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My Lai 4: A Report on the Massacre and Its Aftermath
The story of the Vietnam war atrocity as told by Pulitzer winning journalist Seymour M. Hersh who traveled more than 50,000 miles around the United States and interviewed nearly fifty members of Charlie Company to write this book.
210 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1970
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About the author
Seymour M. Hersh
35 books449 followersSeymour (Sy) Myron Hersh is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and author based in Washington, D.C. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine on military and security matters. He has also won two National Magazine Awards and is a "five-time Polk winner and recipient of the 2004 George Orwell Award."
He first gained worldwide recognition in 1969 for exposing the My Lai Massacre and its cover-up during the Vietnam War, for which he received the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. His 2004 reports on the US military's mistreatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison gained much attention.
He first gained worldwide recognition in 1969 for exposing the My Lai Massacre and its cover-up during the Vietnam War, for which he received the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. His 2004 reports on the US military's mistreatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison gained much attention.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 27, 2022
Note: I see that here on Goodreads Seymour Hersh's two books about the My Lai Massacre, MY LAI 4 and COVER-UP, are listed as different editions of the same book. This is inaccurate and should be corrected by a librarian.
In MY LAI 4, Hersh accounts for the My Lai massacre itself and then dedicates one chapter respectively to its aftermath, Ridenhour's exposé, and the investigation of the Peers Commission. I found that there is little to argue against in Hersh's book, and just as little to praise in it, because it lacks any substance whatsoever.
I could have criticized the fact that Hersh makes his pro-Communist bias obvious at times, but this issue is not as glaring. As a journalist, Hersh sought to appeal to the American people's sentiments, and in the turbulent 1960s and early 1970s, the Vietnam conflict made public sympathies lean more towards the left than the American government. This is rather sensationalist of Hersh and deprives his narrative of the objectivity of a historical work. However, this is a minor issue compared to the main problem that his book faces: a complete absence of analysis. Hersh somehow managed to write a whole book in the style of a newspaper column. He gives clear answers to the what?, when?, and where? of the situation, but does not even attempt to address the most important of all main questions – the why?
The counterargument to my complaint will be that I am judging Hersh from the perspective of a modern reader, while the importance of his work lies in the fact that he was the one to break the story of My Lai in his cable that was filed through Dispatch News Service and picked up by more than thirty newspapers. This is true – the value of his contribution is not unquestionable. However, I am also taking into account the fact that Hersh travelled 50,000 miles in Vietnam and interviewed almost every member of Charlie Company. This was extensive fieldwork that yielded a wealth of firsthand materiel. It genuinely baffles me how he could base his narrative on such a source and still produce a shallow book. It is not about his not having access to the documents that modern historians use, it is about him not making use of what he had. I wonder if he did not have the analytical ability to piece together a more insightful account. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. caller Hersh one of the most naive journalists that he knew. I think that this naivety might have stemmed precisely from this inability to analyze and see the bigger picture.
For instance, Hersh presents what I can classify as one of the most listless portrayals of Charlie Company that I have ever read. He does describe Medina as an able but cruel commander, Calley was the incapable "swetheart" officer, and the men as a bunch of veteran infantrymen who thought of themselves as an elite unit. Where are the atrocity-producing conditions, though? In January 1968, during the Tet Offensive, the men of Charlie Company were deeply traumatized because they lost over half of their men. Later the same year they mourned the death of a beloved platoon leader. For someone who had interviewed those men and had hurt their stories of suffering, heartbreak, and anger, Hersh remains surprisingly indifferent to their plight. It is true that pitying war criminals too much is not right either, but Hersh seems to have assumed a firmly hostile attitude toward them.
He also does not bother to dive deeper into the relationship between Medina, Calley, and Charlie's men. He mentions that Medina encouraged the soldiers to murder whomever they saw first and inquire whether he or she was actually a Viet Cong later, but he does not discuss the fact that Medina was one of the reasons the unit's discipline degraded because he actively encouraged tensions and conflicts among the men. Furthermore, his dismissive attitude toward Lieutenant Calley, whom he called "sweetheart", was what made the men lose respect in Calley, and as is well known, when the men do not respect their commander, they are prone to do things he had not ordered. Hersh does not make the connection here. Instead, he dwells on whether "sweetheart" was simply a nickname or actually demonstrated what Medina thought of the second lieutenant.
I also did not like Hersh's depiction of the massacre itself. Considering that he had spoken to so many participants, I have no doubt that he could have written a more detailed and engaging account of the atrocities. He does not do a horrible job, but the chapters dedicated to the massacre read like summaries. The modern reader would not be satisfied if he or she has read other accounts of the event.
MY LAI 4 is a mediocre account of the My Lai massacre. Hersh does not analyze the reasons behind the atrocity, although he had enough materiel to at least suggest what sent Charlie Company over the edge and into a killing spree. This book is a more of a monument to Hersh's well-known exposé of My Lai than an academically valuable study.
In MY LAI 4, Hersh accounts for the My Lai massacre itself and then dedicates one chapter respectively to its aftermath, Ridenhour's exposé, and the investigation of the Peers Commission. I found that there is little to argue against in Hersh's book, and just as little to praise in it, because it lacks any substance whatsoever.
I could have criticized the fact that Hersh makes his pro-Communist bias obvious at times, but this issue is not as glaring. As a journalist, Hersh sought to appeal to the American people's sentiments, and in the turbulent 1960s and early 1970s, the Vietnam conflict made public sympathies lean more towards the left than the American government. This is rather sensationalist of Hersh and deprives his narrative of the objectivity of a historical work. However, this is a minor issue compared to the main problem that his book faces: a complete absence of analysis. Hersh somehow managed to write a whole book in the style of a newspaper column. He gives clear answers to the what?, when?, and where? of the situation, but does not even attempt to address the most important of all main questions – the why?
The counterargument to my complaint will be that I am judging Hersh from the perspective of a modern reader, while the importance of his work lies in the fact that he was the one to break the story of My Lai in his cable that was filed through Dispatch News Service and picked up by more than thirty newspapers. This is true – the value of his contribution is not unquestionable. However, I am also taking into account the fact that Hersh travelled 50,000 miles in Vietnam and interviewed almost every member of Charlie Company. This was extensive fieldwork that yielded a wealth of firsthand materiel. It genuinely baffles me how he could base his narrative on such a source and still produce a shallow book. It is not about his not having access to the documents that modern historians use, it is about him not making use of what he had. I wonder if he did not have the analytical ability to piece together a more insightful account. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. caller Hersh one of the most naive journalists that he knew. I think that this naivety might have stemmed precisely from this inability to analyze and see the bigger picture.
For instance, Hersh presents what I can classify as one of the most listless portrayals of Charlie Company that I have ever read. He does describe Medina as an able but cruel commander, Calley was the incapable "swetheart" officer, and the men as a bunch of veteran infantrymen who thought of themselves as an elite unit. Where are the atrocity-producing conditions, though? In January 1968, during the Tet Offensive, the men of Charlie Company were deeply traumatized because they lost over half of their men. Later the same year they mourned the death of a beloved platoon leader. For someone who had interviewed those men and had hurt their stories of suffering, heartbreak, and anger, Hersh remains surprisingly indifferent to their plight. It is true that pitying war criminals too much is not right either, but Hersh seems to have assumed a firmly hostile attitude toward them.
He also does not bother to dive deeper into the relationship between Medina, Calley, and Charlie's men. He mentions that Medina encouraged the soldiers to murder whomever they saw first and inquire whether he or she was actually a Viet Cong later, but he does not discuss the fact that Medina was one of the reasons the unit's discipline degraded because he actively encouraged tensions and conflicts among the men. Furthermore, his dismissive attitude toward Lieutenant Calley, whom he called "sweetheart", was what made the men lose respect in Calley, and as is well known, when the men do not respect their commander, they are prone to do things he had not ordered. Hersh does not make the connection here. Instead, he dwells on whether "sweetheart" was simply a nickname or actually demonstrated what Medina thought of the second lieutenant.
I also did not like Hersh's depiction of the massacre itself. Considering that he had spoken to so many participants, I have no doubt that he could have written a more detailed and engaging account of the atrocities. He does not do a horrible job, but the chapters dedicated to the massacre read like summaries. The modern reader would not be satisfied if he or she has read other accounts of the event.
MY LAI 4 is a mediocre account of the My Lai massacre. Hersh does not analyze the reasons behind the atrocity, although he had enough materiel to at least suggest what sent Charlie Company over the edge and into a killing spree. This book is a more of a monument to Hersh's well-known exposé of My Lai than an academically valuable study.
March 1, 2019
Investigative journalist Hersh made one of his earliest splashes documenting the My Lai atrocity at the height of the Vietnam War; this short, angry book summarizes his research and findings. Unfortunately for modern readers, it's a leftist polemic that spends as much time trashing the American military (whether infantrymen, junior officers or top brass) as exploring the specific incident in question, which will undoubtedly prove off-putting to readers looking for a clear-eyed history. Nonetheless, Hersh's reconstruction of the massacre is appropriately harrowing, watching GI's harried by combat and angry at an untraceable enemy venting their rage against innocent Vietnamese; there's also much time devoted to the government cover-up and the media's shameful acquiescence, which is almost as interesting. How much the book's slanted, hectoring tone will irk you depends on your politics or tolerance for such ramblings. A decent starting point, but far more objective and better-written works on this seminal war crime exist.
May 31, 2008
Hersh synthesizes a mountain of primary and secondary sources in this 1970 survey of the My Lai massacre. His account is clear, thorough and readable, and it made me a bit ill. Because it came out before the trial was over, I had to do some googling to find out how it turned out. Not surprisingly, politics and public outcry came into play, everybody walked, and justice wasn't served. Awesome.
The incident reminded me of Nick Broomfield's recent film, Battle of Haditha (and seeing the film reminded me I should read this book). It had been on my shelf for a while - I bought it a few years ago at one of those used bookstores on 7th Avenue in Park Slope. I wonder if it that store is still there.
The incident reminded me of Nick Broomfield's recent film, Battle of Haditha (and seeing the film reminded me I should read this book). It had been on my shelf for a while - I bought it a few years ago at one of those used bookstores on 7th Avenue in Park Slope. I wonder if it that store is still there.
April 28, 2008
very insightful. pissed me off to know that vietnam is very similar to the iraq war. it encouraged me to get smart about vietnam.
February 10, 2017
A remarkable book, made even more remarkable by the depth of research in such a short period of time (4 or so months from time of news breaking to publication). And he had to churn it out without the benefit of knowing the result of Calley's trial (something I assume he deals with in his follow up book 'Cover Up'). The My Lai massacre 'made' Seymour Hersh and deservedly so. While his coverage of the incident is astonishing in itself, the aftermath is just as compelling and the comments from a US congressman challenging the incident "The American people are daily becoming more aware that the news media is being used as a weapon of psychological warfare against them" is somewhat eerily relevant to the current day.
May 16, 2011
Excellent book - such a sad story and, sadly, not unusual. Evil always seems to start out small and, when there`s no negative consequences, it grows and grows. The story is very well told (although the book ends oddly). It`s about the slaughter of the village and, less known, the American reaction at home when the news broke. Harrowing. Hard to believe, as such things always are.
February 5, 2016
My Lai 4: A Report on the Massacre and Its Aftermath by Seymour M. Hersh (Random House 1970)(959.7). Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Seymour Hersh was the person responsible for making the world aware of the murder by U.S. infantrymen of hundreds of unarmed civilians at “Pinkville,” which was better known as “My Lai” during the Vietnam Conflict. Hersh interviewed over fifty soldiers and support personnel who witnessed the tragedy or who had special personal knowledge. At the time this story came out, it was inconceivable to think that American servicepeople could demonstrate this kind of inhumanity on the battlefield. My rating: 7.5/10, finished 10/1/2010.
June 19, 2021
He certainly doesnt hold anything back.... This is the most grisley shit I have ever read. The most graffic and horrific account of any violent event I've herd of. It is very well written but it is not for those with a weak heart or sensitive stomach.
July 18, 2007
The report that blew the lid off the My Lai cover-up. A must-read for anyone who is serious about studying the Vietnam War.
May 13, 2012
The book that inspired me to visit the small village on the 32nd anniversary of the massacre.
September 15, 2023
Very interesting
June 10, 2024
I expected the writing to be a bit more prose, due to it being by the legendary Seymour Hersh…however when telling facts, any style may get lost and possibly should. It’s a sad tale of war that we’ve all been aware of and maybe don’t need to read these books to remember what war is all about. But getting down to the actual story…as horrible as it was what the Americans did to the Vietnamese people, these infantry men will forever live with the horrors and consequences of what they did; but to be charged and tried for following orders…even the officers…I think is the other sad side of this horrific story. As someone who is against war…I too may have fallen victim to being one of the men to murder the Vietnamese people. I’ve never been in war myself, but to think all I need to do is survive…what better way than to simply annihilate everything that looks like what is trying to kill me and my men. I could only hope I wouldn’t want to when it comes to children..but if we’ve all seen what happened in the pacific during WW2, anything and anyone that isn’t in your uniform is an enemy. Women would run to American soldiers with bombs strapped to them. Sometimes intended to destroy Americans, sometimes intended to seek refuge. At the end of the day, everyone would end up dying. So listening to your superior officer and following orders is the epitome of a good soldier…nothing to do with being a good human.
In the end, war is a game amongst savages.
In the end, war is a game amongst savages.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2025
I learned a lot reading this book. I think it's especially interesting to read something that was written in real time (the book even finished before the verdict was in). It really gives a snapshot of the public perception at the time (and honestly its interesting to see how even back then people had that "fake news" mindset).
It is very factual, not a lot of analysis, but I actually didn't mind that too much. He's an investigative journalist so his job is to uncover the story; I don't need to be spoon-fed his opinion on why it happened. I'd love to read other books that dissect why it happened or understanding the perpetrators more, but I'd read a thesis or novel instead.
My only real critique was how little we heard from the Vietnamese people. There were a few really interesting sentences on how American GIs misunderstanding the culture just led to the further dehumanization and hostility towards the Vietnamese, but even the chapter on Vietnam's response was only like 5 pages. Maybe he didn't have access to those kind of interviews though. Either way I thought it was a really important read.
It is very factual, not a lot of analysis, but I actually didn't mind that too much. He's an investigative journalist so his job is to uncover the story; I don't need to be spoon-fed his opinion on why it happened. I'd love to read other books that dissect why it happened or understanding the perpetrators more, but I'd read a thesis or novel instead.
My only real critique was how little we heard from the Vietnamese people. There were a few really interesting sentences on how American GIs misunderstanding the culture just led to the further dehumanization and hostility towards the Vietnamese, but even the chapter on Vietnam's response was only like 5 pages. Maybe he didn't have access to those kind of interviews though. Either way I thought it was a really important read.
August 24, 2020
I waited too long to read this. It was originally published in 1970, re-released in 1983. By the time I got around to this I had seen multiple documentaries and read multiple accounts of the events. It was the most brutal and inhumane massacre of Vietnamese civilians by the United States military. The 4 in the title refers to the number of hours the attack lasted. Men, women, children, infants, and even the elderly were killed, injured, tortured, raped, and left in mass grave when their village was burned. Only one man was convicted, Lt. William Calley, and he was sentenced to life in prison. He served three years of home confinement before being pardoned in 1974. The only reason this was not as shocking to me as it could have been was that by the time I got to it I was well aware of the events that took place 52 years ago.
September 29, 2025
Simply despicable blight on human history, and a calamity for faith in the American military. There is no defense, and reading this while we're witness to ongoing genocide is another layer of heartbreaking. Hersh does a great job with the depiction of the events and the investigation and release of the truth--it's stunning to see that people minimized and refused to believe what was right in front of them decades before "fake news" was a buzzword for any headline you didn't agree with.
November 2, 2018
A journalistic account of the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War. Based on interviews with members of Charlie Company, this book looks at what happened at My Lai, and also addresses how the military and media responded to the actions of those involved. A disturbing account of the massacre of innocent people.
April 18, 2018
Fascinating!!! I wanted to read before I visited Vietnam but maybe it was better after!
July 18, 2019
Sad story!
Read
May 3, 2021Si
September 29, 2021
Obviously this was well researched and well written. I would warn that it doesn't include details about Calley's sentencing and appeals, though.
December 27, 2021
Quite excellent, Great War stuff!
February 3, 2022
This book was wonderfully done about something so horrific. I can't say I enjoyed it but worth the read.
July 7, 2022
2.75
May 19, 2024
Wowee!
October 3, 2025
Ok, I liked it slightly better than his memoir. Concerning what happened there.
March 9, 2017
At first the story of unbelievable horror, then unbeliavably infuriating.
May 7, 2013
Una sconvolgente ricostruzione di uno degli episodi più vergognosi e devastanti della guerra del Vietnam.
Le vittime erano i Vietcong, ma anche molti soldati che poi hanno cercato di far trapelare ciò che era accaduto si sono scontrati con un muro di gomma, omertà, incredulità e tentativi di insabbiamento difficili da abbattere.
Le vittime erano i Vietcong, ma anche molti soldati che poi hanno cercato di far trapelare ciò che era accaduto si sono scontrati con un muro di gomma, omertà, incredulità e tentativi di insabbiamento difficili da abbattere.
December 19, 2022
Un episodio amaro della guerra del Vietnam: la distruzione di un villaggio vietnamita e l'uccisione di tutti i suoi abitanti da parte della Compagnia Charlie con i conseguenti insabbiamenti da parte di militari e politici finché la verità non viene a galla
June 15, 2010
not exactly my kind of book but it was interesting and sad that the soldiers were cruel.....
July 30, 2011
Author Seymour Hersh's disturbing account of a Vietnam massacre by the U.S. soldiers is sickening and compelling. It raises serious questions about U.S. military leadership in times of war.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews