Dispatches by Michael Herr - 4 stars

[Joy D]

Dispatches by Michael Herr - 4* - My Review

Dispatches is Michael Herr's 1977 memoir that documents his time as a war correspondent in Vietnam from 1967-1969. It is a work of journalism that weaves together vivid scenes of combat zones, conversations with soldiers, and other local experiences. Herr moved to different locations at or near where troops were stationed, such as Khe Sanh, the DMZ, and Saigon. He embeds himself with these military units, witnessing everything from intense firefights to dull downtime between missions. He reveals his own psychological concerns and worries about becoming acclimated to adrenaline-fueled situations and the brutalities of war. He employs a colloquial style and effectively captures the language of the soldiers he interviewed. The central focus is the dehumanizing effect of war. The book also probes the disconnect between official narratives and ground-level reality. It vividly captures the Vietnam experience in a way that seems very authentic to me.