British photojournalist Sir Don McCullin, who turns 91 in October, announced he will publish a retrospective titled "Vietnam" as his final book. The collection features about 100 black-and-white images and 20 color photographs captured during his assignments covering the Vietnam War between 1965 and 1972. McCullin, who is known for his work in conflicts ranging from the Congo to Northern Ireland, stated that the publication is a personal farewell to a career that began seven decades ago.
The book includes some of McCullin’s most widely recognized work, such as his 1968 photograph "Shell-shocked US Marine," alongside previously unpublished images. McCullin told CBS News that he intended for his photographs to be "unbearable to look at" so that viewers would not become accepting of the violence depicted. The photographer currently resides in Somerset, England, where he has photographed landscapes and antiquities, the latter of which he described as his "greatest passion now."
A significant portion of the book focuses on the 1968 Battle of Hue during the Tet Offensive, where McCullin was embedded with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. During this assignment, he photographed the urban combat and physical toll on both soldiers and civilians. In one instance, McCullin reported that he put down his camera to carry a wounded Marine to safety. He noted that he remains personally affected by the memories of the battle, stating that the experiences "bother me at night."
The book presents the war primarily in black and white, a medium McCullin believes "war deserves." The publication by GOST Books, priced at £80, also includes personal artifacts such as McCullin’s press pass and his helmet, which he had marked with "Times England." For the photography community, McCullin's decision to "pull up the drawbridge" on his darkroom marks the end of an era of film-based war correspondence that relied on physical transparencies, some of which McCullin noted were beginning to deteriorate in his home.
The book is scheduled for release on October 1. While he has previously published work on the Berlin Wall, the civil war in Cyprus, and famine in Biafra, he said this volume represents his first book dedicated solely to his Vietnam assignments. McCullin stated he intends to retire, focusing on his home life in Somerset. He recently completed work at the Vatican, documenting ancient artworks.