Battlefield: Vietnam

I caught this documentary on PBS originally some years back and was amazed at the stunning recount of America's ten years (or more) in Vietnam. Though I do not recall the names of the particular episodes I believe they covered the early years, Tet, air power and the fall of Saigon. It was much more so than that however. The amount of video shown from the Vietnamese perspective truly makes this a balanced and proper documentary along the lines of The Civil War, The World at War and Victory at Sea.

I'm not sure who publishes it, though I think Time-Life rings a bell and hopefully I'll be able to track it down on dvd! Anyone who has even a passing interest in Vietnam will find it fascinating.

This is an excellent series on the Vietnam War. Covers how we got there, why so many were killed or wounded, and the political mistakes that made the US lose this war. If you want to know all there is to know about the Vietnam War watch this mini-series. 10/10

This 12-volume series begins at the end of WWII, and continues up through the fall of Saigon in 1975. It explains the political factors underlying the military strategies on both sides. It also contains a good deal of rare footage taken by Vietnamese guerrillas themselves, providing a fascinating (and often ignored) look into their psychology and daily life.

The graphics are excellent. They are used to explain where and how battles were waged, and the level of detail is quite high. If you want to know more about a particular battle or unit, the material here will make it very easy for you to put search terms together.

This series seems to be used in a lot of classrooms and libraries. It is a very effective educational device. But it's also enthralling for casual watchers. I am not a military history buff. I saw the first episode quite randomly one night on public TV, and couldn't stop watching.

Though it might be tricky to find this series at your local video store, it is very common in libraries, and that might be a good place to start looking for it.

This documentary covers the Vietnam War chronologically with an emphasis on military aspects. To anyone getting acquainted with the history of the war, it may be irrelevant to know exactly which American divisions took part in, say, Operation Hastings, but it doesn't hurt them either.

On the other hand, the film provides pretty good insight regarding the weapons used, strategic and political considerations etc. and what's more important, it does so in a dispassionate and non-partisan way, which I deem as a good thing. We don't see the footage of the officer shooting a Vietcong in the head, or the photo of the naked girl running away from a Napalm bombing. There are no interviews to veterans or politicians of the time. Very rarely we hear other voices apart from the narrator.

You need to see this if you want an introduction to the time line of the Vietnam war, which is exposed brilliantly.