The origin of the phrase.
The book's title stems from a standard operational directive given to troops in free-fire zones, instructing them to target anything that moved as a suspected combatant.
A monumental and devastating investigative report exposing the systematic destruction of civilian life and hidden war crimes committed by American forces during the Vietnam War.
For decades, the My Lai massacre was framed by American authorities as an isolated aberration committed by a rogue unit. Nick Turse shattered that official narrative through a decade of exhaustive archival digging and fearless field reporting across rural Vietnam.
Turse uncovers secret Pentagon files, interviews American veterans, and documents the testimonies of Vietnamese villagers, revealing that atrocities against civilians were systemic, institutionalized, and a direct result of official rules of engagement and body-count metrics.
A devastating investigative milestone that exposes the grim realities of industrial warfare and systemic cover-ups.KODAMA / EDITORIAL NOTE
The book's title stems from a standard operational directive given to troops in free-fire zones, instructing them to target anything that moved as a suspected combatant.
Turse discovered the long-suppressed files of the Vietnam War Crimes Working Group—secret internal military investigations that proved My Lai was just the tip of the iceberg.
Unlike researchers who relied solely on paper records, Turse traveled directly to remote hamlets in Vietnam to record the living memories of elderly survivors.
The investigation exposes how the military's metric-driven obsession with "body counts" incentivized commanders to falsify reports and treat all dead villagers as enemy combatants.
Turse's investigative discoveries have heavily shaped modern historical documentaries and television forums regarding the Vietnam War.
Directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, incorporating historical documentation of civilian impacts and war crimes consistent with Turse's research.
An in-depth author interview with Nick Turse discussing his discovery of secret Pentagon files and the systemic realities of war crimes during the Vietnam War.
Kill Anything That Moves stands as a courageous and vital historical intervention, ensuring that the hidden suffering of civilian populations during wartime is brought fully into the light of accountability.
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