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A color photo of several American servicemen from the Vietnam era sitting in a jeep in a dense jungle, looking back at the camera.
A white text logo for "The Vietnam War: A Film By Ken Burns & Lynn Novick"
The epic story of the Vietnam War as it has never-before been told on film. Full 10-part documentary now streaming
A black-and-white photo of three Vietnamese men standing amidst thick foliage. Their expressions are serious.
About
Learn more about Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's ten-part, 18-hour documentary series, The Vietnam War
A color collage of photos, made up of many user-submitted photos from the Vietnam era. They include American servicemembers and civilians as well as Vietnamese military personnel and civilians.
Discover
Explore stories from viewers who experienced the events of the Vietnam era.
A black-and-white photo of American war protestors during the Vietnam era. One man wearing a military-style camouflage jacket holds his fist aloft in the air while a man next to him is speaking into a bullhorn.
Learn More
Read an excerpt from the series' companion book.
A color photo of an American serviceman playing an acoustic guitar as several other military members gather around to listen. The man playing the guitar wears a camouflage helmet with the words "Oklahoma Kid" scrawled on it.
Listen
Learn more about the film’s soundtrack and original score and explore modern versions of Vietnam-era songs.
A black-and-white photo of three American soldiers, laying prone. One man is looking down the the sight of a machine gun. The other man wears a camouflage helmet with a pin on it that says "we try harder." Both men have terse expressions.
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Watch The Vietnam War | Full Documentary

01: Déjà Vu (1858-1961)
After a long and brutal war, Vietnamese revolutionaries led by Ho Chi Minh end nearly a century of French colonial occupation. With the Cold War intensifying, Vietnam is divided in two at Geneva. Communists in the north aim to reunify the country, while America supports Ngo Dinh Diem's untested regime in the south.
Full Length 85m 46s
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01: Déjà Vu (1858-1961)
Full Length
01: Déjà Vu (1858-1961)
85m 46s
After a long and brutal war, Vietnamese revolutionaries led by Ho Chi Minh end nearly a century of French colonial occupat
02: Riding the Tiger (1961-1963)
Full Length
02: Riding the Tiger (1961-1963)
86m 53s
President Kennedy inspires idealistic young Americans to serve their country and wrestles with how deeply to get involved
03: The River Styx (January 1964-December 1965)
Full Length
03: The River Styx (January 1964-December 1965)
118m 22s
With South Vietnam in chaos, hardliners in Hanoi seize the initiative and send combat troops to the south, accelerating th
04: Resolve (January 1966-June 1967)
Full Length
04: Resolve (January 1966-June 1967)
117m 51s
Defying American airpower, North Vietnamese troops and materiel stream down the Ho Chi Minh Trail into the south, while Sa
05: This Is What We Do (July 1967-December 1967)
Full Length
05: This Is What We Do (July 1967-December 1967)
88m 43s
American casualties and enemy body counts mount as Marines face deadly North Vietnamese ambushes and artillery south of th
06: Things Fall Apart (January 1968-July 1968)
Full Length
06: Things Fall Apart (January 1968-July 1968)
88m 13s
On the eve of the Tet holiday, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launch surprise attacks on cities and military bases
07: The Veneer of Civilization (June 1968-May 1969)
Full Length
07: The Veneer of Civilization (June 1968-May 1969)
111m 20s
Public support for the war declines, and American men of draft age face difficult decisions and wrenching moral choices. A
08: The History of the World (April 1969-May 1970)
Full Length
08: The History of the World (April 1969-May 1970)
112m 35s
With morale plummeting in Vietnam, President Nixon begins withdrawing American troops. As news breaks of an unthinkable ma
09: A Disrespectful Loyalty (May 1970-March 1973)
Full Length
09: A Disrespectful Loyalty (May 1970-March 1973)
112m 58s
South Vietnamese forces fighting on their own in Laos suffer a terrible defeat. Massive U.S. airpower makes the difference
10: The Weight of Memory (March 1973-Onward)
Full Length
10: The Weight of Memory (March 1973-Onward)
111m 22s
While the Watergate scandal rivets Americans’ attention and forces President Nixon to resign, the Vietnamese continue to s
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About The Film

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s ten-part, 18-hour documentary series, The Vietnam War, tells the epic story of one of the most consequential, divisive, and controversial events in American history as it has never before been told on film. 

Visceral and immersive, the series explores the human dimensions of the war through revelatory testimony of nearly 80 witnesses from all sides—Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as combatants and civilians from North and South Vietnam. 

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A color collage of photos, made up of many user-submitted photos from the Vietnam era. They include American servicemembers and civilians as well as Vietnamese military personnel and civilians. | The Vietnam Story Project
The Vietnam Story Project

We asked viewers to share their stories from the Vietnam War era.
A color photo of an American serviceman playing an acoustic guitar as several other military members gather around to listen. The man playing the guitar wears a camouflage helmet with the words "Oklahoma Kid" scrawled on it. | Music
Music

Explore the soundtrack, score and other playlists from the film.
White text on a black background reads Echoes of Vietnam. | Echoes Of Vietnam
Echoes Of Vietnam

Explore Echoes of Vietnam, featuring contemporary artists and music from the Vietnam era.

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