A Bright Shining Lie

John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam

By: Neil Sheehan

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

One of the most acclaimed books of our time - the definitive Vietnam War exposé and the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.

When he came to Vietnam in 1962, Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Vann was the one clear-sighted participant in an enterprise riddled with arrogance and self-deception, a charismatic soldier who put his life and career on the line in an attempt to convince his superiors that the war should be fought another way. By the time he died in 1972, Vann had embraced the follies he once decried. He died believing that the war had been won.

In this magisterial book, a monument of history and biography that was awarded the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction, a renowned journalist tells the story of John Vann - "the one irreplaceable American in Vietnam" - and of the tragedy that destroyed a country and squandered so much of America's young manhood and resources.

©1989 Neil Sheehan (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

"If there is one book that captures the Vietnam war in the sheer Homeric scale of its passion and folly, this is it." ( The New York Times Book Review)

Definitely one of THE important books I read this year.

This is really a fantastic piece to have an understanding of Vietnam. This isn't a poisonous manual about why you should hate this war and all wars. It's John Vann's life but it's a great vehicle of how and why things played out how they did.
It may not be what you were told. It may not be what you want to believe. It's worth reading & it's supported.

This is THE book you should read on Vietnam

Powerful, gripping, tragic this is a must read on what happened in Vietnam. John Paul
Vann is a Shakespearean character with more flaws than most, but the author uses his work as a complete parable of what happened to the US in the Vietnam War.

A tragic story

A tragic story well documented. Unfortunately we haven’t learned our lesson, probably never will. I was there for One year during Tet. The corruption on both sides made me sick. It all sounded familiar, and brought back the sadness I thought I had left behind from that ugly war.

A Sobering & Incredible Story

What a superbly reported & infuriating story! Sheehan documents a war filled with hubris through the portrait of an insightful but deeply flawed human being. This book remains a meaningful look at war & the lives it wastes and why that happens. A supremely worthy read.

Good book

This should be a second of third book on Vietnam if you're already not familiar with the overall saga of the war. Starts a little slow but definitely gets better as you get more invested into John Vann.

Epic portrayal of the man and the war...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the reading. It's an incredible book. I also want to say that having enjoyed a previous reading by Robertson Dean (The Power Broker), I actually sought out books for which he has narrated. The Vietnam War is a subject I can never seem to get enough of, so selecting this book was a no-brainer. I wish Dean narrated every book I was interested in - he's a great voice artist. Overall, the book is an amazing, insightful work. I own the hardcover version, as well.

Quixotic American Hero

Loved it! Being ex-US Army enlisted combat arms in the latter stages of the Vietnam War and later, everyone senior to me had survived at least one tour in 'Nam. Their tales of night patrols, interdiction raids and ARVN incompetence kept us greenies up late at night. This book is one of the best Vietnam era books I've read. Human foibles aside, John Paul Vann was a warrior-patriot loyal to his country.

A tale of a man and Vietnam

Great story told through the life of a very talented but flawed man in Vietnam.

A Bright Shining Lie

I picked this listen up after learning of Neil Shehan's passing. I was expecting a book about the Vietnam War. What was offered was a biography wrapped around that war. Unless Shehan possessed an actual journal of the protagonist, I do not know how he could know the level of detail that is offered from childhood until death. It reads more like a novel than an actual autobiography. It was a good listen and well done. I can recommend it.

Great Book

Great Book about the Vietnam War. More historical detail about firefights, battles and the politics of the war.