Many of the countrys war veterans are outraged by the teachings. There were a few vietnamese publications with pictures from the war, but not a single comprehensive attempt to put all the war images together. This is a great piece of writing and the guy is obviously a talented writer. It was part of a larger regional conflict as well as a manifestation of the cold war. Ive read several books by american authors about the vietnam war, and now id like to read something from the vietnamese perspective. Existing studies of the vietnam war have been written mostly from an american perspective, using western sources, and viewing the conflict through western eyes. Memoirs of a victim turned soldier accounts of the vietnam war from the perspective of vietnamese are often overlooked, and books by south vietnamese soldiers in particular are relatively rare. Vietnam war 195475, conflict that pitted the communist government of north vietnam and its allies in south vietnam, the viet cong, against south vietnam and its principal ally, the united states. The series of images were collected by some of the hundreds of north vietnamese and viet cong photographers, and documents the gruesome details of the battle, as seen from the eyes of the enemy. A companion to the vietnam war contains twentyfour definitive essays on americas longest and most divisive foreign conflict. This book, based on extensive original research, including vietnamese, chinese and former soviet sources, presents a history of the war from the perspective of the vietnamese communists.
At the seminar, leading western diplomatic and military historians and vietnam scholars met with prominent vietnamese communists to reflect on the vietnam war. Since then i have gathered up quite a collection of books and dvds on the vietnam war or as the vietnamese say the american war. These include winners of national book awards and pulitzer prizes, both fiction and nonfiction. Surveys and evaluates the best scholarship on every important era and topic. Studying vietnams history for more than 12 years in school cannot compare to 12 days reading one of these books. New novel offers female perspective on the vietnam war. Vietnamese history students are bored due to the factled curriculum and poor standards of teaching, resulting in widespread failure in the subject. Surprisingly, few works have focused on the subject of this study. Ang cheng guan has produced firstrate works recounting that experience, and communist decisionmaking in particular, including the vietnam war from the other side. Here are two very different accounts of that same extraordinary day.
So, here is my curated list of 25 books on vietnam and vietnamese culture. Told entirely from suzys perspective, it deals with confusion, anxiety, fear. The ambassadors credentials, as i saw it, were also twofold. Teaching students about vietnam war vietnamese perspective. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. Hundreds of thousands of americans wore pow bracelets, each engraved with the name, rank and capture date of one american serviceman imprisoned or declared missing in vietnam. Vietnamese perspectives on the war in vietnam hsu digital. A vietnamese perspective on the wars war is boring. Some, like the ken burns documentary delve a bit into the north vietnamese vc experience. A vietnamese perspective on the wars war is boring medium. Using neverbeforeseen archival materials from the vietnam ministry of foreign affairs, as well as materials from other archives around the world, nguyen explores the politics of war making and peacemaking not only from the north vietnamese perspective but also from that of south vietnam, the soviet union, china, and the united states. Book examines vietnam war from viet congs point of view pbs. What books are good to read about a complete history of vietnam. Unseen pictures of the vietnam war from the other side.
Highlights issues of nationalism, culture, gender, and race. Renny christopher, the viet nam warthe american war. This book that complements the tv series is just epic and deserves its place along with stanley karnow vietnam and neil sheehan a bright shining lie. As time went on, the fate of pows became a subject of widespread concern in the united states. Stewart onans the vietnam reader is perfect for the indecisive as it highlights the best texts from an american perspective, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged.
Sorrow of war offers the north vietnamese perspective by tracing the warhaunted life of kien, a former infantryman turned writer, as he. Covers the breadth of vietnam war history, including american war policies, the vietnamese. Ready to read the most celebrated and best vietnam war books. We toured the reunification palace, which is a time capsule of the way it was on the day the north vietnamese army tanks rolled through the front gates in 1975 when the nva finally captured saigon. Sorrow of war offers the north vietnamese perspective by tracing the war haunted life of kien, a former infantryman turned writer, as he. According to some academics and politicians, vietnams socialist government believes that teaching students about a heroic victory against the americans makes poor economic sense. Recommended vietnams history before and after 1975 books. Vietnamese army shares his insights into many aspects of the vietnam war. Among the most positive is an abundance of topnotch books, many written by veterans of the conflict. From the awardwinning historian and filmmakers of the civil war, baseball, the war, the roosevelts, and others. 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. Eight writers share their mustread books from vietnam and. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. As its title suggests, it tells the story from the perspective of the vietnamese.
Its a shame, because although there are many excellent books written by american authors about the conflict, they dont give you an idea of how a vietnamese person saw the war. American and vietnamese perspectives this book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. Hi james, i invite you to check out my book once upon a mulberry field, which i spent 6 years to write before publishing it in 2014. The vietnamese communist perspective in the last decade, there have been a growing number of scholarly writings on the vietnam war seen from the communist side. That morning, as communist troops swept into the south vietnamese capital of saigon. Some, like the ken burns documentary delve a bit into the north vietnamesevc experience. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. In the fiction section, you will find the best books on vietnam war, other vietnam bestseller novels as well as novels set in vietnam. What is the best book about vietnam war written from vietnams. What is the best book about vietnam war written from. Thirteen prisons and prison camps housed american prisoners of war in north vietnam.
The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations. The continuing american inability and unwillingness to include the vietnamese perspective also speaks volumes about how the united states. Hanoi, vietnam forty years ago, on april 30, 1975, nguyen dang phat experienced the happiest day of his life. Oct 08, 2019 hi, where can i read the vietnamese version of the vietnam war. Discover the best vietnam war history in best sellers. The vietnam war, as seen by the victors the atlantic. In this post, you will find a list of the best vietnam books to read in 2020. The whole of the anti vietnam war movement sprang from the belief that the vietnam war was essentially a national revolutionary movement against the south vietnamese regime, perceived by them as unpopular, not one fomented or directed by the communist north which, in turn, was being instructed by communist china. Dec, 2017 in this post, you will find a list of the best vietnam books to read in 2020. The vietnam war was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of north vietnam against south vietnam and its principal ally, the united states.
Covers the breadth of vietnam war history, including american war policies, the vietnamese perspective, the antiwar movement, and the american home front. New novel offers female perspective on the vietnam war a woman walks next to a hoarding marking the 45th anniversary of the fall of saigon, in hanoi agence france presse 30 apr 2020. Here is a rare glimpse of the bloody war from the perspective of the other side. Before the sympathizer won the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction, many readers didnt know any authors or books written from the vietnamese perspective. It represents the best current scholarship on this controversial and influential episode in modern american history. Veterans frustrated with ken burns film on vietnam war.
A history of the vietnamese cambridge concise histories. 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. I have broken down the best books about vietnam into helpful sections. 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. Accounts of the vietnam war from the perspective of vietnamese are often overlooked, and books by south vietnamese soldiers in particular are. Where can i read the vietnamese version of the vietnam war.
Because of the vietnam war is to be the international war when a great power has been. A vietnam war reader american and vietnamese perspectives. Apr 15, 2008 a companion to the vietnam war contains twentyfour definitive essays on americas longest and most divisive foreign conflict. Books from the north vietnamese perspective hey all, ive read many books, watched numerous documentaries on the war, all of which primarily cover the american experience of it. A gripping documentary on the vietnam war described by many viewers as a masterful depiction of a prolonged conflict that divided the nation has left many american and vietnamese veterans. Aug 14, 20 accounts of the vietnam war from the perspective of vietnamese are often overlooked, and books by south vietnamese soldiers in particular are relatively rare. A north vietnamese perspective on the war bui tin on. Americas wars have inspired some of the worlds best literature, and the vietnam war is no exception. According to some academics and politicians, vietnam s socialist government believes that teaching students about a heroic victory against the americans makes poor economic sense. How young vietnamese view the vietnam war the atlantic. One of my favourites from this list is the beauty of humanity movement, it might be an oldie but it is a great book that tells an interesting story about key characters and their lives in old vietnam. Ninh, a north vietnamese veteran, telegraphs the theme of his novel in the title.
The vietnamese revolution and politicalmilitary strategy. The best vietnam war stories by vietnamese authors culture trip. I do not own any of the songs or images used in this video. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. Apr 30, 2020 new novel offers female perspective on the vietnam war a woman walks next to a hoarding marking the 45th anniversary of the fall of saigon, in hanoi agence france presse 30 apr 2020. Hi, where can i read the vietnamese version of 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. When photojournalist doug niven first went to hanoi, he expected to see the war from the vietnamese perspective, but to his surprise, there was not even a north vietnamese book on the war. How the north vietnamese remember the vietnam war, 40.
Apr 30, 2015 how young vietnamese view the vietnam war. James zumwalt about his new book on the vietnam war, as seen. Hanoi, vietnamforty years ago, on april 30, 1975, nguyen dang phat experienced the happiest day of his life. What struck me about it is the similarity of the feeling between people who just by the grace of god, by luck, were on. The vietnam war stands as one of the pivotal moments in recent u. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Aug 17, 2017 studying vietnams history for more than 12 years in school cannot compare to 12 days reading one of these books. Ten vietnam war novels to read council on foreign relations. Smith identified three broad phases in the evolution of western scholarship on the communist side of. In poetry, eighteenthcentury vietnamese poet ho xuan huongan independentminded, resistant woman in a confucian societyis known for her frank humor and. First, by a similar accident of nature, he was born in the city of hanoi and came of age at a time when american aircraft routinely sought to free the vietnamese people from communist domination by bombing what was then termed north vietnam back into the stone age. Apr 16, 2015 hanoi, vietnamforty years ago, on april 30, 1975, nguyen dang phat experienced the happiest day of his life.
Using neverbeforeseen archival materials from the vietnam ministry of foreign affairs, as well as materials from other archives around the world, nguyen explores the politics of warmaking and peacemaking not only from the north vietnamese perspective but also from that of south vietnam, the soviet union, china, and the united states. Apr 19, 2011 we toured the reunification palace, which is a time capsule of the way it was on the day the north vietnamese army tanks rolled through the front gates in 1975 when the nva finally captured saigon. Books there is no book in english, and probably none in any other language, that provides as comprehe. A slew of war memoirs stand with the best writing of that genre. If you want to read the vietnamese version of the vietnam war, you should seek the english books. A vietnamese soldiers perspective of the vietnam war. 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. Next on your list of vietnam war books is one written from the perspective of the viet cong. For translated works, bao ninhs the sorrow of war, which offers a unique perspective from a north vietnamese infantryman, is considered one of the greatest war novels from any country. On april 30, 1975, the war came to an abrupt end when saigon transferred hands. Opinion vietnam wasnt just an american war the new.
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