Product Details

• Actors: Richard Basehart, Ellsworth Bunker, Clark Clifford, William Colby (II), David Dellinger
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Studio: Goldhil Home Media
• VHS Release Date: September 14, 1998
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000F0WX
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,755 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  Video > Documentary > Military & War > Vietnam War

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The military, political, and social repercussions of the Vietnam War continue to be felt, in the ways in which it altered the landscape of American life forever. Written by CNN correspondent Peter Arnett, the 13 episodes of Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War trace the entire course of the conflict, from the closing days of World War II when Ho Chi Minh first began to assemble his revolutionary army, to the fall of Saigon in 1975. Documentary filmmaking simply doesn't get much better than this. With extensive archival footage shot by both sides and interviews with participants ranging from infantry soldiers to diplomats, Vietnam has a detached, journalistic objectivity and fairness throughout. It would be much easier to understand the war if it were possible to lay the blame at the feet of the French, or Kennedy, Johnson, or Nixon, but the war's progress was never that clear-cut. Rather, it was a slippery slope that inexorably led to thousands of deaths and laid waste to the country of Vietnam. Unlike WWII, there were no heroes' welcomes for Vietnam's returning GI's; more often than not, they were met with silence or outright contempt. The series' final chapter explores their struggles in readjusting to normal life in society. The somber tone of Richard Basehart's narration is a perfect match for the gravity of the subject matter. This two-DVD boxed set is essential watching for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Vietnam War and all its ramifications, and should be required viewing for history classes. --Jerry Renshaw

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On DVD...finally!, November 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Vietnam - The Ten Thousand Day War (DVD)

I've owned and treasured an incomplete VHS set of this marvelous series since the late 80's, and now I know where part of my tax refund is going. This fascinating documentary series from the late 70's walks a very fine line between scholarship and pure entertainment. Although the delivery is decidedly dry, representing well the less sensationalistic Cronkite-era jounalistic dignity, this very long series never ceases to inform and absorb you. Viewers who have come of age in the CNN/Oliver Stone era may have a tough time NOT being told who the villians are, but man oh man is it a blessed relief for sentient humans. Vietnam:The ten thousand day war, is as close to agenda-free as you will ever see these days. The roles and experiences of the 3 Presidential administrations, the Vietminh, and the anti-war demonstrators are studied in minute detail, never betraying for a moment any editorial slant at all. The day-long running time allows for an exhaustive look at all aspects of the conflict including several with which most of us are unfamiliar, the early stages of the conflict and the role of the French for example, spending almost 2 hours on Dien Bien Phu alone. The film spends a great deal of time following the enormous diplomatic complexities the conflict entailed, instantly making fools of all the pundits of any political stripe who nursed any number of pat, absurd "Why don't we just leave??" or "Why don't we just flatten them??" notions. The one thing I can promise the casual historian or political science major is this; you will walk away from the experience of this documentary series knowing a great deal more about the Vietnam war and era than you did before you sat down. It is, without a doubt the most scholarly and objective documentary on any subject I have ever seen, and yes, that includes Burns's The Civil War.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Truth About Vietnam, June 20, 2000

By	D. Knox (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Vietnam - The Ten Thousand Day War (DVD)

Produced at a time when the public's conception of the war was at an impass, Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War was not only a document of one of the darkest chapters in American History, but an indictment of war as a whole.

This unflinching documentary will take places you never thought you'd see. The jungles, the cities, the back roads, the fields, even the mountains of what was once an idyllic paradise, all are the backdrop for a journey of horror. Combining news, military, and independent documentary footage, we are transported through the entire spectrum of the conflict. We see it all, from the end of French Occupation, through the arrival of military "advosors", Tet, and the fall of Saigon. You'll even examine the war at home.

If you are still questioning why this tiny country in southeast asia was so crucial to our country's history, make this the first and last documentary you watch on the subject. You'll never be the same again.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Email the folks at Image Entertainment!, August 19, 2004

By	C. Hubble - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Vietnam - The Ten Thousand Day War (DVD)

I love this series. I teach at the college level and desperately want my students to see this! I was too broke to buy the DVD series the first time now I cannot find it anywhere. When is it going to be re-released? Does anyone know anything? Where to write the distribution company perhaps?

The folks at Image Entertainment own the rights to this series and have told me they have no plans to re-release it. If you want it re-released find their web-page (just put Image Entertainment in your search engine) and email them and let them hear from you! Its the only way to get them to understand how badly people want this re-released. Otherwise I fear it is lost to history.