Books on the Vietnam war

(Moddies? If this'd fit better under Post WW2? Do it! )


'Graham Green', or some other spelling that sounds the same. Who cares? It was definitely one of the most awesome books I've ever read.

My brother slung me this title, along with a bunch of books he'd picked out at a 'car boot sale' sort of affair. Maybe I was laid up or something? He just figured I could use some reading material and picked me up a little stack of paper backs.

'Saigon'. I barely knew what it 'meant'. It rang some distant bell about 'Viet Nam'. Ok. I had nothing else to do. I'd read about " Viet Nam " ..... I'd just finished two other books. This one was simply next in a random pile.

And what do I find myself reading about? Some 'Deep South Gentleman' type, on board a bloody " Mississippi Queen " type paddle steamer?! WTF? And, sticking with it, they're talking of " French Indo China " ?! Royal Crown Derby China was more up my street!

Blah, blah, blah ..... And there's some French officer chappie, proudly explaining how 'This place is unassailable! Christ; Unless they could physically drag artillary up those damn mountains? No Way can they get at us up ..... " (Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! BOOM!!!) And it's goodnight from him. All hell lets loose. And I'm completely hooked!

Down the years, of course, I've forgotten the place names and dates. But that book taught me more about " 'Nam ", start to finish, than Anything else in my entire lifes experience. The Tet Offensive? Read about it. Pinkville Massacre? I saw the original photo's. Here was some subtext. That famous chopper, on top of the building? Understood!

In fact, just about the vast majority of what I feel I have a handle on, about the Viet Nam conflict, I gained from reading " Saigon ". It's always given me a handle on so much else I've since been able to garner from parousing the net. (I read the book before I knew what a " Computer " was).

There. Just wanted to get that one off my chest. It's Drews fault. He set me off with his own post: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/postwar/16881-vietnam-videos.html

Discuss?

 

I think every now and then you come across a book that has a profound effect on you. I'm not a bigger reader (I have to force myself to start a new book) but one that springs in my mind is 'No Drums, No Trumpets'.

I can't say I've read any books on Vietnam although I have two staring at me from my book shelf called 'Snake Pilot' and 'The Cage'. I will one day get around to reading them.

I recall several people telling me to read a book called 'Chickenhawk' from Vietnam. I assume this must be a good read because so rarely do I get recomendations for the same book from different people.

Cheers

 

Moved to post-war.

 

I recall several people telling me to read a book called 'Chickenhawk' from Vietnam.

READ IT!
Read it in late 1980s, superb book.
Also liked The 13th Valley by John M. Del Vecchio

Steve is this the book you mean?
Saigon: Anthony Grey: Amazon.co.uk: Books

Grey's 800-page chronicle of Vietnam, 1925-1975, turns rich, complex history into a contrived, soap-operatic family saga -
heavy on coincidental meetings, doomed romance, illegitimate babies, and long-lost children. In the 1920s, teenager Joseph Sherman visits Vietnam with his hunting US Senator father, immediately reacting against colonial injustices as he meets: French official Devraux (who sleeps with Joseph's mother); the native-aristocratic, collaborateur Tran family; and Devraux servant Ngo Van Loc, a secretly revolutionary peasant. So, over the decades, Sherman (and kin) will return to Saigon again and again - always getting fatefully involved with these three other clans. In 1936 he'll come as a scholar, fall in hopeless love with Tran daughter Lan (who's betrothed to young Devraux), and make contact with much-tortured guerrilla Loc - whose wife and son have died for the nationalist cause. During WW II pilot Sherman will be shot down over Indochina, winding up in the care of Lan's in-law Dao Van Lat - a fanatic, European-educated rebel who introduces Sherman to the charismatic Ho Chi Minh (a wartime ally against the Japanese): Ho later dupes OSS-man Sherman into helping to legitimate his end-of-war coup; Sherman learns that Lan bore his child, Tuyet (they rescue her from rural famine); Sherman rails against the postwar restoration of colonialism in the south. ("It's a goddamned betrayal of everything Western democracy is supposed to stand for!") In 1954 journalist Sherman is on hand for Dien Bien Phu - and the killing of Lan's husband Devraux by Loc's son Ngo Van Dong (Lan will die too, alas). Then, from the 1960s on, other Shermans appear in Vietnam with near-comic regularity: Joseph's kid brother Guy is a Saigon CIA agent who'll tacitly abet the Nhu coup and die in a grenade clinch with yet another Ngo-family rebel; soldier-son Gary will die trying to prevent My Lai-style excesses by his comrades; soldier-son Mark will be a POW (who happens to be in the custody of Lan's brother Kim!); daughter Tuyet will become a Viet Cong killer. And in 1975, after writing "the bible of the antiwar movement," Sherman will head for Vietnam one last time - to rescue his grand-daughter.

 

That's the one, Owen! And what on earth do ye think Grey must have done to have So evoked the bile of Kirkus US? I think we can hear the grinding of an axe there!

Interestingly, their UK branch say,

" a high octane blockbuster that powers its way to the cliffhanging finale. This skilful blend of fact and fiction is a major work of epic proportions that will leave you breathless with admiration at the scope and texture of the author's vision. "

Five out of six readers reviews give it 5/5. Sixth gives it 4/5. At least two or three say it's the best book they've ever read. One, obviously deeply pissed off Yank drones on and on in a sarcastic effort to destroy the book? What ever. I, like the impartial rest, loved it

Looks like " Chickenhawk " is getting good reviews here too, eh? Hmmm ..... Oh, yeah. Just been looking at the write ups. Damn; Looks like I'm going to be reading Another book! Cheers for the heads up, guys!

 

God, now I'm being taken back!! Read Chickenhawk too and its fabulous. Another book worth reading about the Vietnam war is "A Bright Shining Lie", great book.

 

Hi All,

I'm right now reading this book We Were Soldiers Once & Young by Hal Moore & Joseph Galloway.. As most of you know this was made into a film staring Mel Gibson which is great, right now I'm about 150 pages into this book and can't put it down what a read.. But thats not the only Vietham book I've readed many years ago I was given this book Malcolm McConnell Into The Mouth of the Cat and Trust me poeple this is one book you should read... It was given to me in 1987 to read and yet in 2010 I can still remember most of it, I've even been to The Vietham Wall in Washington DC just to get a photo of the Pilots name and it is Lance Peter Sijan I believe that to this day there are buildings named after him in the US.. Lance was also awarded the MOH for his actions I will leave you to read the book and make your own mind up on this...

Regards
Tom

 

Tom
Good book good read, when you have finished try Chickenhawk its about the Huey pilots and a good book, there are several Nam books out there on the shelf another I read and the title escapes me at present about a Airborne Recon unit and how they patrolled in the boonies.
I worked with a guy 10 years ago who was a medic in a five man patrol he said that in his mind Platoon was the nearest film to what they did during their tour.
Thanks for recommending The Mouth of the Cat I will go to Abebooks and research from there

 

There is a novel

13th Valley about the 101st Airborne

Into the Mouth of the Cat as little as 74p used at Amazon


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A most excellent book, made into an excellent movie.

The soldier on the front cover, Richard Rescorla, born 1939 in Cornwall, England...



...died in the World Trade Center when it collapsed.

From Vietnam to the World Trade Center

Rick Rescorla - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Hi All,

Yep thats the one I have and the paper back with Mel on the front.. And like I said Into the Mouth one of the best books about war that I have read.. Oldman yep read Chickenhawk as well and I have Into the Mouth 1st US and later paperback.. Got the 1st off abe books sometime ago wanted to keep that with the photo...

Cheers
Tom

 

A most excellent book, made into an excellent movie.

The soldier on the front cover, Richard Rescorla, born 1939 in Cornwall, England...



...died in the World Trade Center when it collapsed.

From Vietnam to the World Trade Center

Rick Rescorla - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jeff,

Was that the film that Mel Gibson took the role as Lt Gen Moore?

If so I thought it was a good film.

Regards
Tom

 

Jeff,

Was that the film that Mel Gibson took the role as Lt Gen Moore?

If so I thought it was a good film.

Regards
Tom

Yes, but the movie was called We Were Soldier Once, omitting the "...and Young."

It was one of the better war movies I have seen.

 

The soldier on the front cover, Richard Rescorla, born 1939 in Cornwall, England...



...died in the World Trade Center when it collapsed.

From Vietnam to the World Trade Center

Rick Rescorla - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The made an excellent documentary about him called "The Man who predicted 911". Sadly a battle he lost, but in doing so saved almost all of his company.

 

Jeff,

The problem with living in Germany is that most feature films end up being completely renamed and not just translated.

Regards
Tom

 

There is a book about Rick Rescorla called Heart Of A Soldier, there is a link to it on this site Rick Rescorla.com

 

The film with Mel Gibson was excellent.

 

For you people who like the Air scene there are several novels written about Nam one
being the Flight of the Intruder they also made a film of it, Rolling Thunder and it sister books walked you through the air warfare part taking in F4 ops, Arclight flights, and covered a lot of other areas including the segregation of piolts & GIBS who had served in NATO and where of use to the USSR at the time.
Also one or two books I have read on the subject touched on the use of other forces besides the VNA and Vietcong.

 

Hi Oldman,

Yep Stephan Coonts is Flight of the Intruder read that to again 1st US & UK ones... And where are the Lance Peter Sijan books.. Also Oldman Franklin Allen Leib Fire Dream is another good Vietnam book..

Cheers
Tom

 

I greatly enjoyed the book, Flight of the Intuder, but the movie was less than adequate, IMO.