It is a valuable contribution to the literature not only on vietnam but on the way. Vietnam war were much greater, due in large part to the panoply of advanced weaponry employed by the united states. Tom weiners book is about ghostsdecisions and their shadows that often changed the lives of young men and women forever. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign. The book includes some great observations and agonizing. Philip caputo was a marine who later became a very wellknown journalist. Fields of fire is a brilliant book about the vietnam war. Feb 05, 2008 a rumor of war, philip caputo to call it the best book about vietnam is to trivialise it.
Read the essential details about the background to the vietnam war. The book is not only a splendid account of a conflict often forgotten in the aftermath of americas war in vietnam, but it also speaks to the debate that continues to rage among military experts on the nature of the two wars in indochina and the proper ways to fight them, wrote george herring, the author of americas longest war. Stories of men and women confronted by the vietnam war draft. In response to the invasion of japan, a vietnamese nationalist movement called viet minh was formed in 1941, which was. Supporters and and objectors to the war australias involvement in the vietnam war and the issue of conscription split the nationin the early 1960s and 1970s. Blog posts represent the views of cfr fellows and staff and not those of cfr, which takes no institutional. When i moved to berkeley in 1969, the black panthers were in their heyday. Very few books about the vietnam war aimed at a general audience paint a nuanced portrait of americas enemy. Booktopia buy vietnam war books online from australias leading online bookstore. 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. In the vast literature on the vietnam war, much has been written about the antiwar movement and its influence on u. Nov 08, 2012 enough books novels and non fiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library. Vietnam war, 19611975 engineering and construction base development in south vietnam, 19651970 1991, by carroll h.
Lindsay last month, i did a series of posts commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of u. The prowar movement university of massachusetts press. While the writing and research of this book are as good as stantons other books on the vietnam war, this one has very little to work with. A generation and more remain haunted by the choices it forced them to make. It was part of a larger regional conflict as well as a manifestation of the cold war. United states news media and the vietnam war wikipedia. Best books on vietnam 194 books meet your next favorite book. This intervention would become one of the most divisive decisions in u. He claims the arvn could have defeated the communistsif only the united states had continued its support. Supporters and objectors to the war explaining the impacts. Vietnam war, conflict in southeast asia, primarily fought in south vietnam between government forces aided by the united states and guerrilla forces aided by north vietnam. The outbreak of the war began when a french colony named indochina, which included vietnam, laos and cambodia, was invaded by the japanese during world war ii. Winner of the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction, this debut novel could fit into half a dozen genres of vietnam war books from war. Only three years earlier, huey newton and bobby seale had begun building the party around an image and a name theyd appropriated from other black organizations then active in those turbulent years of the vietnam war and exploding ghettoes.
The vietnam war left a gash in the heart of america that can still be felt today. Many journalists who visited south vietnam during the war were not primarily interested. An essential book for anyone writing non revisionist history of our most propagandized war. The decision to retaliate would for all intents and purposes mark the beginning of the american war in vietnama conflict that would last eight more years, take the lives of 58,000 americans and. Explaining americas lost war malden, mass blackwell, 2009 2 an old but fascinating account of these charges is jeffrey p. A need for more manpower upon americas deeper involvement in the vietnam war in 1965, made president johnson bring in conscription.
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. However, despite the high profile of anti war protesters and media coverage, the majority supported the government over the vietnam war, support for the war. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. 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 a printed book. This book happens to be one of the best novels about vietnam and will give you some great insight into what it was like to be in this war. Nothing, certainly not our film or book, can make the tragedy of the vietnam war all. The best books about vietnam as a country, not just the vietnam war. Mar 26, 2018 during the war years, americas leaders insisted that military force was necessary to defend a sovereign nation south vietnam from external communist aggression.
In this book, sandra scanlon shifts attention to those americans who supported the war and explores the wars impact on the burgeoning conservative political movement of the 1960s and early 1970s. He is author or editor of several books about the vietnam war, including the vietnam war. The death, destruction, and misery resulting from the u. Kimball, the stabintheback legend and the vietnam war, armed forces and society 14, no. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for.
Osgood wrote in 1979, the strategy transcended the vietnam war and not only survived it but continued to expand in application and acceptance. Studying actual wars teaches us nothing, he states. On october 19, 2003, the ohiobased newspaper the toledo blade launched a fourday series of investigative reports exposing a string of atrocities by an elite, volunteer, 45man tiger force unit. After the second world war france attempted to reestablish control over vietnam. Within four years the americans were paying 78 percent of a colonial war directed by the same. Tell me about the first book on your list, a rumor of war 1977. One is literary nonfiction by a vietnam war veteran. How did the supporters react to united states withdrawal from vietnam. Johnson malcolm x supported the vietnam war but didnt want to.
The role of the media in the perception of the vietnam war has been widely noted. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Oct 24, 2003 diems excesses proved too much, and in november 1963, diem was overthrown by a triumvirate of his generals, organised by the cia. Apr 28, 2015 richard nixon was a young congressman and senator when vietnam fought to overthrow french rule after the second world war and president harry truman sent the first u. It was the second of the indochina wars and was officially fought. When i think back to reading either book for the first time, and other vietnam war books, the memories that come to me are of the owl coffee mug i. This book debunks so many of what our generation s warriors know to be the. The politically incorrect guide to the vietnam war the politically.
Summarizing mostly from pilger again, the political background to the buildup of the vietnam war is worth highlighting here. How vietnam haunts the democrats politico magazine. List of books and articles about vietnam war online. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. Shortlisted for canadas prestigious giller prize, this profoundly humane novel vancouver sun, wrings suspense and humor out of the everyday choices we make, revealing the delicate balance between sacrifice and selfinterest, doing good and being good.
However, despite the high profile of anti war protesters and media coverage, the majority supported the government over the vietnam war, support for the war was far from overwhelming. In january 1946, britain agreed to remove her troops and later that year, china left vietnam in exchange for a promise from france that she would give up her rights to territory in china. Dog soldiers won the 1975 national book award for fiction, the first vietnam war novel to do so. Your question is vital as we examine our current roles in the middle east and korea as well as the history of the vietnam conflict. Turner, a vietnam veteran and hoover institution fellow who later obtained a non tenured position at the university of virginia law school, disputed the portrayal of the vietnamese communists as devoted nationalists in his book vietnamese communism. Ten vietnam war novels to read council on foreign relations. We dont want to live in a country that were going to support whether its right. Historians at war national association of scholars. 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. The memoirs of legendary ace robin olds robin olds.
Few oral histories of the vietnam war allow civilians or communist supporters to tell their stories, and the resulting scholarship is often onesided. Under that framework, the americans role in south vietnam was only to render advice and support in its war against the. The vietnam war crimes you never heard of history news. The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations. National guardsmen and police killed 6 students kent state and jackson state. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Yet as long as wars do take place at all it remains a moral duty to seek to reduce the agony caused by war, and the fulfillment of this obligation should not be. Usa today s bob minzesheimer recommends books by 10 authors. Supporters and objectors to the war explaining the. This book is a great read if you enjoy reading books about the vietnam war. A rumor of war, philip caputo to call it the best book about vietnam is to trivialise it. Oct 18, 2017 a need for more manpower upon americas deeper involvement in the vietnam war in 1965, made president johnson bring in conscription. The vietnam war had its beginnings at the end of world war ii. Discover the best vietnam war history in best sellers.
The answer to your question is yes and we should view that answer in the light of what it should have taught us a. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign relations. Xiaobing li, a native of china and a former soldier of the peoples liberation army, spent seven years gathering hundreds of accounts from survivors of the war, filling gaps in the narrative, and. Richard nixon was a young congressman and senator when vietnam fought to overthrow french rule after the second world war and president harry.
The necessary war, michael lind if you only read one book on the vietnam war, this is it. Nixons retrospective on the vietnam war the diplomat. The vietnam war, as seen by the victors the atlantic. Enough books novels and non fiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library. He demonstrates that the united states did not lose the vietnam warin fact, we. During the war years, americas leaders insisted that military force was necessary to defend a sovereign nation south vietnam from external communist aggression. Kennedy adlai stevenson ii eugene mccarthy lyndon b. Americas internal battle over that war, and it chronicles, as no other book has done.
Del vecchio writes as vividly of the landscape and jungle warfare as he does of the bonds, racial tensions, and doubts amongst the u. Mar 06, 2015 dog soldiers won the 1975 national book award for fiction, the first vietnam war novel to do so. The vietnam war in 40 quotes the national interest. Dec, 2017 this book is a great read if you enjoy reading books about the vietnam war. Mar 02, 2015 the best histories of the vietnam war. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. One of the most definitive works on the vietnam war, the th valley follows a company of paratroopers as they fight against the north vietnamese. The greatest battle of the vietnam air war the air combat trilogy book 2 jeffrey ethell. Now young men who were not considering military service. Three are novels, two of which were written by vietnam war veterans.
Joy about the french experience in indochina, was killed in 1967 by a mine planted on the very street he used as a book title. Apparently the lrrps reputation far exceeded their actual accomplishnents. The majority of americans pretended the war had never happened. 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.