The Vietnam War - Ken Burns



ReaL Madras said:
I’ve been watching this with my father in law who joined the American Air Force to avoid the draft. Absolutely brilliant series by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, but watching my father in law re-living his steps through to signing up is fascinating.

I’ve learned so much about the politics and build up that I never knew. What an absolute clusterfuck by the American governments and military of the time. President LJ and General Westmoreland come across particularly badly throughout.
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Just finished Episode 4...fascinating stuff. The french, Chinese, USSR, Vietnamese, and half a dozen other countries/factions have to shoulder some of the blame for the mess but ultimately its just a monumental clusterfuck (as you mentioned) by the US, one terrible decision after another until they are in so deep there's nothing left other than to chuck more at it and get even deeper in the shit!!

The other point it makes that i never realised was just how many 'educated', middle class Americans managed to dodge it. A real eye opener!
 
steadybreeze said:
Just finished Episode 4...fascinating stuff. The french, Chinese, USSR, Vietnamese, and half a dozen other countries/factions have to shoulder some of the blame for the mess but ultimately its just a monumental clusterfuck (as you mentioned) by the US, one terrible decision after another until they are in so deep there's nothing left other than to chuck more at it and get even deeper in the shit!!

The other point it makes that i never realised was just how many 'educated', middle class Americans managed to dodge it. A real eye opener!
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Absolutely yeah, and that had consequences for a lot of the behaviour of the troops. A lot of lieutenants and captains or whatever, just weren't trained or qualified for the responsibility they had.
 
The Rat said:
Absolutely yeah, and that had consequences for a lot of the behaviour of the troops. A lot of lieutenants and captains or whatever, just weren't trained or qualified for the responsibility they had.
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Once the shit really hit the fan it was down to the rural, Irish, Italian, black Americans, the engine room of America....every fucker else went into hiding. Terrifying watching it all, wondering how i would have coped i suppose
 
Two million voices said:
Was in Ho Chi Minh City last summer, the war remnants museum is one of the most harrowing places I’ve ever been to. Also done a tunnels tour which was a good day out and really interesting, the guide refused to call it anything other than the American War.
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The ho chi min city museum is excellent. The war photography alone is worth the visit, loads of unseen but potentially iconic shots and the agent orange section is horrific.
 
ReaL Madras said:
I’ve been watching this with my father in law who joined the American Air Force to avoid the draft. Absolutely brilliant series by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, but watching my father in law re-living his steps through to signing up is fascinating.

I’ve learned so much about the politics and build up that I never knew. What an absolute clusterfuck by the American governments and military of the time. President LJ and General Westmoreland come across particularly badly throughout.
Click to expand...
its a great series tbf, Nixon, LJ were a disgrace
 
out of interest (not got Netflix) but does this just cover the USA phase or period? Or does it go back to French phase after WW2? Or brief period when the UK were approached (by French) before the USA decided that they would get involved?
 
sad_ken said:
His docs on The West and the American civil war are on Netflix too and worth a watch. Both brilliant
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Cheers. Just did a Ken Burns search on it and added them plus Prohibition and The War as while I've watched the Vietnam one I haven't seen those.
 
Up to 1968 now. What a terrible year for the US..thousands of troops die, Bobby Kennedy & Martin Luther King both Assassinated. One terrible decision after another, watching it all in grim fascination.
 

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