Art and Architecture, History, Reviews

The soldier-artists of the Mekong Delta


The latest issue of Time magazine is running a noteworthy review of Sherry Buchanan’s new book, Mekong Diaries: Viet Cong Drawings and Stories, 1964-1975—a collection of works by ten artists recruited by the Viet Cong during the U.S. conflict to carry their sketchbooks, ink, and watercolors into combat. Buchanan traveled across Vietnam to gather some of this never-before-published material, and as the Time review notes, the resulting book is a fascinating departure from the “common American narrative,” offering “extraordinary insight into Vietnamese hearts, military and civilian.”
To find out more read the article on the Time magazine website or see these sample pages [PDF format] featuring a selection of artworks form the book.