Sometimes, I think if we thought we weren’t always the good guys, we might actually get into less wars. – Karl Marlantes
The Vietnam War is an incredibly consequential point in our history, and a period I lacked knowledge in. I had been avoiding watching Ken Burns documentary on the period, because of how much time it would take it. 17 hours of rousing and brilliant storytelling later and I regret not watching it earlier.
The Vietnam War captures the instability, the insanity, and the uproar while finding times for stories of smaller scale. The blending of the general plot with little subplots along the way make it feel so much more emotionally rewarding. From Karl Marlantes to Hal Kushner, to big names like Tim O’Brien and smaller but very important ones like John Musgrave, each talking head comes to life.
To me this is an incredibly important series, one that goes beyond politics and delivers a searing account of an important point in our history. If you have never seen this, it is worth every minute of the 17 hour run time. 10/10
