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. Philip caputo was a marine who later became a very wellknown journalist. This book that complements the tv series is just epic and deserves its place along with stanley karnow vietnam and neil sheehan a bright shining lie. Chester cooper unlike the majority of men in either the johnson or nixon administrations, cooper constantly encouraged a political solution over a military solution to the conflict in vietnam. From the awardwinning historian and filmmakers of the civil war, baseball, the war, the roosevelts, and others. A national book award finalist for nonfiction, this memoir chronicles the authors experiences as an army first lieutenant in the vietnam war. Young, author of the vietnam wars, 19451990 thirteen years of fieldwork and research have gone into this book, published by harvard university press in april 2016 and a finalist for the national book award in nonfiction and the national book critics circle. Opinion the great vietnam war novel was not written by an.
The novel explores the war from the perspective of a former north vietnamese soldier, kien, and is a nonlinear telling of how the conflict transformed himself, his country and those around him. Why the vietnam war produced such iconic music time. The definitive collection of fiction and nonfiction on the war 1998 by stewart o nan. It also includes work from american writers who have written about that period in american history, including tim obrien, wayne karlin, robert olen. For many veterans, it can be difficult to talk about what they have seen and done in war. These include winners of national book awards and pulitzer prizes, both fiction and nonfiction. This book, based on extensive original research, including vietnamese, chinese and former soviet sources, presents a history of the war from the perspective of the vietnamese communists.
The ten best memoirs of the vietnam war council on foreign. Young, author of the vietnam wars, 19451990 thirteen years of fieldwork and research have gone into this book, published by harvard university press in april 2016 and a finalist for the national book award in nonfiction and the. This rare account of the american aka vietnam war by a north vietnamese army veteran, although fiction, revealed truths to many people inside and outside vietnam. An epic about the shattering impact of the vietnam war on one family. Oct 25, 2017 the anti vietnam war movement in 39 photos. The human costs of the long conflict were harsh for all involved. The north vietnamese and their american supporters have consistently dismissed american scholars, such as the late douglas pike, who long ago stated this fact. The devastation and cruelties of war had robbed young lovebirds of their youth, their innocence, their happiness. 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.
May 02, 2017 the great vietnam war novel was not written by an american. Oct 08, 2019 hi, where can i read the vietnamese version of the vietnam war. Subjects range from south vietnamese citizens who opposed their government and joined the viet cong, to important figures in hanoi who dedicated their lives to the communist cause, to nationalists who were stalwart opponents of communism, to north vietnamese commanders who. Dog soldiers won the 1975 national book award for fiction, the first vietnam war novel to do so. Existing studies of the vietnam war have been written mostly from an american perspective, using western sources, and viewing the conflict through western eyes. A slew of war memoirs stand with the best writing of that genre. May 20, 2011 written to provide multidimensional perspectives into the conflict, it covers not only the american experience in vietnam, but also the entire scope of vietnamese history, including the french experience and the indochina war, as well as the origins of the conflict, how the united states became involved, and the extensive aftermath of this. Studying vietnam s history for more than 12 years in school cannot compare to 12 days reading one of these books. Mar 03, 2015 here are my picks for the ten best memoirs of the vietnam war. If you want to read the vietnamese version of the vietnam war, you should seek the english books. Nov 08, 2012 enough books novels and nonfiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library. The author, le, lived in a tiny village near da nang, not far from where the americans first landed. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Ninh, a north vietnamese veteran, telegraphs the theme of his novel in the title.
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. For others, however, writing about their experiences can be cathartic, and help educate others on what really happens during war. The definitive collection of fiction and nonfiction on the war 1998 by stewart onan diving into a book about the vietnam war can be a daunting task. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. Nonfiction an intimate history of killing by joanna bourke. Jul 12, 2016 5 mustread books about war, written by veterans. Where can i read the vietnamese version of the vietnam war. Writings by activists by mary susannah robbins editor the protest movement in opposition to the vietnam war was a complex amalgam of political, social, economic, and cultural motivations, factors, and events. After graduating from high school in 1965 dean kohlers rock band landed a record deal and then he was drafted into the us army. Books in this category describe how the war was prosecuted, experienced and understood by the vietnamese.
Not until 1995 did vietnam release its official estimate of war dead. Tell me about the first book on your list, a rumor of war 1977. In my mind its one of the first really well written books that describe the moral ambiguities and difficulties faced by a young marine officer in this particular war. The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations.
By the time united states troops withdrew from vietnam in 1973, the vietnam war had become one of the longest, most controversial conflicts in american history. Before the sympathizer won the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction, many readers didnt know any authors or books written from the vietnamese. A history puts events and decisions into such sharp focus that we come to understand and make peace with a convulsive epoch of our recent history. Starting at the military top, theres our great spring victory by general van tien dung, describing the 1975 campaign that conquered so. The best books about the vietnam war the vietnam reader. More than forty years after it ended, the vietnam war continues to haunt our country. Eight writers share their mustread books from vietnam and the diaspora by trang bui eight writers recommend classics and modern classics from vietnam and the diaspora that touch on colonization, wars, and life after warall told through the vietnamese kaleidoscope. Beautifully written, powerfully argued, thoughtful, provocative. Recommended vietnams history before and after 1975 books. I have broken down the best books about vietnam into helpful sections. One of the first american books since the end of the war to include writing by contemporary vietnamese authors, the other side of heaven is something of a sampler of good writing from vietnam. What is the best book about vietnam war written from. Del vecchio writes as vividly of the landscape and jungle warfare as he does of the bonds, racial tensions, and doubts amongst the u.
After supplies and weapons were found in a viet cong tunnel network, a soldier burns a nearby hut used for rice storage by the viet cong. Against the vietnam war brings together the different facets of that movement and its various shades of opinion. This website presents the most informative, insightful and popular nonfiction books about the vietnam war. A vietnamese woman s journey from war to peace, le ly hayslip 1989 no other book makes you feel the destruction the war brought to vietnamese society like this one. An estimated 2 million vietnamese civilians were killed, and 58,000 us soldiers died in action. Every morning in hanoi, people line up to breakfast on a bowl of. One is literary nonfiction by a vietnam war veteran. Exceptionally well written, very funny, averaging 4 stars on amazon, 4. Books about the vietnam war and aftermath what it is like to go to war by karl marlantes. On april 30th, 1975, saigon was overrun by north vietnamese forces, ending the vietnam war. The best vietnam war stories by vietnamese authors culture trip. Ready to read the most celebrated and best vietnam war books. Jun 12, 2018 glyn harper, a professor of war studies, has written my grandfathers war to mark the 50th anniversary of the vietnam wars longest battle, khe sanh. It is a compelling story that sensitively tackles difficult topics about painful memories, ptsd, the legacy of war and the treatment of returning vietnamese veterans.
This is a great piece of writing and the guy is obviously a talented writer. Sep 15, 2017 since then i have gathered up quite a collection of books and dvds on the vietnam war or as the vietnamese say the american war. The great vietnam war novel was not written by an american. This subreddit is intended for civil and informed discussion of the vietnam war and related issues. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign. A north vietnamese perspective on the war bui tin on. Engaging in bigotry or racism, and resorting to insults or hostility will result in a ban. Enough books novels and nonfiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library.
Eight writers share their mustread books from vietnam and. Dec, 2017 in this post, you will find a list of the best vietnam books to read in 2020. An oral history of the vietnam war by black veterans by wallace terry. The soundtrack of the vietnam war, is the role technology played in getting the music to the. Marine corps lieutenant who landed on the beach near da nang on march 8. Among the most positive is an abundance of topnotch books, many written by veterans of the conflict. In the fiction section, you will find the best books on vietnam war, other vietnam bestseller novels as well as novels set in vietnam. Mesmerizing and wellwritten love and war memoir of north vietnamese soldier of the vietnam war. In the book s conclusion, an interesting look is taken into how campaign results were seen from both american and north vietnamese points of view. Sep 27, 2017 one key reason, say doug bradley and craig werner, authors of the book we gotta get out of this place. Its author, van nguyen duong, who was a south vietnamese military intelligence officer, offers unique insights. Two viet cong prisoners are led to an arvn command outpost at ha tien.
Three are novels, two of which were written by vietnam war veterans. To mark the day, heres a list of books about the war. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. This book, easily one of the best pieces of war fiction, is definitely one of the best books written by vietnam war veterans. Vietnam and the memory of war beautifully written, powerfully argued, thoughtful, provocative. Before he penned the screenplays for jarhead and castaway, a young william broyles enlisted to serve in the vietnam war. An epic novel of vietnam by anthony grey happens to be one of the best books on vietnam war. From his encounters with ex vietnamese soldiers to interviews with victims of his own violence, broyles memoir is a reminder of how the brotherhood of man can. Before beginning his tour of duty, wolff spent a year in washington, d. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. What struck me about it is the similarity of the feeling between people who just by the grace of god, by luck, were on. But as surely as north korea invaded south korea, north vietnam invaded south vietnam.
Literature about the war and its aftermath by vietnamese and vietnamese americans is plentiful and good. Vietnam war 195475, conflict that pitted the communist government of north vietnam and its allies in south vietnam, the viet cong, against south vietnam and its principal ally, the united states. Next on your list of vietnam war books is one written from the perspective of the viet cong. The definitive collection of fiction and nonfiction on the war 1998. Ten vietnam war novels to read council on foreign relations. Usa today s bob minzesheimer recommends books by 10 authors. It was part of a larger regional conflict as well as a manifestation of the cold war. What is the best book about vietnam war written from vietnams. The complete text of the bestselling narrative history of the vietnam warbased on the celebrated pbs television series by ken burns and lynn novick more than forty years have passed since the end of the vietnam war, but its memory continues to loom large in the national psyche. More than a decade later, he returned to his former battlegrounds and recorded his journey in goodbye vietnam. The author is a highly decorated marine lieutenant, a veteran of combat in vietnam where his platoon suffered severe losses and he was wounded. American and vietnamese perspectives 2010 by michael h. What is the best book about vietnam war written from vietnam.
One of the most definitive works on the vietnam war, the th valley follows a company of paratroopers as they fight against the north vietnamese. Originally published a companion to the emmywinning pbs series, karnows defining book is a precursor to ken burnss tenpart forthcoming documentary series, the vietnam war. To start off, here are a bakers dozen of the best histories of the vietnam war. An impressive piece of work that gives a good overview of the vietnam war and the wider issues that surrounded the conflict. Sorrow of war offers the north vietnamese perspective by tracing the. Another revolutionary telling of the vietnam war, bao ninhs the sorrow of war is reported to have been written against the communist partys wishes. Vietnam war, 19611975 engineering and construction base development in south vietnam, 19651970 1991, by carroll h. Fourth, the vietnam war persists in describing the conflict as a civil war. Yes, there are many of them, and quite a few are now available in english translation. The beauty of humanity movement was one of the first books i read and i still feel like it is one of the best novels set in vietnam that looks at daily life beyond the war.
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