Michael Herr

Dispatches

£65

Introduced By Frances FitzGerald

The first illustrated edition of Michael Herr’s Dispatches captures the chaos, fear and surreal culture of war with Tim Page’s photography and an exclusive introduction by Frances FitzGerald.

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Book Details

Presentation Box & BindingBound in screen-printed and blocked cloth
Printed endpapers and slipcase

Dimensions9¼ inches x 6¼ inches

FontSet in Miller with Serifa as display

Pages304 pages

AuthorMichael Herr

Illustration28 pages of colour plates with full page or double page spread images

Publication Date04/03/2025

PrintingFirst Printing

Editor's Notes

Dispatches is the most famous book on the Vietnam War, and probably the best. This electrifying piece of reportage shaped the American public's understanding of the conflict - and still offers the definitive account of war in our time. Herr was only 27 when he went to Vietnam and he immersed himself completely, following platoons on the ground in reckless jeopardy, catching helicopters like taxis and sharing the experience of the ordinary soldiers (the 'grunts'). He reported that experience in mesmerising prose that seized by the throat, and no reporting from the war until then had come anywhere near that.

For this 50th anniversary edition, we've added work by two Vietnam legends – an exclusive introduction by Frances FitzGerald, one of only a handful of women who reported on the war, and photographs by Tim Page, fearless photojournalist and model for the crazy photographer in Apocalypse Now.

Synopsis

War is chaos, and in Vietnam, the truth is stranger — and darker — than any fiction. Michael Herr plunges readers into the raw, unfiltered reality of the conflict, where soldiers’ lives are measured in moments, and survival depends on luck as much as courage. Told with brutal honesty and piercing insight, Dispatches reveals the fear, camaraderie and absurdity of war, shattering illusions with its unrelenting intensity. As Herr confronts the toll on body and mind, he captures a war like no other—a searing account that haunts long after the last page.

About the photography

Tim Page

Born in 1944 in Tunbridge Wells, England, Tim Page became one of the most iconic photographers of the Vietnam War. His career began impulsively in 1962 when he left home at 17, leaving a note for his parents that read, “I’m gone, can you cancel my driving test?.” This bold departure led him through Asia, where he ultimately found his calling as a war photographer. Page’s fearless work for TIME and Life magazines captured vivid images of the Vietnam War, blending stark realism with empathy. His 1979 book Tim Page’s Nam secured his legacy in photojournalism.

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Michael Herr (1940–2016) was an American writer known for Dispatches (1977, Folio 2025), his groundbreaking account of the Vietnam War, hailed as one of the 20th century's most vivid war books. After studying at Syracuse University, Herr went to Vietnam as a correspondent for Esquire, capturing the chaotic, surreal combat experience. Published in 1977, Dispatches (Folio 2025) profoundly shaped perceptions of the war. Herr also co-wrote the screenplays for Apocalypse Now (1979) and Full Metal Jacket (1987), blending his immersive war insights with cinematic storytelling. His work reshaped war literature and film, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to resonate today.

Born in 1940 in New York City, Frances FitzGerald is an award-winning journalist known for her groundbreaking analysis of the Vietnam War. One of the few women to cover the conflict, FitzGerald’s perspective challenged Western narratives, culminating in her landmark book Fire in the Lake (1972). This influential work, examining both American and Vietnamese perspectives, won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award and the Bancroft Prize. Beyond Vietnam, her journalism has spanned topics from American evangelicalism to urban history, consistently illuminating complex socio-political issues with empathy, depth and intellectual courage.

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