National Book Award Non Fiction Winner
A Bright Shining Lie
by Neil Sheehan
Summary
A vast biography of Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Vann that doubles as a damning history of America's war in Vietnam. Through Vann's career as adviser, civilian official, and acting general, Sheehan exposes the institutional self deception, body counts, and counterinsurgency myths that drove U.S. failure. Drawing on sixteen years of reporting and the Pentagon Papers archive, the book remains a foundational account of the conflict.
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Historical Context & Significance
Sheehan worked on the book for 16 years; it is considered the most important work on Vietnam written from a military and diplomatic perspective.