Covering world war i, world war ii, and the vietnam war, this book does an exceptional job. Links direct you straight to the chosen category if there are other categories on the site. The events of the book are set in hong kong during the vietnam war. Sep 05, 2017 the complete text of the bestselling narrative history of the vietnam warbased on the celebrated pbs television series by ken burns and lynn novickmore than forty years have passed since the end of the vietnam war, but its memory continues to loom large in the national psyche. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign relations. 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.
Philip caputo was a marine who later became a very wellknown journalist. It was the one war the united states unambiguously lost, and it provoked a level of domestic opposition greater than any other us foreign war. Kennedy became involved in 1961, the situation was out of control. History is full of conflicts that have become footnotes in american history booksif they make it in at all. 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. Welcome to alpha historys selection of vietnam war books. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign. Jan 11, 2017 the hidden curriculum in us history textbooks. Vietnam war military history oxford bibliographies. The following texts are used and recommended by alpha history authors. Choose from used and new textbooks or get instant access with etextbooks and digital materials. We polled a panel of contributors to military history for their choices of the top 10 war books of all time. Feb 05, 2008 personally, alongside herr, id recommend philip caputos a rumor of war and, for an exhaustive history, the 10,000 day war by michael maclear. There is catch22, and slaughterhouse five, and these are classics to be sure.
Vietnam warfrench indochinese war, military history, nook books. 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. Herring, a professor of history at the university of kentucky, provides a concise. Whilst some of these books are a bit older, they are still brilliant to read and give you great insight into the war. What american textbooks say about vietnam, and about. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Shop history military vietnam war books at alibris.
Marine reconnaissance platoon on a hilltop observation post holds off a north vietnamese regiment, to become one of the most highly decorated small units in american military history. The author was a government engineer and became involved in the corruption common at that time. 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. An epic tragedy, 19451975 by max hastings is published by william collins. Turner, a vietnam veteran and hoover institution fellow who later obtained a nontenured position at the university of virginia law school, disputed the portrayal of the vietnamese communists as devoted nationalists in his book vietnamese communism. The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations. Find below a collection of the best books on the vietnam war. Beyond that, on the fiction front, we quickly traipse into forgettable territory. Their thoughtful responses, some of which are quoted herein, resulted in a long list of worthy, mustread books and a clear consensus on the 10 best, which are listed on the following pages in chronological order. 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. 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. Our books experts recommends 10 authors to read on the conflict. 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.
This is a great piece of writing and the guy is obviously a talented writer. At the close of 1917, the germans introduced a new type of gas, tleichecorpse gasa. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. More than forty years after it ended, the vietnam war continues to haunt our country. Email citation 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.
The vietnam war stands as one of the pivotal moments in recent u. Mar 02, 2015 the best histories of the vietnam war. This intervention would become one of the most divisive decisions in u. Personally, alongside herr, id recommend philip caputos a rumor of war and, for an exhaustive history, the 10,000 day war by michael maclear. An oral history of the vietnam war by black veterans, by. For viewers of the ken burns pbs documentary on the vietnam war. May 11, 2020 history is full of conflicts that have become footnotes in american history booksif they make it in at all. From the awardwinning historian and filmmakers of the civil war, baseball, the war, the roosevelts, and others.
Heres an admittedly subjective list, posted on the military history now website, put together by mark masse, a ball state university literary journalism professor. Discover the best vietnam war history in best sellers. 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. I will be marking the fiftieth anniversary of those marines going ashore at da nang by posting my favorite vietnam war books, memoirs, novels, movies. Tell me about the first book on your list, a rumor of war 1977. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. 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. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. The best vietnam war books, as recommended by vietnam war vet karl. Purchasing these books through the book depository is a great way for you to save money, while supporting alpha history. The book describes the expatriate life and relations with the local chinese population.
I will be marking the fiftieth anniversary of those marines going ashore at da nang by posting my favorite vietnam war. Books there is no book in english, and probably none in any other language, that provides as comprehe. Nonfiction history war, nonfiction history military in january of 1973 we in the defense attache office in the american embassy, phnom penh, cambodia, found ourselves in an unusual situation. The outrageously inventive followup to by the blood of heroesinglourious basterds meets dawn of the dead in this steampunk alternate history world war i zombie novel. Vietnam war history aspires to increase awareness and understanding of this transitional period wherein great damage was done to americas faith in the wisdom of its political leaders and the righteousness. The top 30 vietnam war books to read this winter historynet. There is a general description of these websites as well. Dec, 2017 find below a collection of the best books on the vietnam war. What books are good to read about a complete history of vietnam. Shop for a great selection of vietnam war history books at. In a unique incident of exceptional bravery, a lone u. 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. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. 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.
Vietnam warfrench indochinese war, military history. A history of the vietnamese cambridge concise histories. Other books investigate the roles played by leading statesmen and commanders, exploring the dilemmas they faced and the decisions they made. Karnow is well qualified to write this text, with a career reporting on vietnam that dates back to the 1950s. Pages in category vietnam war books the following 42 pages are in this category, out of 42 total.
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