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Done in a Day: Telex from the Fall of Saigon
A searing reflection on the last day of the Vietnam War and the beginning of the end of foreign reporting in the nation’s daily newspapers.
Done in a Day turns on a single the April 30, 1975, departure of the last helicopter evacuating civilians from the rooftop of the US embassy in Saigon. Elisa Tamarkin’s interest in that helicopter begins with the fact that her stepfather, Bob Tamarkin, the Saigon bureau chief for the Chicago Daily News, was on it—the last American correspondent to leave Saigon as it fell. His report was filed from a naval ship on the South China Sea at a time when no other telexes were going through.
Now, more than fifty years later, Tamarkin offers a social and cultural autopsy of that moment, based in personal history but vividly unfolding amid the vast documentation of America’s obvious defeat, which never seemed to register even as it got out, in the writings of journalists and essayists, in the backchannel cables between US ambassador Graham Martin and Henry Kissinger, in congressional hearings, and in photographs of the war’s end. The story is also set against the imminent disappearance of war coverage in city newspapers—and of the newspapers themselves—once proud, in the words of the Chicago Daily News, of bringing readers the “literature of the day” that was “done in a day.”
Done in a Day braids history, criticism, and memoir to tell the paired stories of Saigon’s liberation and the demise of the news. The result is a haunting essay about all that ended in a day—and about what it means to recognize and to write about endings even as we live through them.
Done in a Day turns on a single the April 30, 1975, departure of the last helicopter evacuating civilians from the rooftop of the US embassy in Saigon. Elisa Tamarkin’s interest in that helicopter begins with the fact that her stepfather, Bob Tamarkin, the Saigon bureau chief for the Chicago Daily News, was on it—the last American correspondent to leave Saigon as it fell. His report was filed from a naval ship on the South China Sea at a time when no other telexes were going through.
Now, more than fifty years later, Tamarkin offers a social and cultural autopsy of that moment, based in personal history but vividly unfolding amid the vast documentation of America’s obvious defeat, which never seemed to register even as it got out, in the writings of journalists and essayists, in the backchannel cables between US ambassador Graham Martin and Henry Kissinger, in congressional hearings, and in photographs of the war’s end. The story is also set against the imminent disappearance of war coverage in city newspapers—and of the newspapers themselves—once proud, in the words of the Chicago Daily News, of bringing readers the “literature of the day” that was “done in a day.”
Done in a Day braids history, criticism, and memoir to tell the paired stories of Saigon’s liberation and the demise of the news. The result is a haunting essay about all that ended in a day—and about what it means to recognize and to write about endings even as we live through them.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
320 pages, Hardcover
Published April 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 23, 2026
4.5 stars
Done in a Day: Telex from the Fall of Saigon is a thoughtful and intimate look at a pivotal historical moment through a deeply personal lens. Elisa Tamarkin beautifully weaves together her family’s story with the role of newspapers during the final days of the Vietnam War, and I found that perspective especially compelling. The behind the scenes look at how news was gathered, transmitted, and experienced in real time.
I will say I went in hoping for a bit more traditional historical context, especially surrounding the events leading up to the fall of Saigon, like Operation Babylift and other key moments. Still, what the book does, it does very well. It captures the intersection of personal memories and history in a powerful way, making it a rewarding read despite my personal wish for more historical depth.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
Done in a Day: Telex from the Fall of Saigon is a thoughtful and intimate look at a pivotal historical moment through a deeply personal lens. Elisa Tamarkin beautifully weaves together her family’s story with the role of newspapers during the final days of the Vietnam War, and I found that perspective especially compelling. The behind the scenes look at how news was gathered, transmitted, and experienced in real time.
I will say I went in hoping for a bit more traditional historical context, especially surrounding the events leading up to the fall of Saigon, like Operation Babylift and other key moments. Still, what the book does, it does very well. It captures the intersection of personal memories and history in a powerful way, making it a rewarding read despite my personal wish for more historical depth.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
May 13, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
another smash hit from the new yorker’s recommendation list. as someone who wants to be a foreign correspondent and who’s always been intrigued by the vietnam war even though she doesn’t have any sort of historical expertise on the matter, this book was fascinating.
it is not only a historical account of the fall of saigon but also a post mortem autopsy on foreign reporting and a philosophical reflection on the effects of the vietnam war in our understanding of world news.
my only criticism would be that, at least for the few chapters, the writing was too dense and hard to follow, but my understanding did progress throughout the book.
would recommend.
another smash hit from the new yorker’s recommendation list. as someone who wants to be a foreign correspondent and who’s always been intrigued by the vietnam war even though she doesn’t have any sort of historical expertise on the matter, this book was fascinating.
it is not only a historical account of the fall of saigon but also a post mortem autopsy on foreign reporting and a philosophical reflection on the effects of the vietnam war in our understanding of world news.
my only criticism would be that, at least for the few chapters, the writing was too dense and hard to follow, but my understanding did progress throughout the book.
would recommend.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews