than can be imagined. These timeless photos help us remember a dark chapter in US history and the reissue of this collection in a beautifully produced volume is welcome. Having taught about the Vietnam war to students who were born well after the debacle, this is an extremely valuable resource to bring to life the lessons learned from books and lectures. These mesmerizing images are informed by Griffith's conviction that, " the overwhelming impression of Americans in Vietnam is one of stupidity rather than evil." Certainly some veterans may dislike the photos and text, but few books convey the banality of war so effectively. Griffiths elegantly combines his photos, text and perceptive insights on Vietamese society and in so doing sets a standard for war reportage that others still only aspire to. This book is a must for anyone interested in the Vietnam conflict and the consequences of war.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest books on the Vietnam War, December 26, 2001

By 

"[e-mail]" (Tokyo, Tokyo Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vietnam Inc. (Hardcover)

I spent three years in Vietnam as a GI from 1967-70. I saw plenty of combat and was on many operations throughout that time from places like Danang to Saigon to Plieku. I was also assigned for a time to the rear as an intelligence specialist. Reading this book and looking at the shockingly beautiful photographs bring home the realities of that war again. This is a great reference for those who are interested in the Vietnam war and the realities of often mis-directed American foreign policy. We entered that far away war sending ignorant young soldiers to a country with an alien culture and ended up fearing everything we did not understand, often destroying it We did strike out with deadly force against the perceived enemy often killing innocent Vietnamese just trying to get by in an untenable situation. We counted the innocent among the enemy dead. This book has unique insights backed up with stupendous black and white photographs.

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential For Anyone Interested In The Vietnam War, May 25, 2002

By 

A. Holbrooke "aholbrooke" (New York, N.Y.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vietnam Inc. (Hardcover)

From the summer of 1966 through the fall of 1968, I was fighting in some of the same areas of Vietnam that Phillip Jones Griffiths so dramatically photographed. The pictures in his book are a jolting reminder of that experience.
No other book, by a single photographer, comes as close to capturing what Vietnam was like as this does.
He has produced a powerful, informative and compassionate work of photojournalism, that is as immediate today as when it was orignally published.