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49th out of 135 books
—
210 voters
The Girl in the Picture: The Story of Kim Phuc, the Photograph, and the Vietnam War
by
Denise Chong
On June 8, 1972, nine-year-old Kim Phuc, severely burned by napalm, ran from her blazing village in South Vietnam and into the eye of history. Her photograph-one of the most unforgettable images of the twentieth century-was seen around the world and helped turn public opinion against the Vietnam War.
This book is the story of how that photograph came to be-and the story of...more
This book is the story of how that photograph came to be-and the story of...more
Paperback, 400 pages
Published
August 1st 2001
by Penguin Books
(first published 1900)
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I am glad that I read this book, but not necessarily because the writing was fantastic but more because it was interesting to know the story of the girl in the photo, to hear the perspective of a South Vietnamese girl living during the Vietnam War, and because we are getting ready to travel to Vietnam in a couple of weeks.
I was familiar with this photo before I read the book and remember being horrified by the faces of the children. This photo is haunting as it captures such a vivid moment of h...more
I was familiar with this photo before I read the book and remember being horrified by the faces of the children. This photo is haunting as it captures such a vivid moment of h...more
Ugh, just lost my big long review mid-type. Short version here now that I am ticked off:
-Liked this book a lot. Well written book about an interesting topic and person.
-Enjoyed learning more about Vietnam war in this manner; much more sticky in my brain from this story than what I may have been "taught" about it in school.
-Touched by Kim's personal journey. Innocence, pain, strength, struggle, forgiveness.
-Really made me think about the difference of the experience of "life" for people in differ...more
-Liked this book a lot. Well written book about an interesting topic and person.
-Enjoyed learning more about Vietnam war in this manner; much more sticky in my brain from this story than what I may have been "taught" about it in school.
-Touched by Kim's personal journey. Innocence, pain, strength, struggle, forgiveness.
-Really made me think about the difference of the experience of "life" for people in differ...more
The Girl in the Picture tells the true story of Kim Phuc, the nine year old Vietnamese girl who runs naked on a road after a Napalm attack on her village during the Vietnam War. This photo, taken by Nick Ut, is probably the most famous photo of the Vietnam War, one that had a great influence in making the public aware of the atrocities of the war, and in helping – in some way - to end it. This is a fascinating story, very sad at times, scary, depressing but also full of hope. Denise Chong has do...more
At first glance, The Girl in the Picture is the incredible and inspiring account of a young girl; a victim of war. Look a little closer, though, and you will find a powerful deconstruction of wartime politics and moving commentary about humanity itself. For the world to see a child running in terror from an earth-shaking explosion; to see her body and clothes burned away from the excruciatingly painful napalm boiling into her bones; to look straight into her eyes and identify with her humanity…...more
I'm torn between 2.5 and 3 stars.
I enjoyed some of the novel, Phuc's story is engrossing at times. The timeline of her family's history is used as a vehicle to narrate an historical novel detailing the Vietnam war and the tumultuous unrest that preceded and followed. In turns enthralling as a character tale and as a history lesson, I felt that there were times when one aspect would take away from the other. The balance was not there, for me. I am not partial to 'historical' novels; I need a cha...more
I enjoyed some of the novel, Phuc's story is engrossing at times. The timeline of her family's history is used as a vehicle to narrate an historical novel detailing the Vietnam war and the tumultuous unrest that preceded and followed. In turns enthralling as a character tale and as a history lesson, I felt that there were times when one aspect would take away from the other. The balance was not there, for me. I am not partial to 'historical' novels; I need a cha...more
I wish there was a star-ranking system that made clear the difference between thinking a book is generally mediocre and loving some parts and hating others.
The latter for this one. Many thoughts, and generally recommended if you're interested in the Vietnam War, communist societies, immigration, or photography.
What I loved about the book: it was a personal history that emphasized transitional points. I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking of Vietnam's history as a series of points, so inte...more
The latter for this one. Many thoughts, and generally recommended if you're interested in the Vietnam War, communist societies, immigration, or photography.
What I loved about the book: it was a personal history that emphasized transitional points. I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking of Vietnam's history as a series of points, so inte...more
Every American should read this book. Denise Chong has a way of telling a story that transcends barriers of race, nationality and religion and touches the human heart. It was very informative to me also to learn the history of Vietnam after the Americans left from the Vietnamese point of view.
Kim Phuc is an inspiration for us all. Reading her story can only make us more human and better at being a human. I don't see how anyone could not be touched by this story.
Everyone should read Denise. She i...more
Kim Phuc is an inspiration for us all. Reading her story can only make us more human and better at being a human. I don't see how anyone could not be touched by this story.
Everyone should read Denise. She i...more
This biographical work follows the life of Kim Phuc from the time she was badly burned in a napalm strike during the Vietnam war. If I learned anything from reading this, it's that the war in Vietnam was really a pointless struggle; it would have been better to have let the soldiers from the north take over the corrupt Saigon regime from the outset. Once securely in possession of the country, the communist regime could have started to implode through graft, corruption, and incompetence much soon...more
This was particularly interesting just having come from Vietnam. While Vietnam was a very moving experience of the first-hand effects of war, the propaganda information leaves a bit to be desired in terms of historical accuracy. Though I'm not defending American involvement in the war, I don't think it's quite fair to say that the US just came in and started bombing a peaceful, unified country (as the propaganda claims). They also claim, of course, that the Communist takeover left everyone happy...more
The photo of Kim Phuc running from her village horribly burned is one of those photos that just about everyone would have seen. It has been used widely by anti-war protestors and the communist government of Viet Nam in propaganda.
Sadly what is lost in the iconic image is that Kim Phuc is a real person. This is her story and it follows her life through her recovery and constant treatment of the medical issues brought on by her burns, to the way she has been manipulated and used as a tool for pro...more
Sadly what is lost in the iconic image is that Kim Phuc is a real person. This is her story and it follows her life through her recovery and constant treatment of the medical issues brought on by her burns, to the way she has been manipulated and used as a tool for pro...more
I read this in autumn of 2011 after visiting Vietnam.
Book is story of Kim Phuc, the 12 year old child burned by napalm. Family lived in village north of Saigon. Americans were friends by day, Viet Cong were friends by night.
Nick Ut was the photographer who took the photo. The photo won the Pulitzer Prize. For the VietCong, Kim became the poster child for the atrocities done by the Americans. As a result Kim's schooling was frequently interrupted so she went to medical school in Moscow. When sh...more
Book is story of Kim Phuc, the 12 year old child burned by napalm. Family lived in village north of Saigon. Americans were friends by day, Viet Cong were friends by night.
Nick Ut was the photographer who took the photo. The photo won the Pulitzer Prize. For the VietCong, Kim became the poster child for the atrocities done by the Americans. As a result Kim's schooling was frequently interrupted so she went to medical school in Moscow. When sh...more
Denise Chong's book has its strong points and its weaknesses. It weaves together smoothly and artfully the historical events with Kim Phuc's personal experiences and of those who played part in her life or in the birth of the famous picture. The book is very informative, a clever summary of Vietnam's recent past from the war years till the 90's. However I felt sometimes overwhelmed by the Christian ideological parts, and the manner how the protagonist took every help for granted, but every expec...more
Well researched, interesting story about Kim Phuc, a Vietnamese girl badly burned by napalm who's photo by Nick Ut of her running towards the viewer arms spread wide helped turn the American public against the war.
I sure knew this photo seeing it as a teenager at the time and many times since. It along with photos a Vietnamese officer shooting a Viet Cong in the head, and the last helicopter leaving the US embassy in Saigon are the classic photo's from the Vietnam War. It was prominently display...more
I sure knew this photo seeing it as a teenager at the time and many times since. It along with photos a Vietnamese officer shooting a Viet Cong in the head, and the last helicopter leaving the US embassy in Saigon are the classic photo's from the Vietnam War. It was prominently display...more
This was a very interesting book. I enjoyed it very much. It gave a very informative, emphatic and deep insight into what life is like under war and a communist regime. It makes me sad to think that there are parts of the world where fighting and brutality go for very long periods of time. The journey that Kim Phuc was was an extraordinary one and the book showed how she tried to be so resilient, but felt herself being crushed so many times. While a lot of people say the communists were using he...more
During a rainy afternoon while in Vietnam, specifically in Nga Trang, a boy of 12-ish sold me this book while I drank at Crazy Kim's Bar. Crazy Kim's is a bar designed to support an effort to keep children away from pedophiles. Ironically, the bar has a full menu including spa treatments, blowjobs (shots), and pink pussies (shots), with youths serving the patrons. I was astonished, but supportive of the cause Kim was trying to produce. Pictures of the menu can be found in my travel blog: www.iso...more
Difficult in some parts to read as a Vietnam Vet's kid. There is a decent brief history of the Vietnam conflict and Kim's life is fascinating. The writing itself is not very good. The author's most irritating tactic is to hit the reader over the head, many times with the author's point of view. So, in reading this book, there is not an unbiased history or biography. Mostly, the story compensates. It is definitely worth knowing about Kim's life. Wish this had been in the hands of a better writer.
Aug 02, 2011
Jacquelyn
added it
Denise Chong has done it again. The Girl in the Picture is a compelling account of the brutality of the Vietnam War. Chong details the life of an young girl who was injured in the war and used by the Communist Government as a form of propaganda. Chong has done extensive research for this novel and it shows in the details that are incorporated in this biography. A must read for anyone interested in modern military history. Phuc's story is one of hardship and triumph.
A satisfying and often gripping account of the life of Phan Thi Kim Phuc, whom you would recognize in Nick Ut's famous AP photo as the naked Vietnamese girl running down the road screaming after a misplaced napalm attack on her village. What is most striking about her life story is the set of coincidences, random conjunctions, and slight shifts in policy or practice that took her from the obscurity of the unknown victim of war to a UNESCO spokesperson. In many ways, the book is a testament to th...more
This is the story of Kim Phuc, the little girl in the Pulitzer Prize winning photo of the little girl who was hit by napalm during the Vietnam War. The author gives you the details of her life before and after the war, putting it in the larger historical context of Vietnam. Being in that photograph changed the lives of her whole family, and Phuc/Kim (depending on what stage of her life you read about) was both privileged and burdened by the attention she received, and continued to receive long a...more
The writing was factual, a little dry, but I forged on because of all I was learning about the war that happened as I grew up. In the 60's and 70's I really had no understanding of why it was going on. I'm not sure I understand much more of why, but it was interesting to read about the daily life of Phuc and her family at that time. I vividly remember seeing "the picture" for the first time, and it probably affects me even more today because of my Vietnamese-American grandchildren. I've heard of...more
The story of Kim Phuk is fascinating on several counts. What it explains to Americans who want to know the experience of mainstream Vietnamese after the war is one thing. How it traces the personal life of Kim Phuk is another, but both subjects held my interest through the book.
While we often look down upon the political structures of the non-democratic world, there are people in this story that remind us that people of good character still make benevolent impacts--regardless of where they live,...more
While we often look down upon the political structures of the non-democratic world, there are people in this story that remind us that people of good character still make benevolent impacts--regardless of where they live,...more
What an experience, to follow the story of the war through the story of the girl who suffered from napalm. I felt I was living with the family whose gentle and self-sustaining life was ripped open by the American War, as many Vietnamese call it. Since jI was ust in Vietnam, all was vivid, in terms of setting and some of the particulars.
This was a hard read for me. It was hard to read about the pain she went through and difficult to understand all the info about the Vietnam war. She has an interesting story but the hardest part was so much about the Vietnam War. While I realize I should know and want to understand more, it was a difficult war to understand.
An extraordinarily painful story to read, this sheds light on the Vietnam War from the perspective of one of the child casualties of the fighting. Chong does a remarkable job allowing the reader to experience Phuc's pain. It does slow down near the end, and lose some steam, but a remarkable book nonetheless.
An incredible insight not only of a girl, Kim Phuc, who was at the wrong place at really the wrong time; but an incredible and personal look at the Vietnamese culture and climate.
For a historical novel it is written with depth and understanding and really is a book that is difficult to put down.
For a historical novel it is written with depth and understanding and really is a book that is difficult to put down.
Amazing book. I have such a better understanding of the Vietnam war and Vietnamese people. I am struck by how much politics effects the lives of innocent people, as well as the power of media over lives. If we could only harness the power of media for positive change rather than politics!
Apr 24, 2010
Dianne McKenzie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
autobiography,
courage,
identity,
life-choices,
non-fiction,
oppressive-government,
war,
young-person
After visiting vietnam recently I bought this book to read. It is a compelling personal history of one victim of not only the war in Vietnam war, but of the government after the war. Could not put it down and gave me so much insight into why Vietnamese people wanted to flee their beautiful country.
I read this book after a patient I had recommended it. Kim Phuc was actually speaking at her church that weekend she was in the ER. I liked reading the parts about the picture and of her journey but did not like the war history parts. I dont like reading historical novels.
Sep 19, 2007
Abby
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people interested in Viet Nam and the war
The premise of the book is describing the family history and life of Kim Phuc in the famous picture of the Vietnamese war, naked and screaming as she ran down the road after being drenched with Napalm from a SVA plane. My book group read this book and I was pleasantly surprised. It really captured what I felt about the landscape in Viet Nam and presented history in a non-threatening, enlivened way. I am ashamed to admit how little I understand about the Vietnamese (American) war although I partl...more
If you've gone to Vietnam or are planning to, this book is a must. While it gives a lot of background about Vietnamese culture and the Vietnam War, it is made much richer and more interesting with the story of Kim Phuc.
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Denise Chong, writer, public servant, political advisor (b at Vancouver, BC 9 June 1953). Denise Chong, a third-generation Canadian of Chinese descent, grew up in Prince George. She earned a BA in Economics at the University of British Columbia (1975) and an MA in Economics and Public Policy at the University of Toronto (1978). Chong began her writing career as a journalist on the Ubyssey, the UBC...more
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09 avr. 20:37