I have at last managed to watch the last in the series of 10 of the 18 hour documentary under the title
The Vietnam War on PBS America (channel 91 on Freeview).
It was directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, and what a fantastic, very comprehensive account of that war, majoring on the American involvement in it, it is. All sides are covered, with full, no holds barred, input from witnesses from both the American and North Vietnamese sides, with the soldiers, politicians, the journalists, commentators, civilian witnesses, anti-war activists, and anyone else with reason to give their account of their involvement. These accounts, especially from the American participants, are so descriptive of how they felt about the war, and fall completely in line with what my American friends, one a Huey pilot, who served in that war, IF they talked about it, felt. All was accompanied by the contemporary pop music of the time and full, unedited, film of the various stages in the build up,the participation, and final withdrawal (defeat) by American forces with an up to date resume of the military, political and general life of Vietnam after 1975 with the reconciliation between the warring factions since. Nothing is held back from the discussions and observations about this terrible, in all respects, conflict after the French had pulled out. It is a major piece of academic research, of an episode in our lives that most of us on here remember from watching the news footage at the time that made many of us anti-war, anti-American, and generally disgusted with what was transpiring.
For anyone interested in this major event post WW2 and Korea, with the distant involvement of both China and the USSR, that tested the USA beyond it's abilities, it is a must watch. It is an historical account that fully gives the viewer and student everything they need for further individual study. I wish it had been available when I studied one aspect of the Vietnam War at uni.
For an American tv channel this is some achievement, but they do tend to broadcast other credible and academic worthy historical accounts. Full marks to them on this one.
Has anyone else been following this series?
Author
Topic: The Vietnam War - Documentary Series PBS America (Read 3016 times)