No deskbound journalist, lunn went on combat missions, and reports quite. Dispatches from the war university of virginia press, 216 pp. Nov 15, 2007 tree of smoke, a novel by denis johnson about the vietnam war that features stories of american and vietnamese soldiers, won the national book award for fiction. A reporters war is the 5th book by australian journalist and author. He took much heat from the johnson administration and the political right, but his previous standards of objectivity helped to sway journalistic opinion against the war. Studs terkel as a vietnam combat veteran who participated in most of the major historical battles of 1968, im understadably ambivalent about reading vietnam books, fiction and nonfiction. Courageous women of the vietnam war independent publishers. Nonfiction updated december 2006 a war story is good, but sometimes non fiction can be more interesting, as in these true vietnam war stories, compiled by reader advisor paul mathews. Of all the works on the vietnam warfiction and nonfictionthis is the big one. Vietnam war nonfiction missouri secretary of state. After yesterdays world war ii fiction post, now its time for the non fiction. From actionpacked eyewitness accounts such as guadalcanal diary to devastating holocaust memoirs like the diary of anne frank and night to the thrilling espionage tale of operation mincemeat, world war ii is the subject of some of the most fascinating and influential nonfiction books ever written.
Nov 08, 2012 enough books novels and non fiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library. Among the most positive is an abundance of topnotch books, many written by veterans of the conflict. Whether you want your kids to know more about the civil rights movement and the vietnam war or the life of vincent van gogh or dmitri shostakovich, were entering a golden era of nonfiction books for teens also known as young adult or ya nonfiction. In addition to terry, who died in 2003, gwen ifill, johnathan rodgers, ruth allen ollison, and pat harvey will be inducted during.
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. On the first day of the tet lunar new year holiday in 1968. Overview the untold stories of bravery exhibited by servicewomen and others involved in the vietnam war 2019 notable social studies trade books for young people list one of just a handful of women reporting on the vietnam war, kate webb was captured by north vietnamese troops and presumed deaduntil she emerged from the jungle waving a piece of white parachute material after 23 days in. Marines going ashore at da nang by posting my favorite vietnam war books, memoirs, novels, movies, photos, and songs. All of the books below had a profound influence on me in one way or another over two decades reporting from war. In lys tragic story, we might find the fascinating, if controversial, beginnings of a new kind of war memorial. Not only did glantz spend several years in iraq, covering the war and reporting on the lives of iraqis, but he was deeply affected by the conflict to the point of suffering posttraumatic stress. 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. Friendly fire, one of the earliest 1976 notable nonfiction books about the vietnam war, is now available electronically through open road media. Based on hundreds of interviews, news accounts, histories and military archives, the book combines intensive research with bowdens propulsive narrative style and insightful analysis. Beevors stalingrad is the better of his two books on the war. When war reporting is a coin toss between bravery and bravado. Books about nonfiction what should i read next register for free to build your own book lists. Selection for the chautauqua literary and scientific circle reading series purchase here or here.
Ten vietnam war novels to read council on foreign relations. Another revolutionary telling of the vietnam war, bao ninhs the sorrow of war is reported to have been written against the communist partys wishes. Nonfiction audiobooks matching keywords vietnam war. His coverage of the war in dispatches was groundbreaking for its presented a type of. Literary legacy of the vietnam war ken lopez bookseller.
The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. Three are novels, two of which were written by vietnam war veterans. American journalism 19691975, along with its companion volume, captures the bravery, fear, cruelty, suffering, anger, and sorrow of a tragic conflict. Writer whose memoir dispatches has been acclaimed as the best book about the vietnam war. An international history of the war for peace in vi. An oral history of the vietnam war by black veterans by wallace terry. The top 30 vietnam war books to read this winter historynet.
War story author jim morris ponders the hated nickname baby killers given to vietnam war soldiers, and then explains the extraordinary lengths u. On these pages is a guide to the more important changes and their meaning to students. The fall of an empire and the making of americas vietnam, by fredrik logevall fredrik logevalls book focuses on the french conflict in vietnam at the end of world war ii and the beginning of the american one in 1959. Best nonfiction for teens five books expert recommendations.
The books below are among the most illuminating and some of the best. No 9 dispatches by michael herr 1977 a compelling sense of urgency and a unique voice make michael herrs vietnam memoir the definitive account of war in our. There is still a place for a great war book such as dispatches. The product of years of investigative reporting, interviews around the world, and the discovery of an astonishing array of classified information, tiger force.
For viewers of the ken burns pbs documentary on the vietnam war. Selection of his writings from 1953 to 1966 with introduction, commentary and epilogue. There are an extraordinary number of works both fiction and nonfiction that seek to understand the impact of the war or simply excise the longfestering wounds that resulted. Diving into a book about the vietnam war can be a daunting task. Get the best deals on vietnam war nonfiction books when you shop the largest online. Audible provides the highest quality audio and narration. Chess lovers will relish every move and countermove in this exhaustive unearthing of the machinations between the military and the press during the vietnam war. In the last few years, with the publication of such books as jacques leslies the mark and william prochnaus once upon a distant war, historians and former.
Harrison evans salisbury november 14, 1908 july 5, 1993, was an american journalist and the first regular new york times correspondent in moscow after world war ii biography. The definitive collection of fiction and nonfiction on the war. A history of the vietnamese by keith weller taylor, hanois war. To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. Hundreds of hours of interviews, detailed letters, and reports from the. 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. Anne garrels was a brave news journalist reporting on the war in iraq. The top 10 books of war reportage books the guardian. Its a compilation of stories, mostly from war correspondents covering. By 1955, and after decades of resistance to french colonials, vietnam was partitioned into northern and southern territories. Michael herr, the american writer and war correspondent famous for writing dispatches, described as the best book i have ever read on men and war in our. These 9 vietnam war books range from darkly comic war fiction to. These include winners of national book awards and pulitzer prizes, both fiction and nonfiction. London times journalist ayres reluctantly joins the elite, noble, and fuckedup profession of middle east war correspondent in this report from the frontlines awoken at 6.
These 10 books, in addition to the ones below, were recommended multiple times. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign relations. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. On the first day of the tet lunar new year holiday in 1968, viet cong and north vietnamese forces attacked the ancient city of hue, the onetime capital of vietnam and the countrys thirdlargest city. In this powerfully plainspoken account, one of the leading female journalists of the vietnam war relays her personal experience of the bloody conflict that divided america and changed the global polit. Download nonfiction audiobooks matching keywords vietnam war to your device. In the last few years, with the publication of such books as jacques leslies the mark and william prochnaus once upon a distant war, historians and. Isaacs is an author, freelance writer and editor, and educator, and was previously a reporter, foreign and washington correspondent, and editor for the baltimore sun. Go beyond ken burns documentary and discover the landmark memoirs and bestselling novels of the vietnam war. Jan 23, 2009 not only did glantz spend several years in iraq, covering the war and reporting on the lives of iraqis, but he was deeply affected by the conflict to the point of suffering posttraumatic stress.
The truth about the man behind the rifle by mitchell, gary d. Usa today s bob minzesheimer recommends books by 10 authors. Winner of the 1966 george polk memorial award for his outstanding interpretive reporting of the vietnam war. Clearsighted, uncompromising essays on the escalating vietnamese conflict. Among other overseas assignments for the sun, he covered the final three years of the vietnam war his books include without honor. This second volume traces events from the revelation of the my lai massacre in 1969 through the fall of saigon in 1975. Vietnam war novel wins national book award the new york times. You may also request these titles online through our opac. Patriots was a main selection of bomc and won the massachusetts book award for nonfiction. The classic reporting on the vietnam war is a jonathan schells outstanding commentaries on the american military operations in. From actionpacked eyewitness accounts such as guadalcanal diary to devastating holocaust memoirs like the diary of anne frank and night to the thrilling espionage tale of operation mincemeat, world war ii is the subject of some of the most fascinating.
One of the least wellknown of the vietnam books which stand out from the rest is a collection of short stories by tom mayer, called the weary falcon. The war by its military photographers in new york journal of books. While the list of books about this conflict includes hundreds of. Herrs book contains some of the best war reporting ever written, but it should be read as it was writtenone piece at a time, with plenty of time between each dispatch to let it settle. Vietnam war novel wins national book award the new york. Webb, as you probably know, went on to write a few other books and still find the time to become a u. There is catch22, and slaughterhouse five, and these are classics to be sure. 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. Once again culling from the excellent comments left in my original post on the topic from a while back, here are the books many readers suggested anthony beevors books stalingrad and the fall of berlin 1945. Salisbury was among the earliest mainstream journalists to oppose the vietnam war after reporting from north vietnam in 1966.
Winner of the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction, this debut novel could fit into half a dozen. A bright shining lie is a sprawling, powerful account of the peril and folly of the vietnam war. Hue 1968 is likely to claim a place on the shelf of essential books about the vietnam war. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign.
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. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. Enough books novels and non fiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library. Dispatches by michael herr softcover vietnam war reporting memoir.
An international history of the war for peace in vietnam audiobook. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. John steinbeck died shortly after he produced the contents of steinbeck in vietnam. One is literary nonfiction by a vietnam war veteran.
John paul vann who arrived in vietnam in 1962 and witnessed firsthand the corruption, deception, arrogance, and incompetence that would ultimately define the vietnam war. Tree of smoke, a novel by denis johnson about the vietnam war that features stories of american and vietnamese soldiers, won the national book award for fiction. Studs terkel as a vietnam combat veteran who participated in most of the major historical battles of 1968, im understadably ambivalent about reading vietnam books, fiction and. Best literature about the vietnam war 283 books goodreads. The books below are among the most illuminating and some of the best vietnam war books. Americas wars have inspired some of the worlds best literature, and the vietnam war is no exception. Free shipping on many items browse your favorite brands affordable prices. Nonfiction an intimate history of killing by joanna bourke. Appy is a professor of history at the university of massachusetts, amherst, and the author of two previous books on the vietnam war. The novel explores the war from the perspective of a former north vietnamese soldier, kien, and is a nonlinear telling of how the conflict transformed himself, his country and those around him. The recipient of the national book award and the pulitzer prize for nonfiction, neil sheehas book stands among the best accounts of the war, bringing to light the experiences of lt. After we posted this article, times readers weighed in with their favorite books on the vietnam war. Defeat in vietnam and cambodia and vietnam shadows. Reporting vietnam is one of the harder books ive read, and not just because it is more than 800 pages.
A history of the vietnamese by keith weller taylor. Marc favreau, author of the brilliant spies, recommends some of the best. Reporting vietnam is an abridgment and updating of hammonds massive twovolume work issued by the government printing office. Based on classified and recently declassified government documentsincluding nixons national security filesas well as on extensive interviews and surveys of press war coverage, it tells how government and media.
307 1371 525 903 931 1476 442 1410 337 909 949 1490 1081 1293 1067 1324 787 332 676 343 1135 446 1324 245 191 582 958 1078 379 260 629 1318