Four Hours in My Lai

by Kevin Sim and Michael Bilton

Book Overview

Uncovering the secrets behind the 1968 My Lai massacre in Vietnam, this is "a brutal, cautionary tale that serves as a painful reminder of the worst that can happen in war."--Chicago Tribune.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140177094
• ISBN13: 9780140177091
• Release Date: March 1993
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.1" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

rayandjoy@alltel.net

I thought that Lt Calley was made a scapegoat for theevent that happened at My Lia, but after reading the book. I find that he was a coldblooded killer,and cause many other young men to be the same way. I will never understand why Cpt Medina,and the other oficers involved in this incident was not brought to trail. The order given by these Oficers were just as much the cause of the problem, as were the men that did the actual killing.I served two tours in Nam , and I thank God that I never witnessed any such thing. I would probably have been brought to trail myself for killing those that would do such a coldheartedthing.However I must say that I am exremely proud of those that did not participate in the shooting.

very enlightening

I started reading this book preparing to be morally outraged, but came away with admiration for those who acted honorably throughout this ordeal, specifically Thompson (the helicopter pilot) and members of the investigative team. There were also some within the company that were able to distinguish between right and wrong in the heat of the moment, and refused to take part in the carnage. My Lai was the flashpoint of a very complicated war, and this book should be read by anyone wanting a deeper understanding of our involvement there.

it's over but it's really not.....now read hugh thompson

After reading the Four Hours description of the massacre at village 4, one can only see the absolute insanity of the moment. I recently heard a program on PBS with Hugh Thompson, the helicopter pilot who observed this atrocity and attempted to stop it. This is a absolute must read for all baby boomers or anyone else who served our country in the viet nam conflict.Where is the true meaning of international law....the only time ever served by any military personnel for this deed was a total of 3 days spent in confinement by william calley.We need to all read this to be sure this NEVER happens again.

Gripping!

I originally bought this book to help me with a paper for a genocide class and found my self reading it for more than raw facts. It is expertly written and can be classified as a text, as well as an emotional recounting. The authors have strived to research facts and present them in a historic and unemotional manner, but the emotion of the story peeps through in the interviews with soilders and families of those massacred. After all of my research, I would consider this book the best in the field. My Lai must not be forgotten and this cronicles the events and reminds us of a lesson we need to learn. I beleive that Four Hours should be required reading for all students and is essential to understanding humanity both good and evil.

Great detail on what took place but weak on root causes.

The book offers exceptional detail on the events of and after the My Lai Massacre. A good example of the detailed research is the memo penned by the oft lauded Collin Powell in which Powell shows his true colors-politician/careerist. Powell was a staffer at the time and wrote a memo responding to a commander's request for information about a rumored massacre. In the memo Powell talked of both the unliklihood of the event and the Vietnamese locals' love for the Americans. Most of us GIs, even decades later, know the Americal Division was ill-disciplined and prone to criminal acts. And this is where the author falls short. The military and political leaders that created an entire division, say 12-15,000 men, from primarilly "shake and bake" officers and NCOs ought to be taken out and shot. The results of such desparate schemes to keep from calling up Guard and Reserve units are both forseeable and, in this book, documented in one incident. The Americal had many others. I pity the good soldiers and officers who were almost vainly placed in the Division to try and inject some professionalism. Politicians unwilling to act to win a war, top level generals afraid to resign to defy ludicrous policies, careerism at nearly all levels of command, and the seeming ease with which a murderous mob can be created are what the book fails to fully address. Although, perhaps this begs for a second volume.