War reporting vietnam books by vietnamese authors

Of the thirtynine books recommended below by eight authors, translators, and researchers, there are names that repeated asterisked titles appeared on multiple lists, mustreads for their historical importance. During the french war in indochina the cias involvement grew to encompass a base in hanoi but not much more, since the french did not encourage cia activity. We cant include them all, so weve made 20 notable choices for you to check out. 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 correspondents have been examining closely the role of journalism in the conduct of the vietnam war. There are a few writers who i am always excited whenever their new books come out.

Twentyfive years after the last american troops withdrew from vietnam, this unique twovolume anthology from the library of america evokes a turbulent and controversial period in american history and journalism. Vietnamese immigrants first novel wins pulitzer prize. American rape of vietnamese women was considered standard. This second volume traces events from the revelation of the my lai massacre in 1969 through the fall of saigon in 1975. Authored by journalist frances fitzgerald, this account of vietnam, its history, and the effects of its war with the united states was on the bestseller list for more than ten weeks. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign. Three are novels, two of which were written by vietnam war veterans. The vietnamese communist party banned the book because of its unflattering recitation of the wars brutality.

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. The american intervention in vietnam sparked a global antiwar movement, with poetry reflecting the angry mood against the military campaign. A slew of war memoirs stand with the best writing of that genre. This category has the following subcategories, out of total.

List of books and articles about vietnam war in literature. Catfish and mandala is the story of an american odyssey. And other vietnam war short stories and memories are like clouds worked for uso in vietnam from 197072. Excellent study of the vietnam war looking at a far wider range of topics than in most books on this war, and with contributions from american, north vietnamese and south vietnamese authors and participants in the war. Eight writers share their mustread books from vietnam and. Gloria emerson emerson was best known for her awardwinning reporting of the vietnam war for the new york times. In this case, the topic was books about the vietnam war. Among the most positive is an abundance of topnotch books, many written by veterans of the conflict. Wehrle page images at hathitrust personalities of the liberation movement of south vietnam 1965, by u. The th valley by john del vecchio there have been a number of excellent books about vietnam. The vietnamese and the americans in vietnam by frances fitzgerald. In fact, some of the early works on the vietnam war are by nonamerican authors, who wrote about the subject on ethical grounds. For many americans during the vietnam era, the war on the home front seemed nearly as wrenching and hardfought as the one in southeast asia. This is a hilarious tale of an air force combat fighter pilot in vietnam who goes out on patrol with a special forces team he has supported many times from the air.

Viet thanh nguyen s pulitzer prizewinning the sympathizer, monique truongs the book of salt for its inventiveness, and lan caos monkey bridge, as the first novel by a vietnamese american about the war and its aftermath. Drawn from original newspaper and magazine reports and contemporary books, this volume along with its companion. 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 long silence from one of vietnams bestknown authors is telling of the enduring sensitivities about. A graphic history dwight jon zimmerman, author, wayne vansant, illustrator, chuck horner, foreword by. Jonathan schells classic vietnam books, the village of ben suc and the military half, are now collected in the real war da capo press. The great vietnam war novel was not written by an american. It tells about a group of south vietnamese army officers who escape to the united states at. 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. Vietnam war books l z books on the war in vietnam including the tet offensive, helicopter warfare, viet cong tactics, ho chi min trail and veterans affairs. Committee to aid the national liberation front of south vietnam multiple formats at.

Journalist mark hooper had posted his top ten but, as the first commenter remarked, had neglected to include any books by vietnamese authors. Ten vietnam war novels to read council on foreign relations. This second volume traces events from the revelation of the my lai massacre in 1969 through the fall of. The latest in a long line of studies focused on the legacies of the war in the united states, appys book covers everything from film and literature to foreign and military policy. Opinion the great vietnam war novel was not written by. An impressive piece of work that gives a good overview of the vietnam war and the wider issues that surrounded the conflict. Getty images t oday marks the 40th anniversary of the fall of saigon, the culminating act of the vietnam war and the result of the.

Literature about the war and its aftermath by vietnamese and vietnameseamericans is plentiful and good. Part one contains combatfront writing by journalists who are well known to students of vietnam war historystanley karnow, david halberstam, frances. American journalism 19691975, along with its companion volume, captures the bravery, fear, cruelty, suffering, anger, and sorrow of a tragic conflict. Hooped responded to say that the article was about vietnam books that claim to be the best book on the vietnam war youll ever read. But as william hammond reveals, animosity between government and media wasnt always the rule.

Before he penned the screenplays for jarhead and castaway, a young william broyles enlisted to serve in the vietnam war. The author was the highest ranking member of the communist party to defect after the war. Twenty notable books by connecticut authors in 2018. Do not list books with non vietnamese american protagonists or only secondary characters who are vietnamese american. The definitive collection of fiction and nonfiction on the war 1998 by stewart onan diving into a book about the vietnam war can be a daunting task. The real american war in vietnam metropolitan books, 20. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. No, american journalists did not lose the vietnam war or. What is the best book about vietnam war written from. Toward an honest commemoration of the american war in vietnam this article. After we posted this article, times readers weighed in with their favorite books on the vietnam war. This book is a great read if you enjoy reading books about the vietnam war. This is a joint tomdispatchnation article and appears in print in the nation.

Another revolutionary telling of the vietnam war, bao ninhs the sorrow of war is reported to have been written against the communist partys wishes. His role with the vietnamese communists began when he met ho chi minh while in france. When truong nhu tang returned to vietnam to fight for national liberation, he rose to become the minister of justice for the vietcong. Usa todays bob minzesheimer recommends books by 10 authors historians, journalists and veterans. Viet thanh nguyen grew up in america with war movies like apocalypse now and platoon, which offer accounts of the war focusing on americans. Vietnamese immigrants first book wins pulitzer prize. Why vietnams bestknown author has stayed silent world. The top 10 books of war reportage books the guardian. Seeing the pilot is having a hard time keeping up, one of the chinese mercenaries called nungs, says to the team leader, lets kill the dai uy. No, american journalists did not lose the vietnam war or disparage the soldiers who fought it vietnam full disclosurevietnam full disclosure vietnam full disclosure.

More than a decade later, he returned to his former battlegrounds and recorded his journey in goodbye vietnam. This unparalleled eyewitness account draws on the authors own personal experiences as well as interviews with american soldiers, north vietnamese commanders, and the families back. A dark, funny and vietnamese look at the vietnam war. At this moment, i am out of idea for new novels to read. From his encounters with exvietnamese soldiers to interviews with victims of his own violence, broyles memoir is a reminder of how the brotherhood of man can. Its primary battlefield was the news media, its primary casualty the truth. Part one contains combatfront writing by journalists who. All of the books below had a profound influence on me in one way or another over two decades reporting from war. Wikimedia commons has media related to writers from vietnam subcategories. Bernard fall author bernard fall was an acknowledged authority on vietnam and the wars fought there. These include winners of national book awards and pulitzer prizes, both fiction and nonfiction. The two volumes of reporting vietnam offer a trove of material for such studies.

Enough books novels and nonfiction have been published about the vietnam war and its aftermath to fill a modestsized library. Scores of books by connecticut authors, some wellknown and others making debuts, were published in 2018. 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. The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations.