About the Book
During the Vietnam War the United States government waged a massive, secret air war in neighboring Laos. Two million tons of bombs were dropped on one million people. Fred Branfman, an educational advisor living in Laos at the time, interviewed over 1,000 Laotian survivors. Shocked by what he heard and saw, he urged them to record their experiences in essays, poems, and pictures. Voices from the Plain of Jars was the result of that effort.
Why we recommend it: A classic, must-read account of the bombings in the voices of the survivors themselves, curated by the activist who first testified in Congress that civilians were being targeted. Excellent for educators and those seeking to understand the human side of the secret war.
About the Author
Fred Branfman
Fred Branfman (1942–2014) was a writer and activist on issues of peace and climate change who lived in Santa Barbara, California, and in Budapest.
After his passing, the New York Times published an extended obituary reflecting upon the role of this book in his life's work as a peace activist.
