Prolific author, journalist launches newest book at Miami
Wil Haygood’s ‘The War Within a War’ receiving strong praise as it explores Black soldiers in Vietnam
Prolific author, journalist launches newest book at Miami
To view more photos from the event, view the Exposure story.
When asked if his latest book, “The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home,” was his best yet, renowned journalist, author, and educator Wil Haygood responded that it was definitely his “most timely book” before a long and thoughtful pause.
“I think I’ll simply let the New York Times speak for me,” Haygood answered. “Why not?”
Why not, indeed. Haygood’s latest work, the 10th nonfiction book by the 1976 Miami University graduate, is receiving stellar reviews from the Guardian, Booklist, and, yes, the New York Times, which praised “The War Within a War” as a “rare, illuminating look at the way the war shaped the struggle for equality back home.”
Miami celebrated “The War Within a War” with Tuesday’s “An evening with Wil Haygood: Commemorating 60 years of the Vietnam War” at Hall Auditorium. Attendees received signed books and heard from Haygood and special guests during an hourlong program moderated by Miami President Gregory Crawford.
Dorothy Harris of Cincinnati and Dr. Elbert Nelson of Columbus, Georgia, now living in Cincinnati, joined Haygood, as did his editor, Peter Gethers. Harris, a nurse, and Nelson, an Army surgeon, are featured in Haygood’s book on the Vietnam War, democracy, and the Civil Rights Movement. They shared their experiences serving in the Vietnam War with the Hall Auditorium crowd during an often powerful and emotional evening.
Haygood called Harris “one of the bravest women I’ve ever met in my life.” Of Nelson, Haygood said, “He went to war to heal people.”
He also introduced a “Nightline” segment on Army Capt. Riley Leroy Pitts, who Harris worked with in Vietnam. Pitts was the first Black officer to receive the Medal of Honor and is featured in “The War Within a War.”
Tuesday’s panel discussion was part of a week of events as Haygood, the Boadway Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence, spent time with Miami students and faculty. Around 15 students were on hand as Haygood signed thousands of books for the debut event.
“The students inspire me,” Haygood said. “We had fun chatting about life, life here at Miami. I often ask them how they are doing in school – 3.5 GPA, 3.8 GPA, 4.0 GPA. Quite different from me. I graduated summa cum lucky, and I was happy to make it out.”
That photo was a late addition, given to Haygood by Dunn’s widow, who was in attendance on Tuesday. Haygood had already completed writing “The War Within a War,” and Haygood sent the photo on to Gethers.
A few days later, Gethers reached out to the author, suggesting he also write about his experiences with Dunn, Larry Wilson, Robert Morris, brothers Charles and Jimmy Bolden, and Steve Collins. That turned into the book’s introduction.
This is the sixth time Gethers has served as Haygood’s editor.
“One of the things about being an editor with an author over a long-term relationship is there’s got to be a certain mind meld,” Gethers said. “We have to know how the other person thinks. I have to know how he thinks because I have to know how he’ll work.
“What Wil does that is unique is he takes the individuals or concepts and tells those stories, but he puts everything in a historical and sociological context. You don’t just see what’s happening. You understand why it’s happening and the importance of the event or the person that you’re reading about. That’s the way he thinks, and that’s the way he writes.”
It’s the third of Haygood’s books launched at Miami following “Tigerland: 1968-1969: A City Divided, A Nation Torn Apart, and a Magical Season of Healing” in 2018 and “Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World” in 2021.
During his introduction of Haygood on Tuesday, President Crawford recalled receiving a box of books from Jerome Conley, dean of University Libraries, prior to beginning his tenure as Miami's president in 2016. Eventually, President Crawford spotted a copy of Haygood’s “Showdown: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination That Changed America.”
Soon, he would be introduced to its author.
“At that point in time, I couldn’t wait to get to Miami to meet with him and meet him in person,” President Crawford said of Haygood. “We hit it off. We shared stories, we shared values, and he was just an amazing person and an amazing alum to sit with and talk with.
“He speaks and he writes with conviction and moral clarity and moral courage. He brings those stories to life through his storytelling.”
