# Remembering Philip Caputo, who wrote an unflinching Vietnam War memoir

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/fresh-air-214340/remembering-philip-caputo-who-wrote-an-unflinching-vietnam-war-memoir
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/fresh-air-214340/remembering-philip-caputo-who-wrote-an-unflinching-vietnam-war-memoir.md
Podcast: [Fresh Air](https://stenobird.com/podcast/fresh-air-214340)
Published: 2026-05-15T18:15:33+00:00
Episode link: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/15/nx-s1-5823760/remembering-philip-caputo-who-wrote-an-unflinching-vietnam-war-memoir
Audio file: https://prfx.byspotify.com/e/play.podtrac.com/npr-381444908/npr.simplecastaudio.com/49850946-31c1-4953-8129-0d718420c400/episodes/501f88f0-1385-4a39-8c45-d0581e6722f3/audio/128/default.mp3?awCollectionId=49850946-31c1-4953-8129-0d718420c400&awEpisodeId=501f88f0-1385-4a39-8c45-d0581e6722f3&feed=jBsBZBHh&t=podcast&e=nx-s1-5823760&p=381444908&d=2806&size=44901443
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Duration seconds: 2806

## Resource

Philip Caputo wrote the 1977 acclaimed and unflinching memoir ‘A Rumor of War,’ about leading a Marine platoon during the Vietnam War. It taught him a painful truth. “I had discovered that I had a capacity to be violent and dark in my actions in a way that totally shocked me,” he told Terry Gross in 2005. He went on to become a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Caputo died May 7 at 84. Also, celebrated naturalist and nature documentarian Sir David Attenborough turned 100 this month. We listen back to his 1995 interview with Terry Gross about working in the field. John Powers reviews the new film ‘The Wizard of the Kremlin.’ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

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## Transcript

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