The Sorrow of War

Kien searches the Jungle of Screaming Souls to recover the dead, haunted by the day in 1969 when napalm destroyed his battalion. He knows the area well – this was where, in the dry season of 1969, his battalion was obliterated by American napalm and helicopter gunfire. Kien was one of only ten survivors. This book is his attempt to understand the eleven years of his life he gave to the Vietnam War. Drawing on Bao Ninh’s own service in the North Vietnamese army, The Sorrow of War reveals the lasting psychological cost of survival.

Kien searches the Jungle of Screaming Souls to recover the dead, haunted by the day in 1969 when napalm destroyed his battalion. He knows the area well – this was where, in the dry season of 1969, his battalion was obliterated by American napalm and helicopter gunfire. Kien was one of only ten survivors. This book is his attempt to understand the eleven years of his life he gave to the Vietnam War. Drawing on Bao Ninh’s own service in the North Vietnamese army, The Sorrow of War reveals the lasting psychological cost of survival.

Based on the true experiences of Bao Ninh and banned by the communist party, The Sorrow of War is revered as the ‘ All Quiet on the Western Front for our era’. Kien’s job is to search the Jungle of Screaming Souls for corpses. He knows the area well – this was where, in the dry season of 1969, his battalion was obliterated by American napalm and helicopter gunfire. Kien was one of only ten survivors. This book is his attempt to understand the eleven years of his life he gave to a senseless war. 'A book about writing, about lost youth, it is also a beautiful agonising love story... a magnificent achievement' Independent TRANSLATED BY FRANK PALMOS AND PHAN THANH HAO This series of war novels from Vintage Classics presents eight powerful stories about the horror and waste of war - each a passionate plea to prevent its repetition.

Based on the true experiences of Bao Ninh and banned by the communist party, The Sorrow of War is revered as the ‘ All Quiet on the Western Front for our era’. Kien’s job is to search the Jungle of Screaming Souls for corpses. He knows the area well – this was where, in the dry season of 1969, his battalion was obliterated by American napalm and helicopter gunfire. Kien was one of only ten survivors. This book is his attempt to understand the eleven years of his life he gave to a senseless war. 'A book about writing, about lost youth, it is also a beautiful agonising love story... a magnificent achievement' Independent TRANSLATED BY FRANK PALMOS AND PHAN THANH HAO This series of war novels from Vintage Classics presents eight powerful stories about the horror and waste of war - each a passionate plea to prevent its repetition.