Good books on the true Vietnam War?

Started by TerribleMan, March 01, 2016, 08:54:38 AM

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Hoofer

If there's ONE thing I'm sure of, War is brutal, and the Victor gets to wrote the history... until a revisionist figures out a way to tell a more palatable tale to a willing audience.
All animals are created equal; Some just take longer to cook.   Survival is keeping an eye on those around you...

a777pilot

Want to read a truly good and accurate novel of war in Vietnam?  Then may I suggest to you, "Matterhorn" by Karl Marlantes.

Enjoy, if that is the right word.
TO ERR IS HUMAN, TO FORGIVE DIVINE - However Neither is Marine Corps Policy

midcan5

Involvement in Vietnam goes back to Pres Truman and Pres Eisenhower, and in a real sense earlier as the great powers had a way of sticking their nose everywhere.  Soviet radio once announced, "We cannot predict the future, but the past is changing before our very eyes."  That is much of American (ideological) history today. The Domino theory held sway then and if you want more proof read about McCarthy sometime. Oh those Dominoes held such power over the mind, over the policies. Truth got lost as it does today in much of our commentary. Many think Kennedy would have got out? Could we have won? No one I know who was there or studied it says we could.  But again if you need proof of lost escapades look only a Afghanistan or even Iraq. Oh and no one spit on me during the late sixties, but one Nam friend said they did in Philly where I too lived.  Timeline below is excellent.

Timeline:  https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-timeline

Best books:

6. A Bright And Shining Lie, Neil Sheehan "If you ever read just one history of the Vietnam war, read this one."

7. Vietnam: A History, Stanley Karnow "The most complete account [of the Vietnam war] to date."

8. Everything We Had, Al Santoli "If I had to recommend only one book as a guide to stepping into the skin of a Vietnam veteran, [this] would be it."

https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2008/feb/05/catchofthedaywhichisthe

And more:

Nonfiction recommendations:  "'Chickenhawk,' by Robert Mason; 'Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam,' by Nick Turse; 'The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War,' by Frederick Downs; 'Pharoah's Army: Memories of the Lost War" by Tobias Wolf; and 'Street Without Joy: Indochina at War, 1946–1954,' by Bernard Fall."

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/books/20-must-read-books-on-the-vietnam-war.html


Wanna make America great, buy American owned, made in the USA, we do. AF Veteran, P-type: Advocate INFJ-A, liberal - conservative.

Mjolnir

I would add Halberstam's "The Best and the Brightest".

Cross Peen

"Marine Sniper" one of my favorites about Carlos Hathcock. By Charles Henderson
"Guns Up" by Johnnie M. Clark
"The Bridge at Dong Ha" by John Grider Miller