Between 1966 and 1970 Philip Jones Griffiths spent much of his time in Vietnam. In 1971 he published Vietnam Inc., in which he reported on his experiences. More than any other book, it mobilised public opinion against American actions in South East Asia. It is still regarded as one of the most detailed, multifaceted and ground-breaking war reportages of all time.

Born in Wales, Great Britain, Jones Griffiths could avoid nationalistic sentiments. He photographed both on the battlefield and behind the lines, and turned his camera on daily life. As well as being a book about a war, Vietnam Inc. is thus also a book about a culture.

Jones Griffiths (b. 1936) became a member of Magnum in 1971, and continues to work as a photographer to this day. He prefers to describe himself as a researcher into the inhuman power of human technological abilities. 'Stupidity always attracts my attention, but I continue to believe in human dignity and the capacity for change', he once said. These two facets of his vision are to be found par excellence in the photographs from the book that made his reputation.