A companion to the vietnam war contains twentyfour definitive essays on americas longest and most divisive foreign conflict. When i think back to reading either book for the first time, and other vietnam war books, the memories that come to me are of the owl coffee mug i. The books central theme is that americas leaders, prompted as much by domestic politics as by global ambitions, carried the united states into southeast asia with little regard for the realities of the region. The title referred to kennedys whiz kidsleaders of industry and. The vietnam war was as much a part of the tumultuous sixties as flower power. Michael medved wrote a pretty good book about the vietnam war called the three big lies about the vietnam war. Joy about the french experience in indochina, was killed in 1967 by a mine planted on the very street he used as a book title. The book begins with the history of south east asia during world war ii, before discussing the french involvement in the first indochina war, and the subsequent drawingin of the united states and.
Not only one of the best books about the vietnam war, but one of the best nonfiction books written by an american. One of the most controversial wars in modern history, we pick ten of the best texts which offer illuminating perspectives on the vietnam war, its context and its. The focus of the book is on the foreign policy crafted by academics and intellectuals who were in john f. Tim obrien shelved 280 times as vietnamwar avg rating 4. Wehrle page images at hathitrust personalities of the liberation movement of south vietnam 1965, by u. Uss yorktown cvcvacvs10 is one of 24 essexclass aircraft carriers built during world war ii for the united states navy. 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. Five us presidents were convinced that american troops could end a war in the small, divided country of vietnam and stop communism from spreading in southeast asia. The recipient of the national book award and the pulitzer prize for nonfiction, neil sheehas book stands among the best accounts of the war, bringing to light the experiences of lt. My story is just one about a young couple in love during one of the most turbulent times in this countrys history. During the four years following passage of the tonkin gulf resolution aug.
In this comprehensive history, stanley karnow demystifies the tragic ordeal of americas war in vietnam. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. Vietnam war, 19611975 examinations, questions, etc. 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 was the prolonged struggle between nationalist forces attempting to unify the country of vietnam under a communist government and. After we posted this article, times readers weighed in with their favorite books on the vietnam war. Some made high falutin claims to be as good a war novel as. From the awardwinning historian and filmmakers of the civil war, baseball, the war, the roosevelts, and others. The vietnam war is a timely account of the 6,000day conflict in southeast asia. List of books and articles about vietnam war online.
This was a book i read before i went to vietnam and it was written by an army doctor who wasnt even there. Whether it was a sniper at 200 yards, a rocket fired into a base camp or an. Online shopping for vietnam war from a great selection at books store. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the things they carried and what it means. She was named after the battle of yorktown of the american revolutionary war, and is the fourth u. Some forty years after american withdrawal from vietnam, the u.
The author of seven books, including two on vietnam valley of decision, lj 11191, and the sky would fall, lj 6183, prados has written a treatise of sorts that might have been called how not to. From the awardwinning historian and filmmakers of the civil war. Here are the key events leading up to the vietnam war, the deadly guerrilla warfare of the viet cong, the domestic antiwar movement and the fall of saigon. But they were wrong, and the result was the death of 58,000 american troops. 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. Among the most positive is an abundance of topnotch books, many written by veterans of the conflict. This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Discover the best vietnam war history in best sellers. Committee to aid the national liberation front of south vietnam multiple formats at.
Nothing, certainly not our film or book, can make the tragedy of the vietnam war all right. Us air cavalry trooper vs north vietnamese soldier. It was part of a larger regional conflict as well as a manifestation of the cold war. Heres an admittedly subjective list, posted on the military history now website, put together by mark masse, a ball state university literary journalism professor. This book, easily one of the best pieces of war fiction, is definitely one of the best books written by vietnam war veterans. These 10 books, in addition to the ones below, were. More than forty years after it ended, the vietnam war continues to haunt our country. The companion volume to burns vietnam war documentary series on pbs, the book stands alone as a powerful summary of the whole conflict. Online shopping for vietnam war history books in the books store. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Ive spent years working on two book projects about vietnam, and i just want to go to cuba.
Mar 02, 2015 the best histories of the vietnam war. The vietnam war was as much a part of the tumultuous sixties as flower power and the civil rights movement. 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. Fascinating facts and interesting vietnam war stories. John paul vann who arrived in vietnam in 1962 and witnessed firsthand the corruption, deception, arrogance. The vietnam war by andrew wiest, chris mcnab books on. 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. Journalist, historian, and author, the vva veteran.
His streamofconscious descriptions are chaotic, choppy, dark, and intense, giving the reader an honest sense of war from the perspective of a soldier. Choose from used and new textbooks or get instant access with etextbooks and digital materials. She lives the green lifestyle and has undertaken voluntary work for. Vietnam war, 19611975 engineering and construction. Highlights issues of nationalism, culture, gender, and race. Opinion the dogs of the vietnam war the new york times. It represents the best current scholarship on this controversial and influential episode in modern american history. Americas wars have inspired some of the worlds best literature, and the vietnam war is no exception.
The photographs show up beautifully in the ebook and the writing was absorbing. Ia drang the battle that changed the war in vietnam by harold g. The definitive illustrated history dk, smithsonian institution on. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. List of books and articles about vietnam antiwar movement. We deliver the joy of reading in 100% recycled packaging with free standard shipping on u. 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. The best and the brightest 1972 is an account by journalist david halberstam of the origins of the vietnam war published by random house. A summary of notes in tim obriens the things they carried. 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. Instead, author nguyen duong uniformly praises the arvn on just about every. 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. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices.
The recon company that earned five medals of honor and included americas most decorated green beret. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. We will find why there was so much confusion and even disagreement among the troops fighting in the war. Michael herrs frontline reporting of the vietnam war is collected in dispatches, one of the first books to capture the unique feel of life on the vietnam battlefront. Every book on vietnam in the section claimed to be the best ever written on the subject. Covers the breadth of vietnam war history, including american war policies, the vietnamese.
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. 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. We lived our relationship through letters, phone calls, violence and determination. History in an hour is essential reading for anyone interested in postwar history. What is the best book about vietnam war written from vietnam. 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. Oct 03, 2017 i would wager that 90 percent of american combat troops killed in action during the vietnam war never saw their killers. 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. But what he did was he interviewed the people he was treating and it was one of the great examples of breaking through the statistics. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign. Score a book s 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. Ten vietnam war novels to read council on foreign relations.
Sep 15, 2017 whats your favorite book about the vietnam war. While many songs protesting the vietnam war are rockoriented, war crosses this genre boundary by being distinctly motown. Readers interested in the history of southeast asia, or the. Her books include highly regarded titles on anne frank, the black death and the vietnam war, books on religions and the conflict between north and south korea, and forthcoming titles on selfharm and relationships. An epic account of americas involvement in vietnam by a historian who covered much of the war for the new york times langguth a noise of war, 1994, etc. The vietnam veterans memorial book vietnam war books. Usa today s bob minzesheimer recommends books by 10 authors. The best books about vietnam as a country, not just the vietnam war. Although the tragedy of the vietnam war is promoted as a memoir, it is mostly a political history of the war. Some made high falutin claims to be as good a war novel as norman mailers the naked and the dead. Protest and rock n roll during the vietnam war inquiries. These 10 books, in addition to the ones below, were recommended multiple times. 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.
His streamofconscious descriptions are chaotic, choppy, dark, and intense, giving the reader an honest sense of war. The war had a profound and lasting impact on the politics and society of vietnam and the united states, and it also had a major impact on international relations. A novel of the vietnam war is a novel by american author and decorated marine karl marlantes. Please check out my book happiness is a warm guna vietnam story. 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. A special collection about the vietnam war is presented in both print books and ebook formats by the naval history and heritage command, plus you will also find other narrative monographs and commemorative resources published by the us department of army center of military history, joint chiefs of staff, and more. The complete text of the bestselling narrative history of the vietnam war based 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. All in all, this hardcover coffeetable book is a topquality tribute to american service personnel living and dead who served in the vietnam war the authors chose both lesser known and iconic state memorials marc leepson. The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations. Both the nonfiction and fictional tales on this list have a sense of chilling realism gleaned from firsthand experience and indepth research. The final book on your list of books about the vietnam war is 365 days. Enough books novels and nonfiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library. Popular vietnam war books showing 150 of 2,546 the things they carried paperback by.
Base development in south vietnam, 19651970 1991, by carroll h. This book provides a short, accessible introduction to the origins of the vietnam war. 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. A bright shining lie is a sprawling, powerful account of the peril and folly of the vietnam war. Kennedys administration, and the consequences of those policies in vietnam. Vietnam war, conflict in southeast asia, primarily fought in south vietnam between government forces aided by the united states and guerrilla forces aided by north vietnam. What was the vietnam war oconnor, jim, who hq, foley, tim. Dog soldiers won the 1975 national book award for fiction, the first vietnam war novel to do so. The vietnam war was the prolonged struggle between nationalist forces attempting to unify the country of vietnam under a communist government and the united states with the aid of the south vietnamese attempting to prevent the spread of communism.
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