NPR AMERICAN CHRONICLES: THE VIETNAM WAR

This eclectic assortment of NPR reports on the Vietnam War is neither a history nor even an organized overview, but more a series of impressions, many of them concerned with politics and the war's aftermath. As NPR's first broadcasts weren't until 1971, the program seems hampered by a lack of NPR material directly about the war. But there are contemporary clips ranging from the voices of President Lyndon Johnson and Defense Secretary Robert McNamara to that of a helicopter pilot just after duty, as well as later commentary by people directly involved. Despite a somewhat scattershot feel, the program is informative and interesting, and often compelling and moving. Narrator Audie Cornish occasionally seems to strain to inject emotion into her voice, but generally her introductions are clear, brief, and professional. A useful, often affecting, program. W.M. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2013]