The Vietnam Experience

The Vietnam War was one of the most painful and divisive events in American history. The conflict which ultimately took the lives of 58000 Americans and more than three million Vietnamese became a subject of bitter and impassioned debate. The most dramaticand frequently the most enduringefforts to define and articulate America''s ill-fated involvement in Vietnam emerged from popular culture. American journalists novelists playwrights poets songwriters and filmmakersmany of them eyewitnesseshave created powerful heartfelt works documenting their thoughts and beliefs about the war. By examining those works this book provides readers with a fascinating resource that explores America''s ongoing struggle to assess the war and its legacies.This encyclopedia includes 44 essays each providing detailed information on an important film song or literary work about Vietnam. Each essay provides insights into the Vietnam-era experiences and views of the work''s primary creative force historical background on issues or events addressed in the work discussion of the circumstances surrounding the creation of the work and sources for further information. This book also includes an appendix listing of more than 275 films songs and literary works dealing with the war.