Books about the Vietnam war (ideally non-fiction)
Discussion
Hello,
I'm not much of a history buff in general, but went to Vietnam on holiday last year and came away hugely fascinated by the Vietnam war. Found it very interesting and the difference in perspective was very eye opening. I'd be very keen to read some more about it, and ideally both from a Vietnamese and American perspective. Open to recommendations, thank you!
I'm not much of a history buff in general, but went to Vietnam on holiday last year and came away hugely fascinated by the Vietnam war. Found it very interesting and the difference in perspective was very eye opening. I'd be very keen to read some more about it, and ideally both from a Vietnamese and American perspective. Open to recommendations, thank you!
Chicken hawk is great - Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War is good overview
Vietnam: A History Hardcover –
by Stanley Karnow I used for part of my degree course and goes back to origins of Vietnam
I have a load more including one of those buy every month magazine series from 20 odd years ago
Vietnam is a fantastic place to visit my interest i.n the conflict was before I went but was amazing seeing some of the sites especially the cu chi tunnels
Vietnam: A History Hardcover –
by Stanley Karnow I used for part of my degree course and goes back to origins of Vietnam
I have a load more including one of those buy every month magazine series from 20 odd years ago
Vietnam is a fantastic place to visit my interest i.n the conflict was before I went but was amazing seeing some of the sites especially the cu chi tunnels
II have no book to recommend, it is a hugely complicated war. It could be and is described as a civil war. Both sides were aided and supported by others
The USA ,Australia and Thailand supported the South. The North was supported by Russia and China. China has always denied the had boots on the ground fighting something that is disputed by those there at the time.
Do not underestimate how much the North is still punishing the South . Almost all government jobs necessitate that your family were either Viet Cong or NVA even now. Boat people left in their millions, mostly from the defeated South but not exclusively, There were many North Vietnamese that did not hold the same pllitical beliefs, as they hadnt opposed the North they were aided in leaving rather than being shot at. In the main they went to Hong Kong. The exodus continued up until 1989 14 years after the end of hostilities. Interestingly if you go to a USA museum Vietnam exhibits are labelled "South East Asian Conflict" and war museums in Vietnam focus almost exclusively on the USA role, ignoring the civil war element.
The USA ,Australia and Thailand supported the South. The North was supported by Russia and China. China has always denied the had boots on the ground fighting something that is disputed by those there at the time.
Do not underestimate how much the North is still punishing the South . Almost all government jobs necessitate that your family were either Viet Cong or NVA even now. Boat people left in their millions, mostly from the defeated South but not exclusively, There were many North Vietnamese that did not hold the same pllitical beliefs, as they hadnt opposed the North they were aided in leaving rather than being shot at. In the main they went to Hong Kong. The exodus continued up until 1989 14 years after the end of hostilities. Interestingly if you go to a USA museum Vietnam exhibits are labelled "South East Asian Conflict" and war museums in Vietnam focus almost exclusively on the USA role, ignoring the civil war element.
The essential book for me is the one that explains how the war came about, and the roots go back a long way.
Embers of War by Fredrik Logevall
It won the Pulitzer.
There are many excellent books about the war, but until I read this book none of them came close to explaining why it occurred.
Embers of War by Fredrik Logevall
It won the Pulitzer.
There are many excellent books about the war, but until I read this book none of them came close to explaining why it occurred.
Thanks everyone for the comprehensive responses! Will work my way through the list and many thanks for the recommendation to read about the origins of the war- certainly not a bad place to start!
I know the basics of worldwide history, but never been too much of a history buff. Must say that I have been fascinated by everything that went on in South East Asia though. When in Vietnam we went to the Cu Chi tunnels, visited countless museums, underground hospitals, bunkers etc. Normally I'd be bored out of my mind, but genuinely found it very interesting. That's not to even mention the psychological impact of visiting the killing fields or the genocide museum in Cambodia. Auschwitz is an eerie place but it brings it home even more that the atrocities in SE Asia were even more recent.
Thanks again for the contributions, look forward to learning more.
I know the basics of worldwide history, but never been too much of a history buff. Must say that I have been fascinated by everything that went on in South East Asia though. When in Vietnam we went to the Cu Chi tunnels, visited countless museums, underground hospitals, bunkers etc. Normally I'd be bored out of my mind, but genuinely found it very interesting. That's not to even mention the psychological impact of visiting the killing fields or the genocide museum in Cambodia. Auschwitz is an eerie place but it brings it home even more that the atrocities in SE Asia were even more recent.
Thanks again for the contributions, look forward to learning more.
Not a book recommendation, but a TV documentary I’d recommend highly.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vietnam_War_(T...
It’s very, very long but worth it for the analysis & recall from those who were actually there, from all sides. No history ‘written by the victors’ angle, just how it was.
I expect it’s on rotation on PBS, if you can access it.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vietnam_War_(T...
It’s very, very long but worth it for the analysis & recall from those who were actually there, from all sides. No history ‘written by the victors’ angle, just how it was.
I expect it’s on rotation on PBS, if you can access it.
Hammerhead said:
Not a book recommendation, but a TV documentary I’d recommend highly.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vietnam_War_(T...
It’s very, very long but worth it for the analysis & recall from those who were actually there, from all sides. No history ‘written by the victors’ angle, just how it was.
I expect it’s on rotation on PBS, if you can access it.
Its available on uk Netflix https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vietnam_War_(T...
It’s very, very long but worth it for the analysis & recall from those who were actually there, from all sides. No history ‘written by the victors’ angle, just how it was.
I expect it’s on rotation on PBS, if you can access it.
Few more that are well worth a read (and i don't think have been mentioned) IMO:
- The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien (he's written a couple of books inc. a novel)
- A Bright Shining Lie - Neil Sheehan (epic)
- Meditations in Green - Steven Wright (bio as novel)
There's lots of 'bio' type accounts on Amazon, often cheap & some decent. I read Flashing Saber - Matthew Brennan recently, that was good.
Some good short accounts in Karl Malantes 'What It Is Like To Go To War'.
If your interested in aviation there's quite a few pilot accounts - I've quite a few books, but mostly in storage & can't remember the titles.
I've got Max Hasting's 'Vietnam' and 'Hue 1968' by Mark Bowden, but haven't read either yet.
Chickenhawk's the best personal overall account I've read though.
- The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien (he's written a couple of books inc. a novel)
- A Bright Shining Lie - Neil Sheehan (epic)
- Meditations in Green - Steven Wright (bio as novel)
There's lots of 'bio' type accounts on Amazon, often cheap & some decent. I read Flashing Saber - Matthew Brennan recently, that was good.
Some good short accounts in Karl Malantes 'What It Is Like To Go To War'.
If your interested in aviation there's quite a few pilot accounts - I've quite a few books, but mostly in storage & can't remember the titles.
I've got Max Hasting's 'Vietnam' and 'Hue 1968' by Mark Bowden, but haven't read either yet.
Chickenhawk's the best personal overall account I've read though.
Max Hastings' book is magnificent. It contains much personal testimony but , critically, it also addresses the political context, globally and regionally and the events which led up to the conflict. As such , it transcends the 'How we took Turkey Ridge' genre , examples of which typically fail to provide any context and sail very close to the sort of war porn territory much loved by 13 years of all ages .
I grew up with Vietnam reports on TV news every night and this book makes you raise it wasn't just B52s , Agent Orange and napalm . It also makes you marvel at the ghastly cynicism of people like the appalling Kissinger . .
I grew up with Vietnam reports on TV news every night and this book makes you raise it wasn't just B52s , Agent Orange and napalm . It also makes you marvel at the ghastly cynicism of people like the appalling Kissinger . .
coppice said:
Max Hastings' book is magnificent. It contains much personal testimony but , critically, it also addresses the political context, globally and regionally and the events which led up to the conflict. As such , it transcends the 'How we took Turkey Ridge' genre , examples of which typically fail to provide any context and sail very close to the sort of war porn territory much loved by 13 years of all ages .
I grew up with Vietnam reports on TV news every night and this book makes you raise it wasn't just B52s , Agent Orange and napalm . It also makes you marvel at the ghastly cynicism of people like the appalling Kissinger . .
Another thing that amazed me was the quantities and numbers of armaments etc the USA used, as I remember 500000 gallons of agent orange etc.I grew up with Vietnam reports on TV news every night and this book makes you raise it wasn't just B52s , Agent Orange and napalm . It also makes you marvel at the ghastly cynicism of people like the appalling Kissinger . .
Hammerhead said:
Not a book recommendation, but a TV documentary I’d recommend highly.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vietnam_War_(T...
It’s very, very long but worth it for the analysis & recall from those who were actually there, from all sides. No history ‘written by the victors’ angle, just how it was.
I expect it’s on rotation on PBS, if you can access it.
Thanks for the recommendation. I need to get on it! There's a lot to work through as it's only available until the 19th June. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vietnam_War_(T...
It’s very, very long but worth it for the analysis & recall from those who were actually there, from all sides. No history ‘written by the victors’ angle, just how it was.
I expect it’s on rotation on PBS, if you can access it.
TCEvo said:
Some good short accounts in Karl Malantes 'What It Is Like To Go To War'.
His epic, semi-autobiographical, fictional account "Matterhorn" is a fantastic read. The effort, politics and futility of war is described in detail. 
I'd also recommend Chickenhawk.
Ps. Karl Marlantes is one of the talking heads in the excellent documentary mentioned above.
Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 8th June 20:03
MC Bodge said:
His epic, semi-autobiographical, fictional account "Matterhorn" is a fantastic read. The effort, politics and futility of war is described in detail.
I'd also recommend Chickenhawk.
Ps. Karl Marlantes is one of the talking heads in the excellent documentary mentioned above.
Matterhorn's good. I'd also recommend Chickenhawk.
Ps. Karl Marlantes is one of the talking heads in the excellent documentary mentioned above.
Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 8th June 20:03
Couple more below - no idea where I picked up Strategy For Defeat, must've pre-dated Amazon.
There's another that I remember being very good - starts with McNamara being attached on a ferry (!)
Bumblebee7 said:
Hammerhead said:
Not a book recommendation, but a TV documentary I’d recommend highly.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vietnam_War_(T...
It’s very, very long but worth it for the analysis & recall from those who were actually there, from all sides. No history ‘written by the victors’ angle, just how it was.
I expect it’s on rotation on PBS, if you can access it.
Thanks for the recommendation. I need to get on it! There's a lot to work through as it's only available until the 19th June. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vietnam_War_(T...
It’s very, very long but worth it for the analysis & recall from those who were actually there, from all sides. No history ‘written by the victors’ angle, just how it was.
I expect it’s on rotation on PBS, if you can access it.
Thanks for the book recommendations, as soon as I finish what I'm reading now I'll start working my way through the list. Only downside of this is making me want to go on another trip to Vietnam! Must resist as there's so many other amazing places to see too!
Seen Chickenhawk feature here a few times; an equally good one is Low Level Hell, which is about one of the "Loach" scout helicopter pilots, and you also have Snake Driver which is a series of accounts detailing the various gunship helicopters used in Vietnam, and their development through to the Cobra gunship.
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