A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vahn and America in Vietnam is a book by Neil Sheehan, a reporter and friend of Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Vann, who criticized the United States' strategies in the Vietnam war. Vann criticized the U.S. military commanders, their support of a corrupt Saigon regime, and their ineffective attempts to defeat their enemies. After being transfered back to America after confrontations with the command, Vann returned to Vietnam and compromised with the military, failing to secure victory.
Dirty Blonde is the story of two diehard fans of actress Mae West. Jo is a hapless secretary and a struggling actress who cannot get a part. Charlie works in New York's public library film archives and has developed an extensive knowledge of West's films and careers. The two meet at her grave and begin exchanging stories and forming a relationship based around their mutual obsession with Mae West and her legacy.