What are the best books about Vietnam?

[ChipWrecked]

[ QUOTE ]
A Rumor of War- Phillip Caputo.

[/ QUOTE ]

His best stuff. I love the line about how he'll never let a politician sucker him again, the way he let JFK sucker him into going to Vietnam.

[Phoenix1010]

One of my favorite topics...

Historical accounts:
The Vietnam Wars 1945-1990, Marilyn B. Young- A very informative and wide reaching account of both the events of the actual war, and the factors leading up to it, as well as the aftermath.

Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War, Robert J. McMahon- A great collection of primary sources and analytical essays, organized into the different stages of the war. Each chapter starts with the primary accounts of the events, and is followed by a hanful of analytical essays explaining, or arguing about, the implications and consequences of everything that happened. Very good, and presents different views of the same issues.

Soldiers' accounts:
Obviously the The Things They Carried

A Vietcong Memoir, Truong Nhu Tang- The autobiography of one of the major officials of the Vietcong. If you want to hear both sides, you have to read this book. It's interesting to hear about the atrocities that went down, but it's even more important to see the kind of strength and dedication that the revolutionaries possessed. It's also a well written autobigarophy of a very interesting person.

The Vietnam Reader, Stewart O'Nan- A large collection of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry dealing with the war and it's impact on American culture. Eclectic, but worth picking up for the sheer variety of content.

[TheNoodleMan]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
what about the same question for WWII?

Sorry for hijack Kane

[/ QUOTE ]

"The Good War"-Studs Terkel
"Hiroshima"-John Hersey

[/ QUOTE ]
I have to second the reccomendation of "The Good War." Anything by Studs Terkel is great because they are actual oral accounts transcribed. I met Studs on a Chicago bus once and talked to him for about 20 minutes. That one afternoon was probably more enlightening than the rest of my college experience.

[Blarg]

Chickenhawk. One of the most interesting books of non-fiction I've ever read. It's about a guy who joins up as a chopper pilot and his extremely hairy time in Vietnam. Great description of how hard learning to fly was, the incredibly tough and against the rules things he had to do regularly in combat, the cowardly officers who marked themselves down for flight time so they could get promotions and good assignments, but were too scared to go up and actually fly. The panic and anger of the soldiers and pilots who weren't given proper protective equipment as required but were told to go fight anyway. Just a brilliant picture overall. The last line of the book is one of the most devastating lines I've ever seen written. It will amaze me the rest of my life.

Vietnam: A Television History. There is no way you will get away from politics when it comes to Vietnam, but this was a great book and a brilliant PBS t.v. series too. You'll get a very good background on Vietnam from long before the Americans got in the war, which is vital to an understanding of what really went on and why.

[InchoateHand]

I think you pretty much have to add "The Sorrow of War" by Bao Ninh. "In Pharaoh's Army" is another good book. "A Bright Shining Lie" wins, hands down, in my opinion for the most multifaceted account.

[jacki]

[ QUOTE ]
what about the same question for WWII?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ambrose, Ambrose, Ambrose

[nomadtla]

[ QUOTE ]
"The Things They Carried"-Tim O'Brien


[/ QUOTE ]

not just a wonderful Vietnam book, but also a wonderfully human perspective of war. And very well written.

[oreogod]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
what about the same question for WWII?

Sorry for hijack Kane

[/ QUOTE ]

"The Good War"-Studs Terkel
"Hiroshima"-John Hersey

[/ QUOTE ]

Id also go with Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.

[Big Bend]

Hell in a Very Small Place: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu is an awesome read and a must for every vietnam library. It all started here. This is the one that drove the French out of SE Asia and set the stage for the US to enter the arena afterwards. Its a vivid account in gory detail of an incredibly bloody battle. Oh the horror!

L8r.. BB

[miajag81]

Vietnam by Karnow and Bright Shining Lie, which others have mentioned, are the best I have read.