They Marched into Sunlight, War and Peace in Vietnam and America in October 1967 by David Maraniss Simon & Schuster (2003), black and white photographs, indexed, biography, hardcover, 570 pages, $42.

David Maraniss has a journalist background and is Associate Editor of the Washington Post. He previous books include biographies of Bill Clinton and Al Gore. For this book, he has taken two disparate incidents that occurred on the same date in 1967; the ambush of two American infantry companies in South Vietnam and a violent demonstration at Wisconsin University . The two stories were linked in newspaper stories at the time, both in America and around the World.  They were view as indications of worsening prospects for the American intervention in Vietnam . David Maraniss was also a witness to the demonstration as he was a student at Wisconsin University at the time.

David Maraniss describes a period of social disharmony in American society through these two different stories. This is told through the personal experiences of those involved; the young soldiers and their leaders, students, university officials and police. David Maraniss well utilises oral accounts from the participants, including veterans of the North Vietnamese army who fought in the battle. Readers are presented with legible reconstruction of both a chaotic battle and the turmoil of the demonstration.  The two stories are placed in context, with concise background material and résumés of the characters. This book covers many of the controversies of the era, from draft deferments to body counts, conduct of the war, violence on American campuses, social change and post-traumatic stress among veterans. Much of the material is counter-intuitive as to how we view American society.

Weaknesses in the book are the frequent introduction of characters and events that add little to the two main stories. David Maraniss also seems to assume readers will have a familiarity with the characters and events of the era. Maybe baby boomers assume everyone else is interested in their history. Some issues seem to be touched on but then left half explored. David Maraniss also unnecessarily connect the events to America’s current wars. He also enjoins in occasional philosophical prose that distract from the story he is telling. Regardless, there is ample material for readers to mull over and debate. Worth reading.

Unpublished 2004

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