Sheehan's tragic biography of John Paul Vann is also a sweeping history of America's seduction, entrapment and disillusionment in Vietnam. From the Trade Paperback edition. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Killed in a helicopter crash in Vietnam in 1972, controversial Lt. Col. John Paul Vann was perhaps the most outspoken army field adviser to criticize the way the war was being waged. Appalled by the South Vietnamese troops' unwillingness to fight and their random slaughter of civilians, he flouted his supervisors and leaked his sharply pessimistic (and, as it turned out, accurate) assessments to the U.S. press corps in Saigon. Among them was Sheehan, a reporter for UPI and later the New York Times (for whom he obtained the Pentagon Papers). Sixteen years in the making, writing and re search, this compelling 768-page biography is an extraordinary feat of reportage: an eloquent, disturbing portrait of a man who in many ways personified the U.S. war effort. Blunt, idealistic, patronizing to the Vietnamese, Vann firmly believed the U.S. could win; as Sheehan limns him, he was ultimately caught up in his own illusions. The author weaves into one unified chronicle an account of the Korean War (in which Vann also fought), the story of U.S. support for French colonialism, descriptions of military battles, a critique of our foreign policy and a history of this all-American boy's secret personal liehe was illegitimate, his mother a ``white trash'' prostitutethat led him to recklessly gamble away his career. 100,000 first printing; first serial to the New Yorker; BOMC main selection ; a uthor tour. (October) From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Vann was a figure of legends, first as a military advisor and later as a civilian official, renowned for his bravery and special insight into and openness about the developing failure in Vietnam. He appeared to sacrifice his military career in 1963, demonstrating uncommon integrity, and died in 1972 after leading the successful defense of Kontum. Sheehan, the New York Times reporter who obtained the Pentagon Papers from Daniel Ellsberg, reveals a flawed herocapable of deceit in furthering his reputation and his cause and of insatiable sexual exploits that had already ended hopes of promotionbut still a remarkable man. More importantly, Vann serves as the anchor of a detailed, well-researched, very respectable, and readable attempt to explain the Vietnam experience. Excerpted in The New Yorker. Highly recommended. BMOC main selection.Kenneth W. Berger, Duke Univ. Lib., Durham, N.C. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Sheehan, a Vietnam War correspondent for United Press International and The New York Times, spent 16 years writing this book, and the final product clearly justifies the effort and wait. A Bright and Shining Lie is quite simply the best single book on the war in Vietnam, period. Sheehan brilliantly interweaves three fundamental strands: a readable and compelling history of the war; the crucial role of Lt. John Paul Vann as advisor, strategist, and "lobbyist" for American efforts in Vietnam; and a fascinating account of Vann's personal life. Vann's views of the war mirrored America's, as he moved from commitment to disillusionment with strategy and tactics, to blind faith in his ability to turn the war around. Beautifully written and filled with fascinating detail (including some superb descriptions of actual combat), this monumental work stands as a testament both to Sheehan and to Vann--who realized that the war was indeed a lie but was nonetheless drawn to it. Absolutely recommended for all libraries. -A. O. Edmonds, Ball State University From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

American journalist Cornelius Mahoney "Neil" Sheehan was born on October 27, 1936 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. In 1958 he received a B.A. from Harvard University. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1962, Sheehan began working for the United Press International. Following a stint in the Tokyo bureau he worked as a bureau chief covering the Vietnam War for two years. Sheehan joined The New York Times in 1964 and reported from Indonesia and again Vietnam before becoming the Pentagon correspondent in 1966. He began reporting on the White House in 1968.

In 1971 Sheehan published in The New York Times controversial details from the classified Pentagon Papers regarding the war in Vietnam. The government lost the resulting case, New York Times Co. v. United States, in which it had tried to halt these actions.

Sheehan has written several bestselling books. He won a non-fiction Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for A Bright Shining Lie, considered to be one of the best books ever written about the Vietnam War. He has also published The Arnheiter Affair, After the War Was Over, and A Fiery Peace in a Cold War.

(Bowker Author Biography) Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.