The Vietnam War: An Intimate History, by  Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns
“More than forty years after it ended, the Vietnam War continues to haunt our country. We still argue over why we were there, whether we could have won, and who was right and wrong in their response to the conflict. When the war divided the country, it created deep political fault lines that continue to divide us today. Now, continuing in the tradition of their critically acclaimed collaborations, the authors draw on dozens and dozens of interviews in America and Vietnam to give us the perspectives of people involved at all levels of the war: U.S. and Vietnamese soldiers and their families, high-level officials in America and Vietnam, antiwar protestors, POWs, and many more. The book plunges us into the chaos and intensity of combat, even as it explains the rationale that got us into Vietnam and kept us there for so many years. Rather than taking sides, the book seeks to understand why the war happened the way it did, and to clarify its complicated legacy. Beautifully written and richly illustrated, this is a tour de force that is certain to launch a new national conversation.”

Public libraries are invited to apply to receive a programming kit for “The Vietnam War,” a 10-part documentary film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick that will air on PBS stations beginning Sept. 17.  Apply now to bring a programming kit for “The Vietnam War” to your public library.

Fifty public libraries will be selected, through a competitive application process, to receive the kit, which will include a programming guide and a copy of the full 18-hour documentary series on DVD, with public performance rights. The kit will help libraries participate in a national conversation about one of the most consequential, divisive and controversial events in American history.

Recipients will also receive promotional materials, online resources developed to support local programs, opportunities for partnership with local PBS station(s), and more.

Participating libraries will be required to host at least one program related to the film before Jan. 1, 2018, along with other promotional and reporting requirements.

View the full project guidelines: https://apply.ala.org/thevietnamwar/guidelines

Or begin your online application: https://apply.ala.org/TheVietnamWar

Applications must be received by Aug. 1.

In an immersive narrative, Burns and Novick tell the epic story of the Vietnam War as it has never before been told on film. “The Vietnam War” features testimony from nearly 80 witnesses, including many Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as Vietnamese combatants and civilians from both the winning and losing sides. Learn more about the film at http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-vietnam-war/home/.

The project is offered by the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office in partnership with WETA Productions in Washington, D.C.

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Sarah Ostman

Communications Manager

Public Programs Office

American Library Association

312-280-5061