RE: [Leica] Photos of War Dead

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

There are a number of books you may find interesting:

"Reporting World War II," and "Reporting Vietnam," Vols I and II, in the
Library of America series. These are compilations of American coverage
of both wars, and they are fascinating by themselves, and in comparison
to each other. In the WWII book you generally find sanitized,
"patriotic" "rah! Rah!" reporting - some of it very good. And the World
War II volume includes John Hershey's Hiroshima in its entirety. And in
the second Vietnam volume you find the other extreme - including all of
Michael Herr's "Dispatches," an amazing book and a must read. I'd also
recommend John Laurence's "The Cat From Hue," a memoir of his years in
Vietnam for CBS news. You should also read Neil Sheehan's "A Bright
Shining Lie," which includes a fair amount about the early reporting in
Vietnam. And, finally, take a look at "Once Upon A Distant War," by
William Prochnau, about David Halberstam, Neil Sheehan, and Peter
Arnett, and how their experiences in Vietnam changed their view of the
war.

B. D.


- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Gary
Williams
Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 9:44 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: RE: [Leica] Photos of War Dead


At 08:13 AM 11/18/03 -0500, Johnny Deadman wrote:
>I think it is hilarious that Marc thinks there was some bucolic moment 
>in the past where the media were not plugging some particular point of 
>view and simply reported the facts, ma'am. I will bow to him on 
>military history or Rollei lore, but I suggest he takes Media History 
>101 before he relies any further on this ridiculous argument.

I apologize for overstating my case, Johnny.  I am aware that the media,
in the past, have often been far more vitrolic and partisan than may
seem the case today.

You are absolutely correct.

Marc

Vitriolic in the past?  Nah, Fox news has only been around for a few
years.  Before that it was all quiet on the western front.

Actually did anyone catch the recent piece on PBS on Vietnam war media
coverage.  Morley Safer blew the Army's cover with a report in 1967 (or
1968?) on US soldiers setting fire to houses and huts belonging to South
Vietnamese civilians.  Since I was not quite a teenager then, this is
news to me.  Anyway, the piece goes on to explain how this was a turning
point in public option about the war and that the Army actually changed
its policy of "burn to the ground" within 30 days of the airing of the
report.  So do any of you old(er) timers have personal experience to
share?

Gary

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