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Voices from the Plain of Jars: Life under an Air War
During the Vietnam War the United States government waged a massive, secret air war in neighboring Laos. Two million tons of bombs were dropped on one million people. Fred Branfman, an educational advisor living in Laos at the time, interviewed over 1,000 Laotian survivors. Shocked by what he heard and saw, he urged them to record their experiences in essays, poems, and pictures. Voices from the Plain of Jars was the result of that effort.
When first published in 1972, this book was instrumental in exposing the bombing. In this expanded edition, Branfman follows the story forward in time, describing the hardships that Laotians faced after the war when they returned to find their farm fields littered with cluster munitions—explosives that continue to maim and kill today.
When first published in 1972, this book was instrumental in exposing the bombing. In this expanded edition, Branfman follows the story forward in time, describing the hardships that Laotians faced after the war when they returned to find their farm fields littered with cluster munitions—explosives that continue to maim and kill today.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 30, 2013
What every American should know - the real side of war
On the Plain of Jars, the saturation bombing that took place was a deliberate scorched earth policy to depopulate an area of innocent peasants, a cold-hearted, calculated targeting of civilians, the majority of whom were women and children.
Voices from the Plain of Jars is probably the most significant commentary about what happened, because it is straight from the mouths of the Laotian people who had gone through that horrible experience. This book was one of the key documents exposing the unauthorized military conflict, and led to Congress eventually becoming aware of the secret war that had been going on for years.
This is the book that opened my own eyes, as it highlights the innocence and bewilderment of simple people caught up in a Cold War conflict that they could not possibly comprehend.
Voices from the Plain of Jars shows exactly what it means to wage modern warfare, where the battlefields are no longer open fields, but the homes of blameless civilians who get caught in the middle.
On the Plain of Jars, the saturation bombing that took place was a deliberate scorched earth policy to depopulate an area of innocent peasants, a cold-hearted, calculated targeting of civilians, the majority of whom were women and children.
Voices from the Plain of Jars is probably the most significant commentary about what happened, because it is straight from the mouths of the Laotian people who had gone through that horrible experience. This book was one of the key documents exposing the unauthorized military conflict, and led to Congress eventually becoming aware of the secret war that had been going on for years.
This is the book that opened my own eyes, as it highlights the innocence and bewilderment of simple people caught up in a Cold War conflict that they could not possibly comprehend.
Voices from the Plain of Jars shows exactly what it means to wage modern warfare, where the battlefields are no longer open fields, but the homes of blameless civilians who get caught in the middle.
July 31, 2023
Such an important book which shed light on the US ‘Secret War’ in Laos, which few people know is the most heavily bombed country in the world. By 1973 the US Air Force dropped 2.1 million tons of bombs in Laos, one of the world’s poorest countries - more bombs than the US dropped during the whole of WW2.
I think it must be the only account of the war written and drawn by the farmers and villagers impacted.
The introduction is fascinating and reveals just how hard the US worked to keep the air war a secret from the press, congress and the public, knowing the backlash it would receive at home.
Interviews with US pilots show how they didn’t think twice about targeting civilians, who were bombed continuously day and night for 9 years and were forced to live in holes in the ground - coming out to farm their fields in the dead of night.
After travelling in Laos I’ve learnt how the millions of unexploded cluster bombs are still killing and maiming people today. This book is a must if travelling here.
I think it must be the only account of the war written and drawn by the farmers and villagers impacted.
The introduction is fascinating and reveals just how hard the US worked to keep the air war a secret from the press, congress and the public, knowing the backlash it would receive at home.
Interviews with US pilots show how they didn’t think twice about targeting civilians, who were bombed continuously day and night for 9 years and were forced to live in holes in the ground - coming out to farm their fields in the dead of night.
After travelling in Laos I’ve learnt how the millions of unexploded cluster bombs are still killing and maiming people today. This book is a must if travelling here.
May 8, 2025
Originally published in 1972 to show the world what was happening in Laos, a country we were not at war with, this book lacks any form of narrative structure but is rather a collection of first person accounts. It is deeply moving and extremely informative. It’s hard to look away from or discredit primary sources such as this. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone as a reference, but honestly it feels masochistic to read the whole thing. The introduction and any single story in there is sufficient to understand the depravity of war. Especially one waged against the innocent
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May 8, 2025I think the content of this book is incredibly important and everyone should learn more about this dark period in American history. However, I can’t really say I enjoyed reading this book.
November 26, 2007
Stories and drawings by Laotian children and adults of the Viet Nam war which was happening in their backyards. Gut-wrenching. If you're not anti-war after reading this, you're dead.
October 8, 2022
Honestly a hard one to rate; an important book and one unlike any other. The stories within are heartbreaking, but also rather repetitive. Still, glad it exists.
August 2, 2023
The most moving history book I’ve ever read. Banfman deserves huge credit for the lengths that he went to collect (and translate) the evidence and the various ways he presented it in America
Sadly, Banfman’s foresight on American military strategies was proven right in Iraq and Afghanistan, and there are still more than 70 countries that refuse to sign the treaty banning cluster bombs - also worth noting that the UK had signed but violated the treaty by stockpiling bombs for the US (WikiLeaks)
Sadly, Banfman’s foresight on American military strategies was proven right in Iraq and Afghanistan, and there are still more than 70 countries that refuse to sign the treaty banning cluster bombs - also worth noting that the UK had signed but violated the treaty by stockpiling bombs for the US (WikiLeaks)
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May 8, 2025This is important journalism and there’s clearly not enough documented about this time in history. Classic USA being the sneaky villains and never being held accountable :/
That being said - it did not follow any sort of narrative structure that typically draws me into a non-fiction story. I would have loved to see the interviews woven together in contrast with interviews with the pilots themselves.
That being said - it did not follow any sort of narrative structure that typically draws me into a non-fiction story. I would have loved to see the interviews woven together in contrast with interviews with the pilots themselves.
June 4, 2023
Informative, emotional reading
December 22, 2024
My uncle may have been involved in this area of Laos during Vietnam
October 2, 2024
Growing up we all learn the terror of the Nazis or the tyrannical actions of the British Government against the American colonies. If we are lucky, we may even get a passing lesson on the Vietnam War (never how it was an unjustified US invasion). However, we will almost never learn about the atrocities committed by the US government. Even in my Catholic school, where they taught us about American massacres of Native Americans and African slaves, they never touched on the bombing of Laos. Its horrifying to know that without Branfmans interviews, we would probably never know the truly barbarous actions the US military played in a country we were not even at war with. History is a way to give a voice to those who can no longer speak for themselves, it's a way to warn future generations so that massacres and injustices will not be repeated. Voices from the Plain of Jars does that and more.
I think its everyone's duty to at least know what happened to this people by our country, in our name.
I think its everyone's duty to at least know what happened to this people by our country, in our name.
November 17, 2014
The most important book about the Vietnam War ever written. 2.1 million tons of munitions were dropped on Laos between 1965 and 1973 in an illegal and secret war waged entirely by the Executive branch. An air-war where American gunships deliberately targeted children, women, villages, schools, pagodas, farm animals, men working fields and other bewildered innocents. Napalm and cluster bombs were used so relentlessly and for so long that the plain is uninhabitable today and still kills people some 40 years after the last bomb was dropped. Read the stories of the survivors who endured.
June 27, 2011
You can get this in Vientiane, Laos at the COPE Center - they make limbs for victims of unexploded ordinance - in a new edition.
It's a brutal read. The introductory section feels preachy, but it doesn't take anything away from the heartbreaking first-hand accounts within.
It's a brutal read. The introductory section feels preachy, but it doesn't take anything away from the heartbreaking first-hand accounts within.
April 23, 2017
This book is really hard to read due to the heartbreaking content. It's an important read for those of us who didn't learn about this side of the war in school. I think the book was well researched but I'm no way do I "love" this book. I just think it's important to know what happened. Reading this book could possibly motivate some people to help.
April 26, 2017
An extraordinary book, painful to read and fully process, it documents the US bombing of Laos during the Vietnam War. Essays and drawings are by Laotian villagers.
“By April 1973, the Air Force had dropped an estimated 2.1 million tons of bombs on Laos, which was equivalent to the entire tonnage the United States dropped on industrialized Germany and Japan during the whole of World War II….But some 321,000 tons, twice the bombardment of Japan during World War II, were dropped on the Plain of Jars region in northeastern Laos, a populated area with some 200,000 people and the site of the ancient Lao Pheun civilization.” pp. xii-xiii
This aerial bombing served as a template for subsequent wars our country has waged.
“By the time this bombing campaign drew to a close in 1973, the Air Force had overturned one of modern warfare’s fundamental axioms by showing, for the first time, that airpower alone had the capacity to take hold of terrain without any infantry on the ground. Achieving this tactical breakthrough required a massive bombardment of unequalled intensity that was delivered without concern for collateral damage visited on the ordinary villagers below.” p. xiv
“My village stood on the edge of the road from Xieng Khouang to the Plain of Jars. There were rice fields next to the road. At first, the airplanes bombed the road, but not my village. At that time my life was filled with great happiness, for the mountains and forests were beautiful: land, water, and climate were suitable for us. And there were many homes in our little village. But that did not last long, because the airplanes came bombing my rice field until the bomb craters made farming impossible. And the village was hit and burned. And some relatives working in the fields came running out to the road to return to the village but the airplanes saw and shot them – killing these farmers in a most heart-rending manner….” – thirteen-year-old youth p. 49
“By April 1973, the Air Force had dropped an estimated 2.1 million tons of bombs on Laos, which was equivalent to the entire tonnage the United States dropped on industrialized Germany and Japan during the whole of World War II….But some 321,000 tons, twice the bombardment of Japan during World War II, were dropped on the Plain of Jars region in northeastern Laos, a populated area with some 200,000 people and the site of the ancient Lao Pheun civilization.” pp. xii-xiii
This aerial bombing served as a template for subsequent wars our country has waged.
“By the time this bombing campaign drew to a close in 1973, the Air Force had overturned one of modern warfare’s fundamental axioms by showing, for the first time, that airpower alone had the capacity to take hold of terrain without any infantry on the ground. Achieving this tactical breakthrough required a massive bombardment of unequalled intensity that was delivered without concern for collateral damage visited on the ordinary villagers below.” p. xiv
“My village stood on the edge of the road from Xieng Khouang to the Plain of Jars. There were rice fields next to the road. At first, the airplanes bombed the road, but not my village. At that time my life was filled with great happiness, for the mountains and forests were beautiful: land, water, and climate were suitable for us. And there were many homes in our little village. But that did not last long, because the airplanes came bombing my rice field until the bomb craters made farming impossible. And the village was hit and burned. And some relatives working in the fields came running out to the road to return to the village but the airplanes saw and shot them – killing these farmers in a most heart-rending manner….” – thirteen-year-old youth p. 49
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews