Best literature about the vietnam war 283 books goodreads. As a two tour viet nam warrant officer helicopter aviator, i can personally vouch for many of the details referenced in this account. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. The best vietnam war books, as recommended by vietnam war vet karl marlantes, author of the briliant novel matterhorn, set in the vietnam war. An oral history unlike any other, bloods features twenty black men who tell the story of how members of their race were sent off to vietnam in disproportionate numbers, and of. 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. Duncana vietnam war veteran screenwriter, director, and novelist mr. He experiences screaming descents into hot landing zones to place military assault troops and rescue wounded soldiers. I am 4 weeks in to a rtw trip, currently in india in the lovely varkala. Discover the best vietnam war history in best sellers. The top 30 vietnam war books to read this winter historynet.
The stories in obriens book are separate but linked. The 696page book covers 2,000 years of vietnamese government, culture and life, from the qin empire in 221 b. My top 10 fiction and nonfiction books to read on vietnam. Annmargret entertained american servicemen in vietnam as part of bob hope s traveling troupe in the 1960s, and she participated in a number of signings at book stores when her autobiography. They allowed me a personal presence in scenes i read about in the news or saw on tv. The story of an assault helicopter pilot in vietnam. Viet thanh nguyen goodreads author really liked it 4. Sep 15, 2017 whats your favorite book about the vietnam war. The vietnam war is a production of florentine films and. The story of a helicopter assault pilot in vietnam. The rok troops republic of korea referenced was the tiger division.
All the new guys who report to an infantry unit in vietnam have to go through an informal, unplanned and unofficial initiation period. I was not allowed to attend my high school proms or sock hops because people would be dancing, and my parents didnt want me to be exposed to such sinful activities. A stunningly beautiful love letter to vietnam with more than 100 recipes, from bestselling author and cooking channel host luke nguyen in my vietnam, chef, television star, and bestselling author luke nguyen returns home to discover the best of regional vietnamese cooking. Vietnamese childrens favorite stories by phuoc thi minh tran. This is a pkzip file and requires that you save it to your computer before opening it. Vietnamese childrens favorite stories is a charming collection of fifteen tales as told by prominent storyteller tran thi minh phuoc. Nov 08, 2012 enough books novels and nonfiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library. They allowed me a personal presence in scenes i read about in. First days hear stories of vietnamese refugees caam home. Bill hayton, a former bbc reporter in hanoi, has written a comprehensive account of vietnam today. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. New book explores history of the vietnamese cornell chronicle. Which is far more nuanced than either schools within the purview of the happenings within vietnam. Vietnamese childrens favorite stories contains 80 color illustrations and 15 stories, along with a twopage introduction by tran thi minh phuoc in which she discusses the stories.
Dec, 2017 in this post, you will find a list of the best vietnam books to read in 2020. At wars peak only 43,500 troops out of 543,482 saw combat. Many people that read my stories told me they appreciated my service to my country and for telling my stories. Fifty years after the fact, the vietnam war remains part of our collective national consciousness. The author, based the story on his experience as a u.
Check out or for vietnamese in diaspora literature, mostly written in english. Having had a fantastic time in india so far, we are looking at our next stop vietnam. So i thought i would ask if you have an recommendations for books about vietnam fiction or non fiction to read when we are there. But his experience in the vietnam war made a reasonable choice. The story of a helicopter assault pilot in vietnam jay groen, david groen on. This is a deeply moving story that communicates the vietnam memorials meaning to the american people.
Usa today s bob minzesheimer recommends books by 10 authors. Mar 26, 2006 i decided to write the entire story after i had posted a few short stories on my regular blog about some of my experiences in vietnam. In other words, the new guys got all the shit details, and they had to go out on all the patrols, listening posts, ambushes, etc. In this collection of picture books and chapter books, children can learn about the rich culture and history of vietnam through folktales, a photographic journey. In an article in the new york times magazine on march 24, 1968, reporter sol stern observed, in vietnam between 1961 and 1964, negroes accounted for more than 20 percent of army fatalities, even though they represented only 12.
The story of an assault helicopter pilot in vietnam 2nd edition. The things they carried by tim obrien, matterhorn by karl marlantes, dispatches by michael herr, a rumor. That said its difficult for me to recommend books if only because theres so much mixed scholarship and a lot of it is terribly contentious. Why vietnams bestknown author has stayed silent world. Vietnam war kids, military history kids, books barnes. Plaster served three oneyear tours with macvsog, and his book sog. Across the pond by michael mccormick is the story of a young american who fights in vietnam for his country, but is rejected when he returns from the war. Dell, uso vietnam 197072 in 1970, two years after her brother kenny was killed in the mekong delta, diana dell went to vietnam as a civilian with uso. Enough books novels and nonfiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library.
Catfish and mandala is the story of an american odyssey. Thirty days has september a vietnam war story by james strauss. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. After we posted this article, times readers weighed in with their favorite books on the vietnam war. The sorrow of war reprint 1996, riverhead books by bao ninh sad, reflective, poetic book written by a north vietnamese soldier.
Vietnam novelsbooks vietnam lonely planet forum thorn tree. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Two books from australian pam scott they are essential reading before any trip to vietnam. John vanvordenthe flying dutchmanis a vietnam pilot and one of the rugged few who know the danger and thrill of combat while piloting the u. Books set in vietnam showing of 140 the sympathizer by. In a fight to reunify their divided country under communist rule, the north vietnamese rebelled against the anticommunist southwhich included their longtime enemies, the french. For the veterans who served during this era, this conflict has particular meaning. When i think back to reading either book for the first time, and other vietnam war books, the. In the fiction section, you will find the best books on vietnam war, other vietnam bestseller novels as well as novels set in vietnam. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. The story of an assault helicopter pilot in vietnam and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. The definitive collection of fiction and nonfiction on the war 1998 by stewart onan.
The project is inspired by rory kennedys academy awardnominated film, last days in vietnam, which premieres on american experience april 28, 2015, 9. 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. Hollands opus, courage under fire, 84 charlie mopic, vietnam war stories, nick o read more. Too bad most of them were never in vietnam, or if they were, they never saw combat. The sympathizer by viet thanh nguyen, cho toi xin m. The ten best memoirs of the vietnam war council on foreign. In it, tranminnesotas first vietnamese librarian and an active member of the vietnameseamerican communityrecounts cherished folktales such as the story of tam and cam the vietnamese version of. I served in two different units at lane ahp near an son. Great books look for them in your library or local book store. If youve only read vietnam war books by american authors, come check out this list of the best books by vietnamese authors to get a new. We would be organized militarily, but we would have to break the bad habit, of trying to fight a conventional war in a guerrilla warfare environment. The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations. By 1955, and after decades of resistance to french colonials, vietnam was partitioned into northern and southern territories. I was raised in garland, texas by a very religious, very conservative family.
While those books all provide excellent analyses of the war, another way to understand u. The country, the people and the vietnam war reading. Taylor is the author of the new book, a history of the vietnamese cambridge concise histories. It strikes me that this is the way our memories work. Described in 1956 as a novel of sexual intrigue, savage warfare, and some mystery. Organized chaos, seemed like a contradiction in terms, but after a few weeks in vietnam, it seemed plausible. I flew as a door gunner for 8 months and a few days. This book is a great read if you enjoy reading books about the vietnam war. Apr 27, 2015 check out these amazing stories at the first days story project about the experiences of vietnamese refugees and veterans just after the end of the vietnam war. Smitty and the colonel by mike sheuerman panther 15. Patrick sheane duncan knows war and he knows how to create riveting fiction. These 10 books, in addition to the ones below, were recommended multiple times.
Linh dinh also a novelist and short story writer and political commenter and huynh sanh thong are good translators so if you look for them youll find good stuff to start with. Nov 18, 2006 why vietnam s bestknown author has stayed silent. The united states and vietnam is a pretty good starter. 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. A new york times notable book the national bestseller that tells the truth about the vietnam war from the black soldiers perspective.
Complete organized chaos for the new guys would begin as we landed in vietnam. There are lost souls out there spreading their telltale vietnam stories. Some forty years after american withdrawal from vietnam, the u. In the short history of vietnam war literature, publishers would hardly touch a book on the war until the late 1970s and early 1980sa part of the selfinduced.
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