Set during the haunting, last days of the Vietnam War, The Interpreter is a nuanced and beautifully written portrait of the inner life of a war correspondent and his unforgettable Vietnamese interpreter. Shipler captures the awful truth that every correspondent knowsthat we are unworthy of the brave men and women who act as our translators and fixers, the solitary heroes living between two languages and cultures but refusing to take sides.
David Ignatius, columnist for the Washington Post and novelist whose most recent book is Phantom Orbit
A powerful story of trust, suspicion, loss, and survival, set in the waning days of the Vietnam War and the ensuing years of Communist rule. Shiplers vivid writing allows you to taste the breakfast pho and walk through the chaotic traffic of Saigon. His main charactersa world-wise Vietnamese interpreter and the earnest American journalist who employs himcould hold their own in Graham Greenes The Quiet American."
John Darnton, Pulitzer Prize winning correspondent and author of Burning Sky
David Shipler was not only a correspondent at the battles, but he recorded and understood the Vietnamese and their land. He saw both sides claim land with their flags on long bamboo poles, but knew that the land was no good without people planting, harvesting, cooking pho, and recruiting the young to become good fighters. To understand what happened in the American War in Vietnam, you must read The Interpreter.
Le Ly Hayslip, author of When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace
