The best vietnam war books, as recommended by vietnam war vet karl. History in an hour, argues that nixons bombing efforts did not bring n. Vietnamese walked out of the peace talks in december, nixon bombed them repeatedly, then they came back and signed the peace treaty in january. The top 30 vietnam war books to read this winter historynet. Some made high falutin claims to be as good a war novel as. Now in its fourth updated edition, based on new declassified information, its known to vietnam scholars. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign relations. For those of you interested in books about vietnam, heres a list, along. The vietnam war stands as one of the pivotal moments in recent u. 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. Discover the best vietnam war history in best sellers.
This first indo china war lasted until the french defeat at dien bien phu and the signing of the geneva convention in 1954. Vietnam war bibliography by richard jensen july 2008. Vietnam battalion rar unit history books vietnam war books. Herr commands one of the great voices in american literature, and is so overwhelming, so powerful, that he can, like hemingway, wreak havoc on the style of wouldbe writers who would fall under his spell.
The title is somewhat misleading, as this is really a history of the vietnam war rather than vietnam itself. Halfway around the world, another cold war conflict was escalating. War between north and south vietnam continued, however, until april 30, 1975, when drv forces captured saigon, renaming it ho chi minh city ho himself died in 1969. An oral history of the vietnam war by black veterans by wallace terry. Herring, a professor of history at the university of kentucky, provides a concise. Still, for about half an hour i was, perhaps, part of history, a genuine, if somewhat accidental, antivietnam war demonstrator. 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. Vietnam war bibliography by richard jensen jensen is a scholar with many books and articles. 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. It starts with some excellent historical background that explains how indo china fought in the 2nd world war against the japanese with the allies. The vietnam war was the secondlongest war in united states history, after the war in afghanistan. Halberstam, who was a vietnam war correspondent for the new york times.
The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. Booktopia buy vietnam war books online from australias leading online bookstore. Mark atwood lawrence and fredrik logevalls book the first vietnam war is a synthesis of events in various countries that led up to and followed the first vietnam war. What is the best book providing a comprehensive history of. The author spent more than 20 years as an officer in the army of the republic of vietnam arvn, but few pages of his book deal with his personal experiences. While not a history book, the vietnam vets i have talked to feel it really captures the nuances of.
Nonfiction an intimate history of killing by joanna bourke. The united states and vietnam, 19501975 by george herring 1979. 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. Learn about vietnam war protests, the tet offensive, the my lai massacre, the pentagon papers and more. An oral history of the vietnam war by black veterans by wallace terry vietnam declassified by thomas l. The vietnam war lasted about 40 years and involved several countries. A new history, which tells the full history of vietnam from antiquity to the present day. The vietnam war is officially over for the united states. This is relatively short book in terms of text but incredibly well though out and a deep analysis of the war. Covering the generations of emperors, rebels, priests, and colonizers who left complicated legacies in the country, the book demonstrates that the bloody cold warera conflict between ho chi minhs communistbacked. Covering world war i, world war ii, and the vietnam war, this book does an exceptional job. The start of the book about the vietnam war covers the history of vietnam.
The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations. Simpson and duffy ww1 australian hero gallipoli childrens book not only a hero. Prados revisits the conflict by taking the reader behind conventional histories. Harry summers is perhaps the expert on the military history of the war from a western perspective. The book is about le ly, a courageous woman who experienced the true horror of the vietnam warand survived to tell her unforgettable story. In the vietnam war, mark atwood lawrence draws upon the latest research in archives around the world to offer readers a superb account of a key moment in u. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. I am yet to read a better general history of the war than michael maclears vietnam. Follow along on a journey with corporal roger sanchez united states marine corps, a combat infantry marine during the vietnam war. His coverage of the war in dispatches was groundbreaking for its presented a type of journalism that traded monotonous details for.
A time in american history that divided a nation and a generation. This companion volume to the tenpart film series airing on pbs this september will enlighten readers to the events that led up to the war, the combat itself, and its aftermath. Drawing from a broad range of sources and using new evidence, he focuses on key strategies, events, and personalities in the struggle. An oral history of the vietnam war by thirtythree american soldiers who fought it. Vietnam war, 19611975 engineering and construction base development in south vietnam, 19651970 1991, by carroll h. Im looking for any recommendations on books about the vietnam war. A history is a clearly written and accessible history of the vietnam war, starting with the early days of french colonialisation all the way through to the fall of saigon.
Although the tragedy of the vietnam war is promoted as a memoir, it is mostly a political history of the war. Instead, author nguyen duong uniformly praises the arvn on just about every. In january 1973, the united states and north vietnam concluded a final peace agreement, ending open hostilities between the two nations. Michael herr was a war correspondent for esquire between 1967 and 1969. The story is a journey from innocents, to the reality of the dark nature of man. The book is a book of contrasts, with scenes of a joyous reunion, but with the history and emotions of the brutal war years. This intervention would become one of the most divisive decisions in u. An illustrated history, burns and ward present the details of the vietnam war november 1, 1955april 30, 1975. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign. In narratives and vignettes that display his impressive command of facts and analysis, he sheds new light on the issues. Neil sheehan if you ever read just one history of the vietnam war, read this. At the close of 1917, the germans introduced a new type of gas, tleichecorpse gasa. Another revolutionary telling of the vietnam war, bao ninhs the sorrow of war is reported to have been written against the communist partys wishes.
Philip caputo was a marine who later became a very wellknown journalist. The vietnam war remains a topic of extraordinary interest, not least because of striking parallels between that conflict and more recent fighting in the middle east. Everything we had, al santoli if i had to recommend only one book as a guide to stepping into the. Best books on vietnam the best books about vietnam as a country, not just the vietnam war. Turner, a vietnam veteran and hoover institution fellow who later obtained a nontenured position at the university of virginia law school, disputed the portrayal of the vietnamese communists as devoted nationalists in his book vietnamese communism. Vietnam and americas cold war experience, 19451991 charlevoix books, 588 pp. A history, stanley karnow the most complete account of the vietnam war to date.
Eisenhower placed military advisers and cia operatives in vietnam, and john f. Unfortunately they had to fight another war against the french to achieve this. Burns is a known leftist revisionist historian, and now he tackles the lefts nam, yes, nam is owned by the left. Over 3 million americans have served in the war, nearly 60,000 are dead, some 150,000 are wounded, and at least 1,000 are missing in action. Historians at war national association of scholars.
Pages in category vietnam war books the following 42 pages are in this category, out of 42 total. This lavishly illustrated largeformat book from frequent collaborators ward and burns the roosevelts serves as the companion volume to the eponymous 18hour, 10part pbs documentary from b. Not only one of the best books about the vietnam war, but one of the best nonfiction books written by an american. 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. Vietnam war summaryoverview of the conflict history. An epic year with an elite airborne rifle company of the 101st airborne divisions wandering warriors, during the height of the vietnam war. Tell me about the first book on your list, a rumor of war 1977. An oral history of the vietnam war by black veterans, by. A vietnam war combat nurses 10year fight to win women a place of honor in washington, d. Three are novels, two of which were written by vietnam war.