Our books experts recommends 10 authors to read on the conflict. This book is an excellent overview of the whole vietnam american war and all of its important aspects, and all the history behind it. Vietnam war summary at the end of world war ii, political and military tensions between the united states and its onetime ally the soviet union increased dramatically. This book is an excellent overview of the whole vietnamamerican war and all of its important aspects, and all the history behind it.
In the vietnam war, mark atwood lawrence draws upon the latest research in archives around the world. Fifty years later, many questions about the vietnam war are still being debated. The vietnam war is the commonly used name for the second indochina war, 19541975. The vietnam war 19451975 quiz that tests what you know about important details and events in the book. Oct 08, 2015 perhaps the only decent thing to emerge from the vietnam war is a body of literature unsurpassed by the writing thats come out of any other war. The vietnam war is in full swing and soldiers either enlist voluntarily or are drafted. A brief overview of world war ii video dailymotion. Diving into a book about the vietnam war can be a daunting task. Booktopia buy vietnam war books online from australias leading online bookstore. Recent generations may have learned of my lai, perhaps from a brief paragraph in anamerican history textbook, but increasingly, it seems, students in history classrooms have not.
Overview of the vietnam war digital history id 2925. Each chapter is packed with key event s leading up to, during the vietnam war, who actually started the conflict, and who was involved, and much more. A brief overview of world war ii october 15, 2016 june 11, 2017 daniel world war ii the war in europe began in september 1939 when nazi germany, under adolf hitler, invaded poland. Marlantes drew upon his personal experiences fighting in vietnam to produce a work of stark realism conveying the true brutality and numbing routine experienced in combat.
On april 30, 1975, the south vietnamese capital of saigon fell to the north vietnamese, who reunited the country under communist rule as the socialist republic of vietnam, ending the vietnam war. In july 1954, after one hundred years of colonial rule, a defeated france was forced to leave vietnam. As an illustrator and writer he combines history with a fun and intriguing graphical style. 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.
North and south vietnam were divided at the 17th parallel. Usually it refers to the period when the united states and other members of the seato southeast asia treaty organization joined the forces with the republic of south vietnam to contest communist forces, comprised of south vietnamese guerrillas and regular. 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. Brief overview of the history of vietnam vietnam has a history of tribes uniting to form strong dynasties.
Even today, many americans still ask whether the american effort in vietnam was a sin, a. In august 1945, viet minh guerillas captured the capital city of hanoi in indoc. This was a book i read before i went to vietnam and it was written by an army doctor who wasnt even there. Now he presents a book series for children who have a curiosity about the world around them and its rich past, in the form of his new series simple history. Jim oconnor has written several books for who hq, including what is rock. Combat trauma and the undoing of character is a 1994 work of. In the short history of vietnam war literature, publishers would hardly touch a book on the war until the late 1970s and early 1980sa part of the selfinduced. The vietnam war is likely the most problematic of all the wars in american history.
Running alongside the vietnam war, the conflict in laos, which lasted from 1953 to 1975, was nominally a civil war fought between communist forces backed by. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. It was fought between north vietnam and south vietnam. The war in europe began in september 1939 when nazi germany, under adolf hitler, invaded poland. Vietnam is a long, narrow nation shaped like the letter s. It resulted in nearly 60,000 american deaths and in an estimated 2 million vietnamese deaths. Originally serialized much like the history of the second world war series of the 70s, this work is distinguished by a large number of excellent photos, numerous sidebars detailing the major weapons used by both sides, explanations of tactics, and many eyewitness accounts from participants on both sides.
In 1959, ho commenced a guerilla campaign in south vietnam, led by viet cong units, with the goal of reuniting the country under a communist government. The first dynasty that many consider to be the start of the vietnamese state was the hong bang dynasty which was ruled by the legendary hung kings. History of laos secret war and the way it transformed. The vietnam war was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist. The viet cong were vietnamese rebels in the south who fought against the southern vietnam government and the united states.
Among these is linds book, which says the liberal cold warriors like lyndon johnson, mcgeorge bundy, and dean rusk were right about vietnam. Two years later, in 1975, north vietnam invaded the south and, while the last american military advisers hastily left, took control of the whole country, which became the socialist republic of vietnam. A history is a nonfiction book by american historian bruce cumings, first published in 2010. A short summary of the disastrous and bloody vietnam war. The book also explores the relationship of the vietnam war to the cold war politics of the time. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of korean war by bruce cumings. Virtually from the outset, the vietnamese were ruled by the chinese, and they would continue to be until a. The novel begins in 1969 and focuses on three main characters. A wave of new books on the vietnam war, based on fresh archival evidence, is beginning to break. 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. Mar 12, 2020 the book lives up to its brief and accessible billingpublishers weekly in an elegant, almost elegiac prose style, mark lawrence takes us through the history of the vietnam war in a narrative that transcends the usual focus on vietnam and the united states. The vietnam war remains a topic of extraordinary interest, not least because of striking parallels between that conflict and more recent fighting in the middle east.
During the centuries of chinese control over the red river delta, two independent states rose to power in what is now central and. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The vietnam war is also referred to as the second indochina war, due to the involvement of all three countries previously constituting the french territory of indochina. The book lives up to its brief and accessible billingpublishers weekly in an elegant, almost elegiac prose style, mark lawrence takes us through the history of the vietnam war in a narrative that transcends the usual focus on vietnam and the united states. In the early 1900s, nationalist movements emerged in vietnam, demanding more selfgovernance and less. In the early 1900s, nationalist movements emerged in vietnam, demanding more selfgovernance and less french influence. The cold war was a period of heightened military and political tensions between the united states and its allies on one side and the soviet union and its allies on the other. Learn about vietnam war protests, the tet offensive, the my lai massacre, the pentagon papers and more. What was the vietnam war oconnor, jim, who hq, foley, tim. The final book on your list of books about the vietnam war is 365 days. During the 1950s and 1960s, the united states fought wars to. In each of clausewitzs periods of acclaimpostfrancoprussian war, postboer war, postvietnam warthe philosophers admirers have thoroughly tied his ideas to the spirit of their own times. Now he presents a book series for children who have a curiosity about the world around them and its rich past, in the form of his.
On 25th april 1976, the democratic republic of vietnam was renamed the socialist republic of vietnam. Halfway around the world, another cold war conflict was escalating. Vietnam war summaryoverview of the conflict history. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of achilles in vietnam by jonathan shay. War with cambodia, isolation, trade embargoes, and devastating natural disasters, all added to vietnam s difficulties in forging ahead. This book provides a short, accessible introduction to the origins of the vietnam war. The greatest battle of the vietnam air war the air combat trilogy book 2 jeffrey ethell. The top 30 vietnam war books to read this winter historynet. The struggle for control of vietnam, which had been a french colony since 1887, lasted for three decades. Their core values include respect for authority, loyalty, hard work, and dedication. The northern part of vietnam is on the edge of the tropical climatic zone. The vietnam war stands as one of the pivotal moments in recent u. Fearing communism would continue reading vietnam war summary.
A very brief history is a fastpaced narrative giving all the essential details of the worlds most important cold warera conflict. They lived through the korean war and are recognized for their strong traditional views of religion, family, and country. Eventually, vietnam was unified into a communist state. A history is a monster of a book, a dense 700pluspage comprehensive history of the region that offers an overview of some 175 years of vietnamese history before focusing in meticulous detail on the period from 1945 to 1975 when the communist revolution began against the french and culminated in the defeat of the.
They are a very quick read so he averages two a day but hes also a bookworm. The vietnam war this is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as a printed book. The vietnam war first began in 1959, five years after the division of the country by the geneva accords. The vietnam war also known as second indochina war or american war in vietnam lasted from 1 november 195530 april 1975, 19 years, 5 months, 4 weeks and 1 day. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the vietnam war. A brief history with documents bedford series in history and. Ready to read the most celebrated and best vietnam war books. It was a morally ambiguous conflict from the start, ostensibly a war against communism yet also a war to suppress nationalist selfdetermination. An overview of the vietnam war the university of north.
It was part of a larger regional conflict as well as a manifestation of the cold war. The vietnam war memorial the vietnam war memorial is a monument that was built in honor of individuals in the american armed services who died during the conflict. The origins of the vietnam war by fredrik logevall, 20. An overview of the vietnam war overview in this lesson, students will be introduced to the vietnam war through a simulation regarding the anxiety of combat and will then receive an overview of the war via a teacher power point presentation or lecture provided, or a text book reading followed by class discussion.
But what he did was he interviewed the people he was treating and it was one of the great examples of breaking through the statistics. The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations. In 1977, vietnam became a member of the united nations. The book is widely regarded as one of the best fictional accounts of the war, the washington post calling it one of the great american war novels. War with cambodia, isolation, trade embargoes, and devastating natural disasters, all added to vietnams difficulties in forging ahead. Located in the south atlantic, argentina had long claimed these islands as part of its territory.
The second indochina war, 19541975, grew out of the long conflict between france and vietnam. In world war ii, ho formed the league for the independence of vietnam, or viet minh, which during its resistance to the japanese occupation of vietnam, received money and arms from the united states through the o. Vietnam war simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Apr 20, 20 at the end of world war ii, political and military tensions between the united states and its onetime ally the soviet union increased dramatically. This book is a british take on the american involvement in vietnam. The vietnam war or american war, as it is called in vietnam was long and bloody. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The vietnam war has roots in vietnam s centuries of domination by imperial and colonial powersfirst china, which ruled ancient vietnam, and then france, which took control of vietnam in the late 1800s and established french indochina. Vietnam was the longest war in american history and the most unpopular american war of the 20th century. Maude, on war s 1908 english editor, linked him firmly to their own social darwinism. Carried is a series of nonlinear short stories that focus on a platoon of american soldiers.
War were revived at the war s end, and a postwar campaign engineered by hanoi to limit the role of vietnam s ethnic chinese community in domestic commerce elicited a strong protest from beijing. The veterans ie, people born approximately between 1922 and 1943 were children of the great depression and world war ii. The monument consists of a black marble wall and is located in a 3 acre park area of constitutional gardens in washington, d. The vietnam war lasted about 40 years and involved several countries. Using blitzkrieg tactics the country was quickly overtaken. A turning point of the american war in vietnam, the new book from mark bowden of the atlantic, tells the tactical narrative of these events splendidly albeit with a dubious epilogue.
Vietnam had been divided into two, with a communist regime in the north under ho chi minh and a democratic government in the south under ngo dinh diem. It is an exhaustive history of the years leading up to the. The city of saigon was later renamed to ho chi minh city in his honor. Oct 14, 2016 the war in europe began in september 1939 when nazi germany, under adolf hitler, invaded poland. Learn about the falklands war with this overview of the. The vietnam war has roots in vietnams centuries of domination by imperial and colonial powersfirst china, which ruled ancient vietnam, and then france, which took control of vietnam in the late 1800s and established french indochina. The war ended with the fall of saigon, the capital of usbacked south vietnam. North vietnam was supported by the soviet union, china and north korea, while south vietnam was supported by the united states, south korea, thailand, australia, new. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign relations. The things they carried is a series of short stories involving those things, things that bring you to reality. There is catch22, and slaughterhouse five, and these are classics to be sure.
So allison wrote this book, he says, to provide students a concise but thorough overview of the context, events, legacies, and principal sources about my. In 111 bc, the han dynasty from china absorbed vietnam into their empire. The war had a profound and lasting impact on the politics and society of vietnam and the united states, and it also had a major impact on international relations. Dec 15, 2016 vietnam war explained vietnam war explained youtube vietnam war explained for dummies vietnam war explained youtube vietnam war explained for dummies vietnam. Overview of the generations generation y, generation x. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. A novel of the vietnam war is a novel by karl marlantes, published in 2009. Fought in 1982, the falklands war was the result of the argentine invasion of the britishowned falkland islands.