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Initial post: Oct 12, 2009 5:21:58 PM PDT
I'd like to know what your recommendations are for the best books about the Vietnam War. I'd like to avoid this degenerating into a mud slinging contest between competing ideologies. If you could recommend one or two of the best books about the conflict, and the reasons for your recommendations, it'd be much appreciated!
Tony Williams says:
I think it has long been recognized that George Herring was the foremost Vietnam scholar. "America's Longest War" has been a standard, and he has several other books on the subject. He also added a volume on foreign relations to the magisterial Oxford History of the US, which will place the book in its larger framework/context. There are other good books, but Herring is a great place to start!
J. Koplin says:
Some of my favourites: Marilyn B. Young's "The Vietnam War" is a great history of the conflict. It contrasts the Vietnamese and American experiences/ perceptions of the war beautifully, reads extremely well, and has a nice balance of political events and interesting sidelines. If you're just starting to read about the war, I'd recommend it.
I'd also recommend Wilfred Burchett's books on Vietnam. They're first hand accounts, written during the war, and he's unique? I think? among Western journalists in that he reports from the NLF side.
And Luce and Sommer's Viet Nam- The Unheart Voices is a great collection of U.S. soldiers' letters home. A lot of the letters are surprisingly beautiful and poetic, it covers a huge range of experiences, and has, at times, a huge emotional impact.
Some of my favourites: Marilyn B. Young's "The Vietnam War" is a great history of the conflict. It contrasts the Vietnamese and American experiences/ perceptions of the war beautifully, reads extremely well, and has a nice balance of political events and interesting sidelines. If you're just starting to read about the war, I'd recommend it.
I'd also recommend Wilfred Burchett's books on Vietnam. They're first hand accounts, written during the war, and he's unique? I think? among Western journalists in that he reports from the NLF side.
And Luce and Sommer's Viet Nam- The Unheart Voices is a great collection of U.S. soldiers' letters home. A lot of the letters are surprisingly beautiful and poetic, it covers a huge range of experiences, and has, at times, a huge emotional impact.
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