Legendary War Photographer Don McCullin to Devote Final Book to Vietnam

Photographer Don McCullin, who began his career at age 23 when his image of a gang in Finsbury Park was published in the Observer, has decided to focus his final book on the Vietnam War and his 12-day stint with US Marines during the Battle of Hue in 1968.

McCullin's photographs from that battle, including a shell-shocked American soldier, are among the most iconic images of the conflict and widely credited with helping turn US public opinion against the war. McCullin said he is still haunted by some of the pictures he took during one of the bloodiest battles of the Tet Offensive. "They bother me at night when I go to bed," he said. "They come uninvited back to me and then I start saying: 'Could I have done better?'"

His editor at the Sunday Times, Harold Evans, said McCullin's secret ingredient was empathy for his subject – whether criminals in north London or guerrilla fighters in central Africa. Evans described McCullin's approach as a "cold eye informed by the warmth of his empathy."

Before being dispatched to Vietnam, McCullin cut his teeth shooting conflicts in the Congo and Cyprus, and was present as the Berlin Wall was being built. He retired from war photography at age 75 after visiting Aleppo in Syria, when he was no longer mobile enough to quickly duck out of harm's way.

His final book, titled simply "Vietnam," focuses on that war because, in his words, "of all the wars that have been raging in the last 20, 30 or 40 years, there was no war like Vietnam. Sadly, 58,000 American soldiers died and 300,000 were wounded. It was an extraordinary American misadventure."

The book will feature more than 100 images and war accoutrements, including his helmet with "Times England" on the side and his muddied compass. McCullin, now 91, is arguably the most celebrated living British photographer, with a retrospective at Tate Britain and touring shows worldwide. Despite the impact of his photography, McCullin is skeptical about its power to effect change. "I've made absolutely no impact whatsoever," he said. "People were shocked to see them, but look at the wars that have happened since Vietnam. They've all been misfortunate too." The book will be released in October via Gost Books.