In an asinine attempt to resolve the war in Vietnam, Nixon and Kissinger widened the conflict by invading Cambodia. Ostensibly this was to eliminate the Vietcong's headquarters. The scheme failed, (...)
but the resulting bombing, which killed over 750,000 Cambodians, caused many to take up arms against their new American-backed government. Cambodia. 1973.
Philip Jones Griffiths | Philip Jones Griffith's Dark Odyssey This young boy epitomizes our Welsh ambivalent love for both rugby and music. This place, Pant-y-Wean, was once, in the 1930s, voted the most Beautiful Village in South Wales, but it has long since (...)
been obliterated by opencast mining. When I asked what he was doing, he replied, "My mother gave it to me to mend." Wales, UK. 1961. © Philip Jones Griffiths | Magnum Photos
A beautiful daughter could be a bonanza for a poor family. She could earn more in one night than her father in a month. The average prostitute earned more than President Thieu's official salary. Th (...)
eir money helped support family members back in the countryside. After the war, many slipped back into the puritanical life of the village. Can Tho, Vietnam. 1970.
Demented boy. The sons of the Dinka people of Southern Sudan look after the family cattle often miles away from their villages. When government soldiers massacre the inhabitants the boys are often (...)
the only survivors. Many walk hundreds of miles to reach refugee camps along the border. Some, like this boy, go insane from their experiences. Sudan.1988.
Philip Jones Griffiths | Philip Jones Griffith's Dark Odyssey This woman was tagged, probably by a sympathetic corpsman, with the designation VNC (Vietnamese civilian). This was unusual. Wounded civilians were normally tagged VCS (Vietcong suspect) and all (...)
dead peasants were posthumously elevated to the rank of VCC (Vietcong confirmed). Vietnam. 1967. © Philip Jones Griffiths | Magnum Photos
Philip Jones Griffiths | Philip Jones Griffith's Dark Odyssey Since ancient times, the shield has presented a challenge to military designs --- how to see the enemy without sacrificing protection. The latest development is one made of Plexiglas. Unfortunately (...)
, it affords a dimmed visibility after repeated blows. Northern Ireland. 1973. © Philip Jones Griffiths | Magnum Photos
Philip Jones Griffiths The battle for Saigon. U.S. policy in Vietnam was based on the premise that peasants driven into the towns and cities by the carpet-bombing of the countryside would be safe. Furthermore, removed f (...)
rom their traditional value system they could be prepared for imposition of consumerism. This "restructuring" of society suffered a setback when, in 1968, death rained down on the urban enclaves. Vietnam. 1968. © Philip Jones Griffiths | Magnum Photos
A fighter with the West Somalia Liberation Front. To compensate for food shortages, the soldiers consumed large quantities of 'khat', a leaf containing an amphetamine-like substance. This gave rise (...)
to many symptoms incompatible with good soldiering, including providing the enemy with an easy target. Somalia. 1980.
State prison. The American justice system directs attention away from corporate crime. A deluge of trivia about murder and mayhem is provided, sending the message that everyone is wallowing in orig (...)
inal sin and that deliverance can only come from a strong police force. The economically deprived, mostly blacks, who turn to crime are incarcerated in ever-increasing numbers. Virginia, USA. 1986.