April 29, 2002
Part memoir, part historical narrative, part travelogue, part journalism, Lamb's worthy effort is a personality-driven look at Vietnam today. One of the personalities is Lamb himself. The veteran Los Angeles Times
correspondent is not shy about sharing his personal feelings. He offers details about his life covering the war in the 1960s and about his almost blissful four years working and living there from 1997 to 2001. "ife was good," Lamb says about his tour of duty in Hanoi, which he calls "a magical city, steeped in beauty and seductive charm, the last capital left possessing the romance of bygone Indochina." Lamb also has kind words for the Vietnamese people, whom he found to be gracious and friendly. His love for the Vietnamese, though, does not prevent Lamb from harshly condemning the strict Communists who run the country for their totalitarian sins, past and present. Lamb provides plenty of historical background, primarily about the American war, as he covers the expected gamut of issues. They include the impact of the war on the victorious Northerners and the defeated Southerners, the role of overseas Vietnamese, the American and Vietnamese MIA questions, the legacy of the war among American and Vietnamese veterans, and the state of U.S.-Vietnamese political relations. Much of this ground has been covered extensively in the media and in several other books. Lamb offers little new, except for his often perceptive personal observations based on his long journalistic experience and his on-the-ground experience covering Vietnam the war and Vietnam the country. B&w photos. (May)Forecast:This might resonate for readers of Nelson DeMille's bestselling novel
Up Country, which deals with much the same subject. It could also receive a boost when
Vietnam Passage: Journeys from War to Peace, a documentary by Lamb's wife, Sandy Northrop, and narrated by Lamb, airs on PBS stations on May 23.