I am yet to read a better general history of the war than michael maclears vietnam. Among the most positive is an abundance of topnotch books, many written by veterans of the conflict. During the four years following passage of the tonkin gulf resolution aug. Beyond that, on the fiction front, we quickly traipse into forgettable territory. The following texts are used and recommended by alpha history authors. The vietnam war this is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as. In my mind its one of the first really wellwritten books that describe the moral ambiguities and difficulties faced by a young marine officer in this particular war. If you can get access to it, edward miller and tuong vus the vietnam war as a vietnamese war. Indeed, the rise and fall of this alliance is one of the most crucial developments in the history of the cold war in asia. After we posted this article, times readers weighed in with their favorite books on the vietnam war.
Philip caputo was a marine who later became a very wellknown journalist. Bush and his administrations foreign policy including bush at war, plan of attack, and state of denial. While the list of books about this conflict includes hundreds of enlightening works, we pick ten of the best texts offering illuminating perspectives on the war, its context and the effects it had on vietnam. Ia drang the battle that changed the war in vietnam. For a completely different take on the vietnam war e. Three are novels, two of which were written by vietnam war veterans. Brutally honest and rich in detail, this posthumously published diary of a twenty sevenyearold vietcong woman, saved from destruction by an. What struck me about it is the similarity of the feeling between people who just by the grace of god, by luck, were on. Among these is linds book, which says the liberal cold warriors like lyndon johnson, mcgeorge bundy, and dean rusk were right about vietnam. The september issue of armchair general magazine contains an article, 10 essential vietnam war books by james h. Heres an admittedly subjective list, posted on the military history now website, put together by mark masse, a ball state university literary journalism professor. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Feel how this story takes you back in time during carsons experiences. Vietnam war, 19611975 engineering and construction base development in south vietnam, 19651970 1991, by carroll h.
Literary critic studying the literature of the vietnam war novels, poems, plays, diaries, correspondence. After we posted this article, times readers weighed in with their. Choose from used and new textbooks or get instant access with etextbooks and digital materials. Steve bannon is reading this book about the vietnam war but dont let that put you off. His coverage of the war in dispatches was groundbreaking for its presented a type of journalism that traded monotonous details for visceral descriptions. Many, many books and articles have been written on the topic. These books are the stories of veterans, their memoirs, and. A rumor of war, philip caputo to call it the best book about vietnam is to trivialise it. Its major focus is the thirty years between 1945 and 1975.
Its extraordinarily wellreported and written, and filled with memorable photographs and illustrationsa reminder that the war was, perhaps for. These 10 books, in addition to the ones below, were recommended multiple times. Vietnam war, 19611975 protest movements united states 22 vietnamese conflict, 19611975 personal narratives, american 21 vietnamese conflict, 19611975 united states 21. Enough books novels and nonfiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library.
An encyclopedia of quotations presents the story of this seminal conflict as told through the words of the famous, infamous, and anonymous. Steve bannon is reading this book about the vietnam war but dont. Please check out my book happiness is a warm guna vietnam story. Essential vietnam war reading vietnam veterans of america. The overall openness to influence stems from vietnams transition from their colonial past with. A concise international history, mark lawrence proposed that the broader international context of the cold war along with the openness to influence of vietnam allowed the war to take place in the first place. A political, social, and military history adds an entire additional volume of entries to the already exhaustive first edition, making it the most comprehensive reference available about one of the most controversial events in u. This is a hilarious tale of an air force combat fighter pilot in vietnam who goes out on patrol with a special forces team he has supported many times from the air. I wish that this 1,000th letter from america could be about the spring or american children, or any one of.
Michael herr was a war correspondent for esquire between 1967 and 1969. We lived our relationship through letters, phone calls, violence and determination. The vietnam war was americas longest conflict, outlasting u. A vietnam war combat nurses 10year fight to win women a place of honor in washington, d. Booktopia buy vietnam war books online from australias leading online bookstore. The early years of the united states army in vietnam, 19411960 1985 ronald h. It escalated from a vietnamese civil war into a limited international conflict in which the united states was deeply involved, and did not end. All our physical stores and our online store are temporarily closed. The vietnam war stands as one of the pivotal moments in recent u. Last week we asked readers for their favorite books on vietnam and the vietnam war. From world war ii through dienbienphu, 19411954 lloyd c. Usa today s bob minzesheimer recommends books by 10 authors. The necessary war, michael lind if you only read one book on the vietnam war, this is it. The famous pentagon papers included classified documents about u.
If you want gripping, true action of ww2, read last battle station, if you can find it, about one of the greatest, rarely told battles of ww2, the battle of java sea, the story of the uss hous. The vietnam war was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of north vietnam against south vietnam and its principal ally, the united states. A slew of war memoirs stand with the best writing of that genre. Oct 03, 2008 alistair cook on the cost of the vietnam war. These include winners of national book awards and pulitzer prizes, both fiction and nonfiction. Anyone interested in the war should also read martin windrows the last valley. The best books about vietnam as a country, not just the vietnam war. An oral history of the vietnam war by black veterans by wallace terry vietnam declassified by thomas l. This is a great piece of writing and the guy is obviously a talented writer. All sides of the controversy are presented in chronological resource that starts with a look at vietnamese history, then traces the events preceding frances war, continues through americas entry into the conflict, and concludes with the. My story is just one about a young couple in love during one of the most turbulent times in this countrys history.
The top 30 vietnam war books to read this winter historynet. There is catch22, and slaughterhouse five, and these are classics to be sure. Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources subject and. Critically acclaimed since its release in 1977, dispatches was one of the first books which offered an insiders account of the vietnam war to the general public. Winner of the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction, this debut novel could fit into half a dozen genres of vietnam war books from war narrative to immigrant story, from mystery to political, from metafiction to historical and even dark comedy. He meets old family and visits the changed scenes of his childhood memories. Ready to read the most celebrated and best vietnam war books. List of books and articles about vietnam war online. May 20, 2011 now in its second edition, the encyclopedia of the vietnam war. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign relations. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. Dog soldiers won the 1975 national book award for fiction, the first vietnam war novel to do so.
Literature and the vietnam war literature and the vietnam war judith b. Seeing the pilot is having a hard time keeping up, one of the chinese mercenaries called nungs, says to the team leader, lets kill the dai uy. Purchasing these books through the book depository is a great way for you to save money, while supporting alpha history. Feb 05, 2008 a rumor of war, philip caputo to call it the best book about vietnam is to trivialise it. Shortlisted for canadas prestigious giller prize, this profoundly humane novel vancouver sun, wrings suspense and humor out of the everyday choices we make, revealing the delicate balance between sacrifice and selfinterest, doing good and being good. Battles vietnam history australian there are 44 products. I wish that this 1,000th letter from america could be about the spring or.
List of books and articles about vietnam antiwar movement. Ten vietnam war novels to read council on foreign relations. Oct 08, 2015 perhaps the only decent thing to emerge from the vietnam war is a body of literature unsurpassed by the writing thats come out of any other war. Kia, a 12 yearold whose village has been destroyed by the north vietnamese. I have read literally 100s of books on these topics.
Nov 08, 2012 enough books novels and nonfiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library. The vietnam war this is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as a printed book. Australian vietnam war book, many of these war books cover the major australian vietnam battles of long tan, coral and balmoral, tet offensive, australian army vietnam battle war history books. It is the fifteenth book written by woodward, the fourth in a series of books about president george w. Agency and society in the study of the second indochina war from the journal of vietnamese studies, vol 4 is a fantastic primer on just the differences in terms of historiography.
Harry summers is perhaps the expert on the military history of the war from a western perspective. Willbanks, a retired army colonel, who has written widely about the war, in which the author recommends ten essential books that should be on every historians bookshelf. Articles in scholarly journals analyzing the war, possibly footnoting primary documents. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. Next on your list of vietnam war books is one written from the perspective of the viet cong. An impressive piece of work that gives a good overview of the vietnam war and the wider issues that surrounded the conflict. Mar 06, 2015 dog soldiers won the 1975 national book award for fiction, the first vietnam war novel to do so. Welcome to alpha historys selection of vietnam war books. The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations. Mar 02, 2015 the best histories of the vietnam war. The war began soon after the geneva conference provisionally divided 1954 vietnam at 17 n lat. The companion volume to burns vietnam war documentary series on pbs, the book stands alone as a powerful summary of the whole conflict. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign. Australian vietnam war books battles of the vietnam war.
This historical dictionary of the vietnam war is designed to provide a ready reference tool for students and scholars alike. This book is widely viewed as the best concise history of the vietnam war. For subjects that loom large in history, literature, film, and nonfiction such as the vietnam war, known in vietnam as the american war it can be tough to find fresh narrative ground. A wave of new books on the vietnam war, based on fresh archival evidence, is beginning to break. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
Pages in category vietnam war books the following 42 pages are in this category, out of 42 total. Excellent study of the vietnam war looking at a far wider range of topics than in most books on this war, and with contributions from american, north vietnamese and south vietnamese authors and participants in the war. This authoritative book separates the facts of the war from the polemics that engulfed them, and takes a fascinating look at the people, places, events, and ideasboth on the battlefield and the home frontof this. This source is an article about the effects of the defoliant agent orange on regular citizens of vietnam. Moore, harold g and joseph l gallowy, we were soldiers once and young. Tell me about the first book on your list, a rumor of war 1977. Shop history military vietnam war books at alibris. It helped me both my defoliant paragraph and the paragraph in which i describe how regular people were affected by the vietnam war. What is a good recommendation for a nonfiction book on.