For the next twenty years, southeast asia would be embroiled in war. A slew of war memoirs stand with the best writing of that genre. An oral history of the vietnam war by black veterans by wallace terry. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. 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. It escalated from a vietnamese civil war into a limited international conflict in which the united states was deeply involved, and did not end.
Promises and commitments to the people and government of south vietnam to keep communist forces from overtaking them reached back into the truman administration. From the awardwinning historian and filmmakers of the civil war, baseball, the war, the roosevelts, and others. Philip caputo was a marine who later became a very wellknown journalist. The best vietnam war books 1 a rumor of war by philip caputo. Learn about vietnam war protests, the tet offensive, the my lai massacre, the pentagon papers and more. 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. Oliver layton press, c1966, by tuli kupferberg and robert bashlow page images at hathitrust. In good faith is the first book of a highly detailed yet accessible, twovolume narrative history of americas involvement in vietnam, from the end of world war ii to the fall of saigon in 1975. 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. The best vietnam war books, as recommended by vietnam war vet karl. 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.
Purchasing these books through the book depository is a great way for you to save money, while supporting alpha history. In this months reading into history family book club read vietnam. The following texts are used and recommended by alpha history authors. Discover the best vietnam war history in best sellers. Halberstam, who was a vietnam war correspondent for the new york times. The vietnam war lasted about 40 years and involved several countries. Pistol in hand, sergeant ronald payne emerges from a viet cong tunnel in the socalled hobo woods, south vietnam, on january 21, 1967. Marines in hue city, february 1968 department of defense national archives max hastingss book about the vietnam war reimmerses us in a period of history most americans would prefer to. A professor at the university of chicago, bradley already has an impressive list of prior works on the history of vietnam, including imagining vietnam and america. Tell me about the first book on your list, a rumor of war 1977. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. A history of the vietnamese cambridge concise histories. What books are good to read about a complete history of.
It was part of a larger regional conflict as well as a manifestation of the cold war. The novel presents warfare from a nonheroic perspective, removing all romantic connotations of war, and is renowned for its harsh descriptions of all aspects of the vietnam war. Pbs produced an emmywinning television series, vietnam. A history, stanley karnow the most complete account of the vietnam war to date. Marines landed in south vietnam, the first chapter in americas most painful war. Herring, a professor of history at the university of kentucky, provides a concise. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Books there is no book in english, and probably none in any other language, that provides as comprehe. More than forty years after it ended, the vietnam war continues to haunt our country. The penguin history of modern vietnam by christopher. The vietnam war was the secondlongest war in united states history, after the war in afghanistan. Nonfiction an intimate history of killing by joanna bourke. Welcome to alpha historys selection of vietnam war books. The necessary war, michael lind if you only read one book on the vietnam war, this is it.
The making of postcolonial vietnam, 19191950, and coediting credit for making sense of the vietnam war. While focusing on american involvement between 1965 and 1975, lawrence offers an unprecedentedly complete picture of all sides of the war, notably by examining. 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. These include winners of national book awards and pulitzer prizes, both fiction and nonfiction. Eisenhower placed military advisers and cia operatives in vietnam, and john f. Among the most positive is an abundance of topnotch books, many written by veterans of the conflict. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign. A television history, to accompany the books release.
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. Tokyo conquered french indochina but ended up destroying the institutions and people who ran the colony. France waged a long and bloody campaign against the viet minh that ended in may 1954 with the french surrender at dien bien phu. 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. Covering world war i, world war ii, and the vietnam war, this book does an exceptional job. An intimate history is an impressivelooking book, with a vast array of photos that accompanies a look back at the long and complicated war. A fascinating and complete guide to the civil war, this book includes compelling information on the war between the states, abraham lincoln, slavery in america, the confederacy and. The top 30 vietnam war books to read this winter historynet. Vietnam war protests began small among peace activists and leftist intellectuals on college campuses but gained national prominence in 1965, after the united states began bombing north vietnam in. 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. The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations. In the early 1900s, nationalist movements emerged in vietnam, demanding more selfgovernance and less french influence.
The vietnam war in history chapter 1 the vietnam war. The sorrow of war has gained international acclaim for its brutal honesty and has won numerous awards both in vietnam and around the world. These are my personal memories and observations during my tour in vietnam. The greatest battle of the vietnam air war the air combat trilogy book 2 jeffrey ethell. A history of the war, author russell freedman grapples with all of these questions and more in his comprehensive overview of this complicated subject. 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. An intimate history tells once again the painful tale of americas protracted, divisive and most would. The vietnam war stands as one of the pivotal moments in recent u.
The vietnam war has roots in vietnams centuries of domination by imperial and colonial powersfirst china, which ruled ancient vietnam, and then france, which took control of vietnam in the late 1800s and established french indochina. Vietnam war military history oxford bibliographies. During his mission underground, payne discovered detailed maps and plans belonging to viet cong guerrillas. Using the latest archival research in china, russia, and vietnam, this book places the vietnam war in a broader international context by providing the various perspectives of the war as seen by the major international actors. Vietnam war history book details the tragedy of vietnam.
A rumor of war, philip caputo to call it the best book about vietnam is to trivialise it. Karnow is well qualified to write this text, with a career reporting on vietnam that dates back to the 1950s. List of books and articles about vietnam war online. A history is a monumental undertaking for both the author and the reader tracing the history of vietnam and its quest for freedom through the ages up until the 1980s when the book was published. Bestselling, price low to high, price high to low, average. Join us this sunday, january 14, to discuss this amazing book. An oral history of the vietnam war by black veterans, by. Our books experts recommends 10 authors to read on the conflict. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign relations. Excellent and concise, it relates in simple terms what was a very complicated and ambiguous political situation and a cruel war, often misunderstood.
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. Choose from used and new textbooks or get instant access with etextbooks and digital materials. Drawing on the latest research and recently declassified nsa material, sergio miller has been able to chronicle the entire conflict with resources. 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. Kort december 2017 skip to main content accessibility help we use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to. 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.
1279 1000 178 1102 1206 613 382 621 260 1284 919 251 1115 247 1065 553 1173 905 1584 370 849 1182 807 965 774 1451 100 983 367 592 439 1413 21 1124 228 424 697 580 710 365 330