“I want my pictures to hurt you, to upset you, and make you feel uncomfortable the way I feel.” These words from renowned British war photographer Sir Don McCullin precede the release of his final book. For more than half a century, McCullin documented conflicts worldwide, including Cyprus, Biafra, Israel, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Northern Ireland. Now, at 90, he revisits a defining era of his career: Vietnam.
The book showcases a collection of images captured during his assignments in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s. McCullin’s work in Vietnam is recognized as some of his most iconic. It includes both well-known and unreleased photographs, presenting the brutal realities that echo deeply in American consciousness. His pictures reveal the suffering of civilians caught in conflict and the strain endured by the U.S. Marines with whom he was embedded.
The 1968 Battle of Hue is a focal point of McCullin’s book. During this battle, held amidst the violent Tet Offensive, McCullin took perhaps his most famous photograph. He recalled, “A senior officer told me it was a 24-hour operation, but I stayed for 11 days.” In Hue, he shot the haunting “Shell-shocked US Marine,” depicting a soldier in shock, immobile, clutching his rifle.
I made five frames of this soldier sitting there and not once did his eyelashes move.
Despite its fame, McCullin is uneasy about the photograph’s renown. He feels a successful photo should provoke discomfort, not admiration.
The book also reveals the complex roles a war photographer may embody. McCullin recounted photographing a severely wounded Marine while under fire. In this intense situation, he chose to help rather than remain an observer. “I put down my cameras, and I ran the Marine to safety,” he shared.
The experience of Hue deeply affects McCullin. “Every night, I relive that battle when I go to sleep. It’s constant.” He doesn’t seek sympathy, emphasizing that the camera never excuses detachment from human suffering. On another occasion, McCullin captured a priest hearing confessions in Da Nang in 1969, illustrating the personal aspects of war.
As McCullin’s extraordinary career draws to a close, his book “Vietnam” serves as both a historic record and a personal farewell. It reflects a career dedicated to witnessing suffering and his belief that photography should challenge, not console.
Images in this feature are © Don McCullin, published in the book “Vietnam” by GOST Books.
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