The Vietnam War: A conversation with Ken Burns and Lynn Novick

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Messages 21 - 40 of total 151 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
Nuglet

Trad climber
Orange Murica!
Sep 18, 2017 - 07:49am PT
Vietnam is fake news
stevep

Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
Sep 18, 2017 - 07:59am PT
Have it taping on the DVR, and very much looking forward to watching.

Tarbuster...
Bright Shining Lie is very, very good. One of the better non-fiction books I've ever read.
zBrown

Ice climber
Sep 18, 2017 - 08:25am PT


plund

Social climber
OD, MN
Sep 18, 2017 - 08:41am PT
"Bright Shining Lie" is brilliant, all the BS & bunkum revealed, along with a modern-day 'Jekyll & Hyde' character....moving and disturbing.

Herr's "Dispatches" for all the atmospheric freakiness of Nam on the ground and up close.

Tim Page's "Another Vietnam" for its fantastic exposition of the 'other side', as well as tremendous photos.

"My Secret War", Richard S. Drury author, A-1 Skyraider close air support pilot's memoir, gripping.

I hope Burns continues to cut through the crap...it was refreshing (and disturbing) hearing of French hubris, and the unbelievable logistical achievement of the North's army at Dien Bien Phu. The footage of the trails & the hauling of field artillery up jungle mountains was eye-opening. Serious dedication and discipline...
zBrown

Ice climber
Sep 18, 2017 - 09:18am PT
I thought I heard it said in Episode 1 that there were 1,000,000 Chinese war dead in Korea.

I wonder where they got that number? China which has motivation to mislead says the number is lower.

A total of 180,000 Chinese soldiers were killed while they fought with North Korea against US aggression in the early 1950s, a Chinese major general said ahead of the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, which fell last Friday.


http://www.china.org.cn/china/2010-06/28/content_20365659.htm


The biggest eye-opener for me was the scope of the French immorality.

mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Sep 18, 2017 - 09:46am PT
The parallel experiences of France and the US was a pretty good way to look at the conflict. Deja vu was a good title for the episode.

It was right to put so much emphasis on Uncle Ho. He was a pivotal character all the way until his death and after, even.

The rise of Ngo Dinh Diem, definitely not a francophile, was presented well. I am looking forward to seeing what the writers say about the Dragon Lady,
Mme. Nhu, and her husband, Ngo Dinh Nhu, who ran the place for Diem and treated the ARVN like his private army.
tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
Sep 18, 2017 - 09:53am PT
Madam Nhu
... notoriously referred to the public self-immolations of Buddhist monks—who burned themselves alive protesting the Diem regime's corruption and repression of Buddhists—as "barbecues" and crowed, "Let them burn and we shall clap our hands."


http://time.com/3880653/madame-nhu-polarizing-face-of-vietnam/


steveA

Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
Sep 18, 2017 - 10:27am PT
I would of liked to have this photo in Burn's documentary, but after much effort trying to contact him, I gave up. I used 2 rolls of 35mm film trying to capture the "perfect" image of this 175 Howitzer firing, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, circa 1969. I've never posted this photo on the internet, and John Catto, of National Geographic fame assisted me in putting the copyright logo on the image.
Contractor

Boulder climber
CA
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 18, 2017 - 12:37pm PT
Amazing image Steve!
fear

Ice climber
hartford, ct
Sep 18, 2017 - 12:56pm PT
Holy Be-Jeezus... you can see the rifle twist in the smoke! Never seen that before... incredible shot.
Nick Danger

Ice climber
Arvada, CO
Sep 18, 2017 - 01:45pm PT
Artillery, the "queen of the battlefield". I image, Steve, that your hearing is not what it once was.
skcreidc

Social climber
SD, CA
Sep 18, 2017 - 01:48pm PT
Incredible shot Steve! Thanks for posting it up here.
BigB

Trad climber
Red Rock
Sep 18, 2017 - 01:58pm PT
holy crap the look on the monks face while he's burning to death...
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Sep 18, 2017 - 02:06pm PT
Good historical perspective in the first segment. America was never a colonial power in the usual sense of the term but we suffer from the same problem that led the European powers to embark on colonialism. Greed rationalized by a complete lack of knowledge of the culture of the countries colonized and complete faith in white superiority in military power, economic strength and (here is the key) moral superiority.

Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Sep 18, 2017 - 03:45pm PT
Not gonna watch it - I get too pissed off. Besides, WTF am I gonna learn?
Now I could stand to up my knowledge of the Punic Wars.

SteveA, nice shot! Hope it scored.
zBrown

Ice climber
Sep 18, 2017 - 05:13pm PT
Colonialism? After they were no longer Europeans thirteen of them took over most of the continent of North America.




http://www.emersonkent.com/images/indian_tribes.jpg

donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Sep 18, 2017 - 05:27pm PT
Nice photo Steve. You were there and have two Purple Hearts to attest to it.
10b4me

Mountain climber
Retired
Sep 18, 2017 - 10:17pm PT
[Click to View YouTube Video]
BLUEBLOCR

Social climber
joshua tree
Sep 18, 2017 - 10:23pm PT
Thanks for sharing steveA!
Contractor

Boulder climber
CA
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 19, 2017 - 06:07am PT
Messages 21 - 40 of total 151 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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