The Vietnam War /Ken Burns

One of the advantages of seniority, as most Rusters are, is our very personal memories of chronicled events.

Thus in watching the 10 disc set of Ken Burns’ superb documentary on Vietnam my own memories flooded back.

I can recall the school debates, the domino theory that all South East Asia would collapse into communism one country after another, the demonstrations, the way a Rooseveltian Liberal like Lyndon B Johnson saw his presidency derailed.

I  can remember a cruise around Vietnam when terrified rich American tourists fretted over the reception they might receive.

Yet the skill in this documentary was to enlighten me on the gaps. I bought into the John Kennedy mantra that no American soldier died in Vietnam in his presidency yet he had 11,000 military “advisors” there.

I thought the realpolitik of Kissinger and Nixon achieved resolution but did not realise in 1968 he disrupted the Paris peace talks by persuading the South Vietnamese not to participate in them in order to improve his election chances.

Ken Burns stays impartial.

He interviews vets and demonstrators, South and North Vietnamese.

He gets the whole picture.

Searching for criticism, I  thought the only one was the backdrop of general 70s music not referring to the war.

The documentary closed with Let It Be but surely Kenny Rogers’ Ruby, Don’t take your Love to Town is the ultimate Vietnam swansong.

The only documentary I have seen which matches this is World at War.

This had the advantage of being made closer in time to the event so more were around to interview.

Laurence Oliver was a masterful narrator and the graphics were better than The Vietnam War.  

That I am even comparing it to such a brilliant piece of documentary making is the highest praise.

And totally merited.