War photographer Don McCullin revisits harrowing assignment: "I want my pictures to hurt you"

Legendary British war photographer Sir Don McCullin, now 90 years old, is preparing to publish a final book titled "Vietnam," which revisits his harrowing assignments from the Vietnam War during the 1960s and early 1970s. Over more than five decades, McCullin has documented conflicts in locations such as Cyprus, Biafra, Israel, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Northern Ireland. His new book features both iconic images and never-before-seen photographs that depict the violence and trauma endured by civilians and U.S. Marines alike.

McCullin's approach to photography is marked by a desire to evoke discomfort and pain in viewers, stating, "I want my pictures to hurt you." One particularly poignant moment recounted was when he intervened during combat to carry an injured Marine to safety along an old medieval wall while under enemy fire. This dedication to capturing and understanding the human toll of war has shaped McCullin's legacy as one of the most influential war photographers of his generation.