The My Lai massacre of March 16, 1968 and the court martial of Lt.
William Calley a year and a half later are among the bleakest
episodes in American history and continue to provide a volatile
focus for debates about the Vietnam War. Other books have exposed
the facts surrounding the incident; "Facing My Lai" now examines
its haunting legacy through a unique exchange of contemporary
viewpoints.
This powerful book emerges from a stellar gathering of
historians, military professionals, writers, mental health experts,
and Vietnamese and American war veterans convened to memorialize
the tragedy. The cast of prominent speakers included journalists
Seymour Hersh and David Halberstam, novelist Tim O'Brien,
psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton, military prosecutor William
Eckhardt, and veterans Hugh Thompson and Ron Ridenhour--the two
true heroes in the My Lai story. David Anderson's reflective
recasting of their presentations creates an impassioned chorus of
voices that demonstrates why this tragedy remains one of the key
emblems of the American experience in Vietnam.
These authors address many of the troubling questions that still
persist about My Lai. Why had it been identified as a Viet Cong
stronghold? What orders were the troops actually given? Why didn't
someone stop the slaughter? But these questions are asked again in
the hope that they might lead to a better understanding of what My
Lai means for us now.
As these authors show, our nation is still trying to come to
grips with the bitter legacies of the Vietnam War. A grim window
into the darker side of American history (like the massacre at
Wounded Knee), My Lai reminds us of humanity's baffling capacity
for atrocity within the crucible of war. Facing My Lai does not
allow us to forget or hide from such horrors, but it also seeks to
heal the deep wounds inflicted by the war. Its unflinching look at
the past ultimately leads us away from darkness and towards a more
enlightened understanding of a war that in many ways is not over
yet.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!