He argues that To understand the war, we must understand America-and, in doing so, we must understand that racism in the United States created a climate in which it was difficult for Americans to understand what they were doing in Vietnam. According to Russell, it was this same racism that provoked a barbarous, chauvinist outcry when American pilots who have bombed hospitals, schools, dykes, and civilian centres are accused of committing war crimes. Even today, more than forty years later, this chauvinist moral blindness permitted John McCain to run for President effectively unchallenged when he gloried in his exploits in bombing the Vietnamese.

    While uniquely Indian, these stories reflect the universal themes of world folklore. Contents include: The Beautiful Blue Jay / The King and the Shoemaker / The Crow and the Sparrow / The Lazy Gaardener and the Little Red Man / The Prince and the Demon / The Magic Bottles / Mother's Day / The Milkman and the Monkey / One More Child / The Calm Brahman / The Jackal and the Crocodile / The Clever Children and the Kind Tailor / The Little Bird's Rice / The King's True Children / The Length of Life / The Cartman's Stories / The Impudent Little Mouse / The Rich Man and the Tailor / The Tiny Bird and the King / The Kid and the Tiger / The Cobbler's Deity / The Brave Little Prince / The Golden Skins / The Panditji and the Guavas / The Moon Princess.