Nam: A Photographic History (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Gregory Louis Mattson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ray Bonds's The Vietnam War: The Illustrated History of the Conflict in Southeast Asia (Salamander Books) sets the bar very high for photojournalistic collections on the war. Coauthors Daugherty (Fighting Techniques of a U.S. Marine: 1941-1945), a military history professor at the online American Military University, and Mattson (The Pacific War: Campaigns of World War II), with a Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi, are outclassed by the competition. The book begins with "The Background," followed by one chapter per year for 1965-1975 and ends with a final section on the "Aftermath." Major scenes of fighting and bombing are dutifully described, without particular insight, including Laos, Hanoi, the Tet Offensive and Long Tan. Unattractively designed, the book contains over 700 color and b&w photos, a number of which are fuzzy, including an aggressively cropped version of one of the Vietnam War's most notorious images, the Pulitzer Prize-winning AP wire photo of a South Vietnamese general executing a Vietcong officer in Saigon. An equally fuzzy image of Robert F. Kennedy after he was shot in 1968 bears a caption that observes, among other things: "His killing was claimed to be a protest against the U.S. support for Israel." Most of the images are scenic, with a minimum of explicit gore and such gore as there is looks fake because of the poor color reproduction. The particularly outdated "Aftermath" section informs us that the failure of America's involvement in the Vietnam war made "bold foreign policy moves a thing of the past," which may be news to the current U.S. Department of Defense. Although the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C., is shown in two photos (inadequately), its architect, Maya Lin, is not appreciably credited. The historical maelstrom of Vietnam deserves better.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Daugherty, a military historian and former editor of the Marine Corps Gazette, and Mattson (The Campaigns of World War II: The Pacific War) open their discussion of the Vietnam conflict with a chapter on its origins at the beginning of World War II. The next ten chapters then deal year by year with America's ten-year formal involvement in Vietnam, considering the tactics used and the implications on the home front. Hundreds of photographs and illustrations complement each chapter, but while this is essentially a photographic history, the authors have written an excellent narrative of America's longest conflict. The result sets the standard for illustrated histories of the Vietnam War. Recommended for all libraries. Page, a veteran photographer with UPI who was wounded several times in Vietnam, is the author of several books on the conflict there, including Tim Page's Nam. His current effort is not a history but instead presents the work of North Vietnamese photographers. The images included here were often used for propaganda purposes, so the reader must look for the real story. A narrative accompanying each photograph gives background on the photographer. Since the North Vietnamese photographers often worked under primitive conditions, most of the photographs are black and white. Still, the book breaks new ground by presenting the images (most never before published) of a former antagonist. This book will interest subject specialists but will have limited appeal in public libraries. Mark Ellis, Albany State Univ., GA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble (September 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076074937X
• ISBN-13: 978-0760749371
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #943,126 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great photo compilation; good 'Nam encyclopedia, August 19, 2004

By	R.J. Corby (Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nam: A Photographic History (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful Vietnam encyclopedia that is well worth the price and the considerable space it takes up on your bookshelf. The pictures alone make a significant contribution to the study and understanding of Vietnam.

The book is categorized nicely by year, so the reader can pick a year and jump right in. The text is somewhat stilted and abbreviated at times - how can Richard Nixon be adequately explained on one page of large text? But to a reader new to Vietnam study, this book is a nice start.

One more word about the pictures - it's interesting to note that two of the most famous pictures of the war are absent from this text. The first one, of a naked girl running down a road, burned, after an errant U.S. napalm strike; and the second one of a helicopter on the top of a roof near the U.S. embassy shortly before the fall of Saigon, certainly belong in any book that professes to be a photographic history of Vietnam. Also missing is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of a woman running to greet a returning POW after he steps off a plane. Perhaps these absences are a matter of copyright permission? But, this is a minor complaint, really. This text brings together so many startling and educational pictures about the war, it more than makes up for the absence of a few famous pictures.

One additional point about the text - it's interesting to note the political bent the authors allow to creep into the text (intentionally?). On the topic of draft dodgers, the authors take several shots at President Clinton. In one instance, Daugherty and Mattson bring up a right-wing bumper sticker from 1992: "What's the difference between Jane Fonda and Clinton? Fonda went to Vietnam." In another instance the authors state as fact how Clinton tried to have incriminating documents of his "draft dodging" destroyed during the '92 election. (They offer no proof, but state it as fact.) I guess it's because this is a political year that I even noticed it, but readers could do without this kind of stuff. I wonder why the authors didn't offer any jibes at George W. Bush for having signed up for the National Guard, getting to skip over hundreds of people because of his surname, in order to avoid service in Vietnam? My point is not to defend "Hanoi Jane" for her despicable actions or for Clinton's having dodged the draft, but that there are plenty of people, millions in fact, of all political persuasions who dodged the draft to avoid going to Vietnam. This kind of debate should be presented in a non-partisan manner in a book like this, or not at all.

However, this is a great book worthy of space on any history enthusiast's bookshelf, and I'm happy to own it.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent photographic work, some inaccuracies, December 26, 2002

By	Christopher Hansen "EvolutionaryHunter" (Mercer Island, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Nam: A Photographic History (Hardcover)

This was an excellent read. Not something you're going to plow through in a couple of days. I'm near the end now, and have been "digesting" this book over the course of several weeks.

The photographs are excellent-some of the best work I've seen in compilation form. Haven't read Larry Burrows yet, but that's on the list. The distraction comes that when you've been inundated with one photographic history, they all become somewhat similar. Carnage on a grand scale, big machines, weapons, sad people and faces, etc. Some useful maps with photo displays.

I found that there were some inaccuracies, particlarly when I submitted this book to my professor of military history as a good read. He was in Vietnam, and immediately picked a couple of issues right off the bat, but overall thought it was a great book for the cost. Typos are a small issue, would have been worth the effort for an additional proofread for such a sturdy, big book, and sentence structure is sometimes off, making things confusing.

While this book does a good job of detailing a photograpic illustration in format by year (e.g. 1965, 66, 67, etc.) it reads a bit dry at times due to the nature of trying to cram a ton of strategic and tactical information in as simple blow by blow. For instance, unit x came from position y, and unit w, from position z, etc. It is, however, very effective in transcribing in detail the history and some of the complications surrounding the Vietnam War.

... well worth the space it takes up in my bookshelf. Don't try toting this thing around, it's massive and heavy.

5.0 out of 5 stars thank you, April 6, 2007

By	Mrs. Monica Disabato "shoe queen" (Myrtle Beach, SC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Nam: A Photographic History (Hardcover)

I purchased this book for my husband who served in Viet Nam. He appreciated the detail in the book. It is a testament to all those who have served in 'the Nam'.