Books About Vietnam?

[KraniX]

just wondered if any of you guys could recommend some good books about the war in vietnam, i don't know much about it so i'd really like a couple of 'overall' books to paint a factual picture.

thanks

[col. klink]

World Almanac of the Vietnam War, general editor John Bowman; a great day by day chronology of events concerning the war plus a section that discusses weapons and forces employed and bios of important figures, a convenient source of information.
Dirty Little Secrets of the Vietnam War by Dunnigan and Nofi; nice collection of facts and trivia
Dispathces by Michael Herr; great bit of journalism
Many Reasons Why by Michael Charlton and Anthony Moncrieff; this is based on a BBC Radio series from 1977 and has interviews with some of the important figures involved in the war. This was one of the first fair and balanced books I read on the subject.
Best and the Brighest by David Halberstam; the book on the Kennedy Johnson years.
Sideshow by William Shawcross; the book on the war in Cambodia, this book paints Kissinger in a very uncomplimentary light but the footnotes and documentation that the author provides are great.
Street Without Joy by Bernard Fall; Falls books on the French Indochina War are great. He also wrote a book on the American involvement called Last Reflections on a War. He was killed while on a patrol with the US Marines in 67 or 68.
I have to mention two novels;
Going After Cacioto by Tim O Brian; a great little fantasy novel
The Shortimers by Gustav Hasford (or is it Hansford?); this is the book that Full Metal Jacket was based on, I guess it might also have been released under that title also. The last third of the book was left out of the movie. There's supposed to be an unpublished sequel that was written called Phantom Boomers.
Also I'd like to mention a science fiction book, The Forever War by Joe Haldeman; he served in Vietnam and his novel was probably the first sci fi novel that had a feel for the Vietnam War in it, soldiers are sent to a distant part of the galaxy to fight aliens. So much time passes by the time they get there their state of the art weaponry is surpassed by more modern technology. Whenever they return to Earth, due to time dillation, they haven't aged much but much more time has passed on their home planet making them out of place on the planet they're fighting for. It was, and still is a pretty good read.

[alf]

Col Klink, you gave an excellent list of books , anything by Tim OBrien as a novel is always good, Going after Cacciato is brillant.

The Ten Thousand Day War is a good overview book too.

Also I'd like to mention a science fiction book, The Forever War by Joe Haldeman; he served in Vietnam and his novel was probably the first sci fi novel that had a feel for the Vietnam War in it, soldiers are sent to a distant part of the galaxy to fight aliens

Its actually written as a direct response to Robert Heinlen's Starship Troopers, read them one against the other and the contrast is brillant, one written by someone glorifying the military and one written by a disillusioned combat veteran.

[Robert Rojas]

Greetings to both citizen KraniX and the community as a whole. Well sir, in reference to your inquiry of Monday - March 22, 2004 - 7:48pm, old Uncle Bob would like to recommend two works of literature for your perusal. The first work of literature is entitled as VIETNAM: A History (The First Complete Account of Vietnam at War). The author is Stanley Karnow and the publisher is Penguin Books Limited in Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England. The publishing year is 1983. The second work of literature is entitled as CERTAIN VICTORY: How Hanoi Won The War. The author is Denis Warner and the publisher is Sheed Andrews and McMeed, Incorporated (Subsidiary of Universal Press Syndicate) in Mission, Kansas, United States of America. I hope these respective works will prove to be relevant to your particular historical needs and interests. ENJOY! In anycase, I would like to bid you a copacetic day over in merry old England.

Best Regards,
Uncle Bob 8)

[Foelkersam]

KraniX, this is a good site.

http://servercc.oakton.edu/%7Ewittman/nonfict.htm

Regards/David

[Gungnir]

West Dickens Avenue
A Marine at Khe Sanh
by John Corbertt

reading right now...so far it's good

[Dan W.]

Death in the a Shau Valley by Larry Chambers.

My all time favorite book about the Vietnam War.

[KraniX]

thanks for the replies guys, im hunting through amazon now.

[Gungnir]

Grey Ghost: New Zealand Vietnam Vets Talk About Their War by Deborah Challinor
I am currently reading this book.

Written by a New Zealander, published in New Zealand, and about New Zealanders.

I had a layover in Auckland, New Zealand on my way back from visiting/vactioning in Australia and I saw this book in the airport bookstore. While I knew that New Zealand participated in the Vietnam War, I never knew the details, history, units, stories, etc. behind their contribution and effort. I never seen/heard of this book either (it was published in 1998 and then republished in 2009 with some additions) and thought that it would probably be difficult to get it in the US. So I bought it to increase my knowledge. Plus, I do not know how many books or sources are out there that contains information on New Zealand's Vietnam War.
I find ti very interesting and informative when it comes to history, units, experiences, view/relations with Americans, Australians, ROK, ARVN, and the VC and NVA.

The author through the NZ Vietnam Veterans praise and critize Australian and American leadership, soldiers, and methods while speaking very highly of New Zealand soldiers, leaderships, methods/tactics and skill in COIN and jungle warfare..
But, because it was written by a NZ, for NZ, and about NZs... I can expect that. (I mean it is no different from American attitudes and books written by Americans about US soldiers in various wars)

It also talked about race relations between blacks and whites soldiers in US military and the relationship between Maori and Pakeha [using the term in the book, I understand that to some it is offensive to others it is embraced with pride] soldiers.

[Moltke d. J.]

I once read this one and found it useful:

DeGroot, Gerard J., A noble cause? : America and the Vietnam War. - 1. publ.. - Harlow : Longman, 2000. - XVI, 391 S.; (engl.)
(Modern wars in perspective)
ISBN 0-582-28718-9, 0-582-28717-0

Frank

[mars]

I will recommend you to read all of the books written by Mr Keith Nolan