An evocative, vividly detailed memoir of the madness and miracles of the Vietnam War by an award-winning reporter whose experiences in combat--and whose relationship with a Vietnamese cat named Meo--have haunted and inspired him for more than twenty-five years
An evocative, vividly detailed memoir of the madness and miracles of the Vietnam War by an award-winning reporter whose experiences in combat--and whose relationship with a Vietnamese cat named Meo--have haunted and inspired him for more than twenty-five years
John Laurence covered the Vietnam war for CBS News from 1965 to 1970 and was judged by his colleagues to be the best television reporter of the war. His documentary about a squad of U.S. troops, "The World of Charlie Company," received every major award for broadcast journalism. Despite the professional acclaim, however, the traumatic stories Laurence covered became a personal burden that he carried long after the war was over. In this evocative, unflinching memoir, laced with humour, anger, love, and the unforgettable story of Meo, the Vietnamese cat, Laurence recalls coming of age during the war years as a journalist and as a man. Along the way, he clarifies the murky history of the war and the role that journalists played in altering its course. The Cat from Hue has earned passionate acclaim from many of the most renowned journalists and writers about the war, as well as from military officers and war veterans, book reviewers, and readers. Now available in trade paperback with a new epilogue, this book will stand with Michael Herr's Dispatches , Philip Caputo's A Rumor of War , and Neil Sheehan's A Bright, Shining Lie as one of the best books ever written about Vietnam-and about war generally.
John Laurence's coverage of the Vietnam War for CBS News received the George Polk memorial award for "best reporting in any medium requiring exceptional courage and enterprise abroad." His other experiences as a journalist include covering the Chicago 7 trial in 1969 and the Reagan presidential campaign in 1979-80. Laurence was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and has lived in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. He now lives in England.
John Laurence reported the Vietnam War for CBS News from 1965 to 1970 and was judged by his colleagues to be the best television reporter of the war. His film documentary about a squad of U.S. troops, The World of Charlie Company, received every major award for broadcast journalism. In this evocative, unflinching memoir, laced with humor, anger and love, Laurence writes about coming of age during the war years as a journalist and as a man. The Cat from Hue is filled with stories about extraordinary human behavior, famous people and unknown soldiers, the worlds of the American grunt and Vietnamese civilian, incredible humanity and courage, corruption and cowardice, and the personal price of survival and sanity. Along the way, it clarifies the murky history of the war and the role that journalists played in altering its course.
John Laurence covered the Vietnam war for CBS News from 1965 to 1970 and was judged by his colleagues to be the best television reporter of the war. His documentary about a squad of U.S. troops, "The World of Charlie Company," received every major award for broadcast journalism. Despite the professional acclaim, however, the traumatic stories Laurence covered became a personal burden that he carried long after the war was over. In this evocative, unflinching memoir, laced with humour, anger, love, and the unforgettable story of Meo, the Vietnamese cat, Laurence recalls coming of age during the war years as a journalist and as a man. Along the way, he clarifies the murky history of the war and the role that journalists played in altering its course. The Cat from Hue has earned passionate acclaim from many of the most renowned journalists and writers about the war, as well as from military officers and war veterans, book reviewers, and readers. Now available in trade paperback with a new epilogue, this book will stand with Michael Herr's Dispatches , Philip Caputo's A Rumor of War , and Neil Sheehan's A Bright, Shining Lie as one of the best books ever written about Vietnam-and about war generally.
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