Mark Dapin: Fact and Fiction in the Vietnam War

Have our impressions of the Vietnam War been moulded more by Rambo than reality? Mark Dapin suspects so and that’s a problem, he argues, because military history is as much about the way a war is remembered as the conflict itself. So, how can we access the truths of the conflict?

A journalist, historian and novelist, Dapin has used various approaches to dismantle what he describes as the ‘cancerous mythology’ of the Vietnam War. In efforts to provide a more varied, nuanced depiction of the conflict, Dapin interviewed more than 150 Australian men who served in national service for his 2014 military history book, The Nashos’ War. More recently, he’s turned to fiction: his latest book, R&R, is a sharp, funny mystery novel set in the seaside resort of Vung Tau in 1967.

How does fiction intersect with fact in depictions of war? And can fiction be used to call other fictions into question? Join Mark Dapin for some surprising insights on a narrative and military history.