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Description edit
"He seems to have brought to this book the ear of a musician and the eye of a painter . . . the premier war correspondence of Vietnam."--Washington Post. "The best book I have ever read on men and war in our time."--John le Carre. " . . . Dispatches puts the rest of us in the shade."--Hunter... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Summary edit
(From the book jacket)
Written on the front lines in Vietnam, Dispatches became an immediate classic of war reportage when it was published in 1977.
From its terrifying opening pages to its final eloquent words, Dispatches makes us see, in unforgettable and unflinching detail, the... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
Characters/People edit
- Michael Herr: Author of the journal that became the book; an "Esquire" corespndent who traveled to Vietnam to write about the experience from the perspective of grunts who fought on the front lines.
- Mayhew: One of two key marines that Herr hung out with during the battle of Khe Sanh; Mayhew is "crazy," sleeping in the nude even during combat.
- Day Tripper: One of two key marines that Herr hangs out with during the ballte of Khe Sanh; obessed with the idea of time and afraid of the night.
- Sean Flynn: American actor turned freelance photographer covering the Vietnam War; disappeared in 1970.
- Dana: Add a description of this character.
- Davies
- Orrin
- David
- Krynski
- Prager
- Hendrix
- John Wayne
Quotes edit
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“"Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, we've all been there."”
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“"the <Marine>Corps came to be called by many the finest instrument ever devised for the killing of young Americans."”
Setting & Locations edit
- Vietnam: Khe Sanh; Saigon; Pleiku
- China Beach: My Khe beach in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam
- Tan Son Nhut: Republic of Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) airbase near Saigon.
- Cholon: Chinese-influenced section of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
- Laos
- Hong Kong
- USA: New York; San Francisco
- Paris, France
First Sentence edit
There was a map of Vietnam on the wall of my apartment in Saigon and some nights, coming back late to the city, I'd lie out on my bed and look at it, too tired to do anything more than just get my boots off.
Table of Contents edit
Introduction
Chronology
DISPATCHES
Breathing In
Hell Sucks
Khe Sanh
Illumination Rounds
Colleagues
Breathing Out
Themes & Symbolism edit
Series & Lists edit
This book is in TIME Magazine's All-TIME 100 Best Nonfiction Books. (authoritative list)
This is book 313 of 1286 in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (authoritative list)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Knopf
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1977
ISBN: 0394417887
Page Count: 260
Publisher: Knopf
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1977
ISBN: 0394417887
Page Count: 260
Awards edit
- National Book Critics Circle Award (Finalist, 1977: General Nonfiction)
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: DS559.5.H47
- Dewey: 959.70438
Subjects edit
- Books › History › Military › Vietnam War
- Books › History › Asia › Southeast Asia
- Books › Nonfiction › True Accounts
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Movie Connections edit
- Full Metal Jacket (1987) (IMDb): Many of the characters in "Full Metal Jacket" were based on characters from "Dispatches."
- Apocalypse Now (1979) (IMDb): Some of the characters in "Apocalypse Now" were based on charcters from "Dispatches."
More Books Like This edit
Books with Additional Background Information edit
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