A Bright Shining Lie

Based on LH from KY's recommendation, I recently read A Bright Shining Lie by Neil Sheehan.

The book won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for a reason -- it was unbelievable. I use the word unbelievable for two reasons. First, Sheehan's writing is spectacular. Whenever a non-fiction book is a page turner you know the author is a good writer. The book had such a compelling narrative that one could easily mistake it for fiction. The second reason I say the book was unbelievable is because it is mind boggling to read about the absolutely insane policies/rationales/strategies of the US government and military leading up to and during the Vietnam War. As an American, I like to hope that our country knows what it is doing especially when it puts people's lives at risk. This book paints a picture that couldn't be farther from that hope.