Vietnam Illustrated

This superbly produced illustrated edition of Paul Ham's award-winning book offers an equally powerful and moving visual record of the Australian war in Vietnam this superbly produced illustrated edition of Paul Ham's award-winning Vietnam: the Australian War creates an equally powerful pictorial record of this epic story with some of the most memorable, shocking and rare images of the war. Above all, it captures in unforgettable images the little-reported 'Australian war' and sets this extraordinary visual legacy in its proper context by sharing the stories behind the photographs.Not only are the big Australian battles - at Long tan, Coral and Balmoral - brought to light, but also the struggle at home and how politicians of all stripes utterly failed the troops, almost half of who were conscripted on the throw of a dice. thousands of servicemen returned to Australia to be met with hostility or indifference.

Having voted overwhelmingly to send the soldier to war, the Australian people then turned and condemned him for going. Whatever one's view of the war, the Australian soldiers, sailors and airmen did their duty - with courage and, in the main, restraint. Indeed, as this classic account shows, the Australian people shared responsibility for this tragic episode that sealed the fate of 50,000 servicemen and women.this is their story - told for the first time using some of the finest photographs of the longest major war of the 20th century. Paul Ham is the author of the highly acclaimed Kokoda (HarperCollins 2004), which was shortlisted for the Walkley Award for Non-Fiction.

He co-wrote and appeared in the ABC's two-part documentary based on this book, which for the first time took a camera crew along the full length of the Kokoda track.

In 2008, his second book, Vietnam: An Australian War, won the NSW Premier's History Award and was shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Non-Fiction, the Walkley Award, 'the Nib' CAL Waverley Library Award and the Queensland Premier's Literary Award.

He is also the Australia correspondent of the London Sunday times.

Born and educated in Australia, he lives in Sydney, having spent several years working in Britain as a journalist and publisher.

He has a Masters in Economic History from the London School of Economics. 'It is the very comprehensiveness of Paul Ham's blockbuster on Vietnam that is both enticing and chilling to the core ...' tim Fischer, the Australian