Three are novels, two of which were written by vietnam war veterans. The timing for the third book is during the vietnam war, and the fourth and sixth books in the series span a twentyfive year period roughly corresponding to the gulf wars, thereby leading up to present day. During the vietnam war, hundreds of american prisonersof war faced years of brutal conditions and horrific torture at the hands of north vietnamese guards and interrogators who ruthlessly plied them for military intelligence and propaganda. Within those categories, books will be further sorted by topic, where applicable. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. This intervention would become one of the most divisive decisions in u. Covering world war i, world war ii, and the vietnam war, this book does an exceptional job illuminating the psychological aspects of wartime on those who do the killing. Inclusion on this list does not equal an endorsement. Nov 20, 2018 a british journalist and prolific military historian who once reported on the war, hastings indicts the united states with passion and engaging snark but mostly reinforces old critiques. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of books written about the vietnam war. The books below will be sorted by nonfiction and fiction. Enough books novels and nonfiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library. Usa today s bob minzesheimer recommends books by 10 authors. Vietnam an epic tragedy, 19451975 by max hastings illustrated.
There is catch22, and slaughterhouse five, and these are classics to be sure. 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. More than a decade later, he returned to his former battlegrounds and recorded his journey in goodbye vietnam. Rub a dub dub three men in a tub and who do you think they be.
It strikes me that this is the way our memories work. Military jim morris author of war story published his story about the making of the disney movie, operation dumbo drop, starring danny glover and ray liotta, about the efforts of the green berets in transporting elephants hence dumbo via helicopter. Webb, as you probably know, went on to write a few other books and still find the time to become a u. Nonfiction updated december 2006 a war story is good, but sometimes nonfiction can be more interesting, as in these true vietnam war stories, compiled by reader advisor paul mathews. The vietnam war deserters who sought asylum in sweden. 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. Books on librarything tagged vietnam war nonfiction. 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. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. All these books on the vietnam war are cataloged here by their prominence.
Now that ken burns pbs documentary has concluded, were rereading the classics of the vietnam wars literary canon. Appys monumental oral history of the vietnam war is the first work to probe the war s path through both the united states and vietnam. Oct 08, 2015 perhaps the only decent thing to emerge from the vietnam war is a body of literature unsurpassed by the writing thats come out of any other war. War story author jim morris ponders the hated nickname baby killers given to vietnam war soldiers, and then explains the extraordinary lengths u. 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. Jul 9, 2018 this collection of books includes both fiction and nonfiction books about the vietnam war.
The ten best memoirs of the vietnam war council on foreign. Ten vietnam war novels to read council on foreign relations. Vietnam war teens, military history teens, books barnes. 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.
The top 30 vietnam war books to read this winter historynet. After we posted this article, times readers weighed in with their favorite books on the vietnam war. Daniel ellsberg and the secret history of the vietnam war bccb blue ribbon nonfiction book award awards things ill never forget. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers.
A list of interesting, insightful and above all truelife or truetolife books on vietnam. Jun 14, 2019 list of books about the vietnam war, including jacket cover images when applicable. A new york times notable book the national bestseller that tells the truth about the vietnam war from the black soldiers perspective. Go beyond ken burns documentary and discover the landmark memoirs and bestselling novels of the vietnam war. The violence, tragedy, bravery, and loss of the vietnam war has been memorialized in countless novels and works of nonfiction. Download nonfiction audiobooks matching keywords vietnam war to your device. See more ideas about vietnam war, vietnam and fiction books. Argosy in the wartossed waters off the coast of vietnam, three young american sailors form an unlikely bond. From his encounters with exvietnamese soldiers to interviews with victims of his own violence, broyles memoir is a reminder of how the brotherhood of man can. Audible provides the highest quality audio and narration.
Tell me about the first book on your list, a rumor of war 1977. 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. John paul vann who arrived in vietnam in 1962 and witnessed firsthand the corruption, deception, arrogance. These include winners of national book awards and pulitzer prizes, both fiction and nonfiction. Daniel ellsberg and the secret history of the vietnam war is new york times bestselling author steve sheinkins awardwinning nonfiction account of an ordinary man who wielded the most dangerous weapon. There is virtually no new history here, however, and a number of the personal stories included here can be readily found in memoirs and other books, including those of vietnam war veteran writers. A bright shining lie is a sprawling, powerful account of the peril and folly of the vietnam war. Vietnam war books list of books about the vietnam war. Get the best deals on vietnam war nonfiction books when you shop the largest online selection at. Not only one of the best books about the vietnam war, but one of the best nonfiction books written by an american.
Find below a collection of the best books on the vietnam war. If you buy only one book on the vietnam war, this is the one you want. These vivid testimonies of 5 men and women span the entire history of the. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. The disaster that was the vietnam war the new york times. One is literary nonfiction by a vietnam war veteran. Among the most positive is an abundance of topnotch books, many written by veterans of the conflict. Aug 03, 2018 the soldiers ultimate destination was sweden, which at the time granted asylum to american servicemen who abandoned the military in protest of the war in vietnam. Whilst some of these books are a bit older, they are still brilliant to read and give you great insight into the war. This wellresearched vietnam war bibliography includes out of print titles and generally contains the most popular, famous, or otherwi.
Appys monumental oral history of the vietnam war is the first work to probe the wars path through both the united states and vietnam. According to the department of defense, there were a total of 503,926 desertions between july 1st, 1966 and december 31st, 1973. While those books all provide excellent analyses of the war, another way to. Determined to maintain their code of conduct, the pows developed a powerful underground resistance. The essay why men love war also about vietnam is worth reading for similar reasons. Free shipping on many items browse your favorite brands affordable prices.
Discover the best vietnam war history in best sellers. An epic year with an elite airborne rifle company of the 101st airborne divisions wandering warriors, during the height of the vietnam war. Within those categories, books will be further sorted by topic, where. This compares with an estimated 50,000 desertions during world war ii and,790 during the. My top 10 fiction and nonfiction books to read on vietnam. Mar 03, 2015 here are my picks for the ten best memoirs of the vietnam war. She lives the green lifestyle and has undertaken voluntary work for. Before he penned the screenplays for jarhead and castaway, a young william broyles enlisted to serve in the vietnam war. Considered one of the definitive memoirs of the vietnam war, it is, simply a story about war, about the things men do in war and the things war does to them. The 11th armored cavalry regiment in vietnam and cambodia, 19661972. Friendly fire, one of the earliest 1976 notable nonfiction books about the vietnam war, is now available electronically through open road media. Matterhorn by karl marlantes, the things they carried by tim obrien, the th valley by john m.
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. This website presents the most informative, insightful and popular nonfiction books about the vietnam war. No 9 dispatches by michael herr 1977 a compelling sense of urgency and a unique voice make michael herrs vietnam memoir the definitive account of war in our. The powerful words in these eleven books help us understand a complicated time in our recent history, and the political and personal legacy that it still carries. These 10 books, in addition to the ones below, were recommended multiple times. The butcher, the baker the candlestickmaker and all of them lost at sea. The ten best memoirs of the vietnam war council on. An oral history of the vietnam war by black veterans by wallace terry. There are an extraordinary number of works both fiction and nonfiction that seek to understand the impact of the war or simply excise the longfestering wounds that resulted.
The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations. For viewers of the ken burns pbs documentary on the vietnam war, here are some more stories you might love. Some of these are fiction books about vietnam war based on factual information, whilst others include some of the best books on vietnam history of the war. If you are going to vietnam, these books will make your journey more meaningful. Before he penned the screenplays for jarhead and castaway. The story of vietnam from ancient past to uncertain future. The first book in the series depicts events during the era of world war i, whereas the second and fifth books span the period of world war ii. Americas wars have inspired some of the worlds best literature, and the vietnam war is no exception. They range from memoirs to academic studies to government accounts. The necessary war, michael lind if you only read one book on the vietnam war, this is it. Yesterday, i posted my picks for the best histories of the vietnam war. A history of americas involvement in and extrication from the vietnam war henry a. If you havent been yet, or dont even plan to go, they will still enrich your knowledge about a. A rumor of war, philip caputo to call it the best book about vietnam is to trivialise it.
Vietnam war nonfiction missouri secretary of state. Vietnam war nonfiction vietnam veterans of america. Marine corps lieutenant who landed on the beach near da nang on march 8. Ronald glasser arrived at camp zuma in the midst of chaos. Halberstam, who was a vietnam war correspondent for the new york times. Each has fled an america they were raised to love but somehow no longer understand in the tumult of the late 1960s. May 26, 2016 the violence, tragedy, bravery, and loss of the vietnam war has been memorialized in countless novels and works of nonfiction. When i think back to reading either book for the first time, and other vietnam war books, the. Nonfiction an intimate history of killing by joanna bourke. Despite how one may feel about the war, the universal themes bourke exposes re. 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.
The books below are among the most illuminating and some of the best 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. Pages in category vietnam war fiction the following 14 pages are in this category, out of 14 total. Dec, 2017 find below a collection of the best books on the vietnam war. Beyond that, on the fiction front, we quickly traipse into forgettable territory.
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