A former president of the Magnum photo agency, journalist Philip Jones Griffiths has covered Vietnam, Northern Ireland, war-torn parts of Africa, and other trouble spots. The author of a well-regarded 1971 book Vietnam Inc., here he collects many of his best pictures. Photojournalism as art is an uncomfortable format, especially when the photos are of war. Here, the ethical validity of the images looms as large as their visual impact. These photos reveal Griffiths' talent for spotting the incongruous in the midst of chaos. An image of a half-black Vietnamese schoolgirl sitting in a schoolroom is typical, identifying the long-lasting legacy of war.

From Library Journal

Griffiths's photographs played a significant role in enlightening Americans about their country's role in the Vietnam War. First compiled in Vietnam, Inc. (Collier, 1971. o.p.), they are among the most gruesome and unforgettable antiwar images ever made. A Welshman by birth, Griffiths has since the 1950s photographed in 140 countries as well as his native Wales, where he produced haunting images of coal miners and working-class children. Other photographs document the British presence in Northern Ireland, the Korean military, the recent Persian Gulf conflict, the U.S. invasion of Grenada, privileged whites in Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe), and perceptive images of everyday life in England, the former Soviet Union, France, Tokyo, and Mexico. Griffith's commentary on each image in the photo index provides a rich summary of his experiences and opinions as a photographer at the center of conflict. The biographical profile by New Yorker writer Murray Sayle is excellent, and the illustration quality is particularly fine. This book accompanies a traveling exhibition. Highly recommended for journalism and photo-history collections.?Kathleen Collins, New York Transit Museum Archives, Brooklyn

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