My top three books on the Vietnam war
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- čas přidán 10. 11. 2022
- In this video I discuss my favourite three books about the Vietnam War.
Michael Herr - Dispatches
Karl Marlantes - Matterhorn
Tim O'Brien - The Things They Carried
Have you read any of these? What did you think?
Do you have any recommendations of other books on the Vietnam War?
Let me know in the comments!
Chickenhawk - Robert Mason. Haven't read many Vietnam books but this makes it onto my all genre favourites list so I feel happy recommending it. If you have a specific interest in the Air Cav or aviation, I'd say it's a must read.
Thanks for the comment. I’ve heard of this but never read it- I’ll add it to my list!
I used to own 71 books on Vietnam, have read about it since 1985, and visited there back in 2005, from Hanoi and Dien Bien Phu in the North, down to the Mekong Delta. The best book by far that I've read about Nam is 'The Bright Shining Lie' by Neil Sheehan about John Paul Vann, the advisor that they should've listened to, 'About Face' by Colonel David Hackworth (the US Army veteran who once said 'the only people who know how to fight this war are the Australians and the Vietcong'), 'Before the Dawn'' by Mickey Block about his time as a SEAL in the Mekong and coping with extreme PTSD afterwards, and 'Platoon' by Dale Dye, are also very good. Also check out:-
Inside the VC/NVA by Michael Lee Lanning
Hue 1968 by Mark Bowden (biggest urban battle in Vietnam)
The Tunnels of Cu Chi by Tom Mangold (the Vietcong tunnel war)
Bloods by Wallace Terry (experiences of Black Americans in Vietnam)
Thanks so much for this comment and all the recommendations. I’ll check these out!
Agree with below, "Chickenhawk" is superb. Am currently reading Marlantes' "What's it like to go to war" and only Dispatches beats it.
Thanks! Chickenhawk is now on the top of my to-read list.
In Cormac McCarthy’s The Passenger, Bobby Western wants his co salvage diver buddy, Oiler, to describe his time in Vietnam. IMO an excellent description and personal takeaway follows, including this: “I can tell you this shit. But it’s not going to mean anything. I’m not even sure what it means to me. If I think about things that I just dont want to know about they’re all things that I do know about. And I’ll always know them. Too fucking bad. Somebody next to you takes a round and it sounds like it’s hitting mud. Well. It is. You could have gone your whole life without knowing that. But there you are. You know every day that you’re someplace that you aint supposed to be. But there your young ass is.”
Fantastic quote. Thanks for sharing. I need to read The Passenger.
@@mrgunnhistory glad you liked it. There was more to that conversation if you do read. The major theme is the fallout (pun intended) for the son and daughter of father who was part of the Oak Ridge Tenn.
@@mrgunnhistory team that put the atomic bomb together… I’m a fan of his early Tennessee novels particularly Suttree!
@@larrycarr4562 It sounds interesting - the only Cormac McCarthy I've read is Blood Meridian - a long time ago!
My dad was an 18 year old marine when he got to Vietnam. He did 4 tours there and fought in hue city during the tet offensive as well as the 77 days at Khe Sahn. He’s got some absolute brutal and wild stories and still has the kabar he carried and used and it still has bloodstains from NVA or Vietcong on it to this day. Wild war.
Thanks for the comment, that's incredible. To be sent to war on the other side of the world aged 18... that really is something else.
I had the honour of interviewing some Vietnam veterans for some academic work I did and could hardly believe some of the stories and difficulties they went through. A fascinating and horrifying time - I'm sure fiction doesn't really do it justice.
That's incredible.
I’d also recommend Fields of Fire by James Webb. Like Marlantes, Webb was an infantry officer in the Marine Corps and also received the Navy Cross for his actions in combat. I don’t think it’s as good as Matterhorn, but still a great book inspired by the author’s personal experiences.
Thanks! I’ll have a look at that work by Webb.
fantastic video, thanks! reading list sorted :D
Thanks - enjoy!
Thank you. Glad I just found you!
Pleased you’re enjoying the channel!
co B 4th div. gunt central Highland 67-68 Tim Obrien. My favorite V.N. story having lived that year in the jungle and highland, perhaps a work of fiction but not for me.
Thanks for sharing.
I've read over 300 books about the Vietnam war, kept all my books, some has been converted into mouse homes, I still cry. It would take some time, but I could pick out some good ones. I met w/ a special forces author. that had 3 books and autograph a couple. H is name is Gary L. super man. God Bless Him.
Thanks for the comment, that's an incredible amount of reading. It's amazing how much literature (and other art) was inspired by Vietnam.
Going to buy one (kindle) after I finish the video
Edit: I bought the things they carried.
I hope you enjoy it! Let me know.