Vietnam Booklist
A War Remembered. Boston: The Company, 1986.
America in Vietnam: A Documentary History. New York: WW Norton, 1989.
Summary: A collection of essays and documents discussing the causes, character, and
consequences of American involvement in Vietnam.
Ashabranner, Brent K. Always to Remember: The Story of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
New York: Dodd, Mead, 1988.
Summary: Discusses the building of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the controversies
that have surrounded it, and some human interest stories connected with it.
Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War. New York: Ballantine, 1985.
Summary: Describes the experiences of twenty African-American soldiers during the
Vietnam War.
Boettcher, Thomas D. Vietnam: The Valor and the Sorrow: From the Home Front to the Front
Lines in Words and Pictures. Boston: Little Brown, 1985.
Summary: Presents a new vision, both critical and healing, of the war fought on two
fronts--at home and in Vietnam.
Brelis, Dean. The Face of South Vietnam. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1968.
Summary: A collaboration with photojournalist Jill Krementz that examines the war's
impact.
Broyles, William. Brothers in Arms: A Journey from War to Peace. New York: Knopf, 1986.
Summary: A former U.S. Marine lieutenant revisits the major scenes of the Vietnam
War fifteen years later.
Burnham, John C. A Soldier’s Best Friend: Scout Dogs and Their Handlers in the Vietnam
War. New York: Union Square Press, 2008.
Summary: John Burnam chronicles his experiences serving as a scout dog handler in the
25th Infantry Division's 44th Scout Dog Platoon with his canine partner, Clipper, during
the Vietnam War.
Burnham, John C. Dog Tags of Courage: Combat Infantrymen and War Dog Heroes in
Vietnam. Fort Bragg, CA: Lost Coast Press, 2006.
Summary: Chronicles the experiences of the German shepherds and their handlers who
worked as scout dogs and saved thousands of lives during the Vietnam War.
Burrows, Larry. Larry Burrows, Vietnam. New York: Knopf, 2002.
Summary: Presents over one hundred images of the Vietnam War by photojournalist
Larry Burrows, spanning 1962-1971, documenting the toll inflicted on American soldiers
and Vietnamese civilians.
Caputo, Philip. 10,000 Days of Thunder: A History of the Vietnam War. New York: Atheneum
Books for Young Readers, 2005.
Summary: Presents a collection of illustrated photographs and maps depicting the war in
Vietnam from its beginning under French control to the fall of Saigon in 1975, and
contains accounts from soldiers and civilians, profiles of those involved, the
Chinnery, Philip D. Life on the Line: Stories of Vietnam Air Combat. New York: St. Martin’s
Press, 1988.
Summary: Presents a collection of illustrated photographs and maps depicting the war in
Vietnam from its beginning under French control to the fall of Saigon in 1975, and
contains accounts from soldiers and civilians, profiles of those involved, and a look at the
role of women on the battlefield.
Coward, Russell. A Voice from the Vietnam War. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004.
Summary: Russell Coward recounts the experiences he had during the two years he
taught South Vietnamese officers English during the Vietnam War.
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam. New York: Norton, 1985.
Summary: Contains letters and poems written to families and friendsby American
soldiers fighting in Vietnam in which they express their homesickness and the horrors of
war.
DeBenedetti, Charles. An American Ordeal: The Antiwar Movement of the Vietnam Era.
Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1990.
Summary: An interpretive history of the antiwar movement in the United States
throughout the Vietnam era.
Dolan, Edward F. MIA: Missing in Action: A Vietnam Drama. New York: Franklin Watts,
1989.
Summary: Discusses the mysterious disappearance of thousands of American
servicemen serving in Vietnam and other areas of Southeast Asia during the years of war
and turmoil in that region. Examines the issue of government reluctance to support the
efforts to rescue and help find these missing men.
Everything We Had: An Oral History of the Vietnam War. New York: Ballantine Books, 1982.
Summary: A collection of thirty-three tours of duty presented in chronological order
from 1962 through 1975.
The Eyewitness History of the Vietnam War, 1961-1975. New York: Ballantine Books, 1983.
Summary: Records the Vietnam War chronologically through letters, diaries, tapes and
interviews of the participants, with many photographs.
Facing My Lai: Moving Beyond the Massacre. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press,
1998.
Summary: Transcribes sessions from a conference discussing the massacre at My Lai on
March 16, 1968, during the Vietnam Conflict in which 504 Vietnamese civilians were
killed by American forces.
Fincher, Ernest Barksdale. The Vietnam War. New York: Watts, 1980.
Summary: Presents the background and the ensuing complications of this “War Without
an End.”
Francillon, Rene J. Vietnam: The War in the Air. New York: Arch Cape Press, 1987.
Summary: Contains the history of the Vietnam air war from World War II to 1975 with
a focus on the 1960s-1975 and including information on the air forces of countries
such as North Vietnam, South Vietnam, France, United States, Australia,
and others.
Freedman, Suzanne. Clay v. United States: Muhammad Ali Objects to War. Springfield, NJ:
Enslow, 1997.
Summary: Describes the trial of Muhammad Ali, the first three-time boxing
Heavyweight Champion of the world, for refusing to serve in the Vietnam War.
Gitlin, Todd. The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage. New York: Bantam Books, 1993
Summary: Focuses on the personalities, trends, and events as well as on the every day
life of the decade.
Gordon, William A. The Fourth of May: Killings and Coverups at Kent State. Buffalo, NY:
Prometheus Books, 1990.
Summary: A detailed book marking the 20th anniversary of the killing of four Kent
State University students. A student protest over President Nixon's decision to send
troops into Cambodia evolved into an event that is still surrounded by questions.
Supported by photographs, diagrams, and precise notes, Gordon tells the story of the
actual shootings, reactions, trials, and cover-ups.
Hauptly, Denis J. In Vietnam. New York: Atheneum, 1985.
Summary: Discusses the turbulent history of Vietnam from the Chinese invasion 2000
years ago through the United States’ involvement during the 1960s.
Hendrickson, Paul. The Living and the Dead: Robert McNamara and Five Lives of a Lost
War. New York: Vintage Books, 1997.
Summary: Examines the life and actions of former secretary of defense Robert
McNamara, focusing on the Vietnam War years, and showing how his wartime decisions
altered the lives of five individuals who are representative of everyone who was affected
by the war.
Herda, D. J. New York Times v. United States: National Security and Censorship. Berkeley
Heights, NJ: Enslow, 1994.
Summary: Describes how the Times printed secret documents about Vietnam and the
government tried to stop them, and presents both arguments, the decision, and its impact.
Herrington, Stuart A. Peace With Honor?: An American Reports on Vietnam, 1973-1975.
Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1983.
Summary: A military intelligence officer reports on the demise of South Vietnam after
the American withdrawal.
Hoffmann, Joyce. On Their Own: Women Journalists and the American Experience in
Vietnam. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo, 2008.
Summary: Contains overlapping biographical sketches of women journalists who defied
tradition to work as war correspondents during the Vietnam War, including Gloria
Emerson, Frances FitzGerald, Kate Webb, Beverly Deepe, and others.
Hoobler, Dorothy. Vietnam, Why We Fought: An Illustrated History. New York: Knopf,
1990.
Summary: Examines the history of Vietnam's relations with other nations, the
involvement of the United States in the conflict, and the effects of the war.;Includes
bibliographical references (p. 193) and index. Traces major events of Vietnam War,
pinpointing errors made by the U.S.
Images of War. Boston: Boston Pub Co, 1986.
Jacques, Maurice J. Sergeant Major, U.S. Marines. New York: Ivy Books, 1995
Summary: The author recounts his thirty-year career with the Marines, and describes his
combat experiences in Korea and Vietnam.
Kallen, Stuart A. The Home Front: Americans Protest the War. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books,
2001.
Summary: Explores the growing Vietnam anti-war movement from the peaceful protests
in 1964 to the violent confrontations with authorities in the late sixties and early
seventies.
Karnow, Stanley. Vietnam: A History. New York: Penguin Books, 1983.
Summary: Examines American involvement in the Vietnam War, delves into the
decision-making process in Washington and Asia, and presents interviews with
participants on both sides.
Kissinger, Henry. Ending the Vietnam War: A History of America’s Involvement In and
Extrication from the Vietnam War. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003.
Summary: American diplomat Henry Kissinger chronicles America's role in the
Vietnam War and its end, discussing secret talks among key players and explaining how
consequential decisions were made.
Kolko, Gabriel. Anatomy of a War: Vietnam, the United States, and the Modern Historical
Experience. New York: Pantheon Books, 1985.
Summary: Comprehensive examination of United States intervention in Vietnam and the
ramifications for both countries.
Living Through the Vietnam War. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2005.
Summary: Presents a collection of essays and speeches by prominent figures such as
Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Walter Cronkite, as well as letters from soldiers and
their families about the issues and events connected to the Vietnam War.
Mabie, Margot, C. J. Vietnam, There and Here. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1985.
Summary: Discusses the war in Vietnam, the turmoil it caused in this country, and the
issues it raised that still remain a source of conflict.
Maraniss, David. They Marched Into Sunlight: War and Peace, Vietnam and America,
October 1967. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003.
Summary: Presents parallel accounts of what was happening on October 17-18, 1967 in
Vietnam with the Black Lion battalion of the First Infantry Division, on the Madison
campus of the University of Wisconsin where students were protesting against Dow
Chemical, and in Washington D.C. where pressures were mounting to end the war.
Marrin, Albert. America in Vietnam: The Elephant and the Tiger. New York: Viking, 1992.
Summary: Examines the political history, military events, social impact, and long-term
effects of the Vietnam War.
Marshall, Kathryn. In the Combat Zone: An Oral History of American Women in Vietnam,
1966-1975. Boston: Little, Brown, 1987.
Summary: Features the stories of twenty women who served in Vietnam as nurses,
decoders, secretaries, cartographers, clerks, air traffic controllers, and "Kool-Aid Kids."
McCormick, Anita Louise. The Vietnam Antiwar Movement in American History. Berkeley
Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2000.
Summary: Traces the history of the many protests staged by those in opposition to the
war in Vietnam and examines the legacy of this antiwar movement.
McNamara, Robert S. In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam. New York:
Vintage Books, 1996.
Summary: The author, secretary of defense for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, offers
his views on America's Vietnam policy.
McWilliams, John C. The 1960s Cultural Revolution. Westport, CT: Greenhaven Press, 2000.
Summary: Studies the forces that influenced the 1960s cultural revolution, including the
New Left, the antiwar movement, and the counterculture.
Michener, James A. Kent State, What Happened and Why. New York: Ballantine Books, 1971.
Summary: Discusses the events leading up to the Kent State tragedy in 1970 which
resulted in the shooting deaths of several students.
Morrison, Wilbur H. The Elephant and the Tiger: The Full Story of the Vietnam War. New
York: Hippocrene Books, 1990.
Summary: An account of the events of the Vietnam War that focuses on the crucial role
political activists and politicians played in the conflict, society's perceptions of the war,
and its eventual outcome.
Primary Sources. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 2002.
Summary: Presents the original documents used as source material for the American
War Library, Vietnam War Series.
Rice, Earle. Point of No Return: Tonkin Gulf and the Vietnam War. Greensboro, NC: Morgan
Reynolds, 2004.
Summary: Recounts the events that led up to the Tonkin Gulf Resolution which
authorized increased American involvement in Vietnam, offers an explanation of what
actually occurred in the gulf in August of 1964, and describes the consequences.
Sachs, Dana. The Life We Were Given: Operation Babylift, International Adoption, and the
Children of War in Vietnam. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2010.
Summary: Describes Operation Babylift in which thousands of Vietnamese children
were evacuated by the United States before the fall of Saigon, and examines how it
affected the lives of the children who were adopted by American families.
Sawyer, Anh Vu. Song of Saigon: One Woman’s Journey to Freedom. New York: Warner
Books, 2003.
Summary: The author, a Vietnamese refugee, shares the story of how her family came to
be Christian, tell of their narrow escape from Saigon in 1975, and discusses the
difficulties they had adjusting to life in the U.S.
Schomp, Virginia. The Vietnam Era. New York: Benchmark Books, 2005.
Summary: Describes, through excerpts from diaries, speeches, newspaper articles, and
other documents of the time, the Vietnam War and related events that occurred in the
United States during the 1960s, including the women’s movement, the struggle for civil
rights, and the generation gap.
Smith, Winnie. American Daughter Gone to War: On the Front Lines with an Army Nurse in
Vietnam. New York: William Morrow, 1992.
Summary: An American combat nurse relates her experiences in Vietnam and her
personal healing and renewal afterwards.
Springstubb, Tricia. The Vietnamese Americans. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 2002.
Summary: This books discusses the history and political conditions of Vietnam and
examines the situations of Vietnamese refugees, their immigration, social adjustments,
employment, and more.
Sullivan, George. Journalists at Risk: Reporting America’s Wars. Minneapolis, MN: TwentyFirst Century Books, 2006.
Summary: Discusses the role of reporters during war time, including the risks they take
and the censorship they face, and how their jobs have changed with each conflict since
the Civil War.
The Vietnam War (Examining Issues Through Political Cartoons). Farmington Hills, MI:
Greenhaven Press, 2005.
Summary: This book presents an introductory essay providing a general overview of the
Vietnam War and a diverse collection of political cartoons focusing on the war.
The Vietnam War (Great Speeches in History). Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2003.
Summary: This book includes an introductory essay on the history of Vietnam and a
collection of speeches on the Vietnam War by Lyndon B. Johnson, Ho Chi Minh,
William C. Westmoreland, Robert F. Kennedy, Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and
William Jefferson Clinton.
The Vietnam War (History Firsthand). San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2001.
Summary: This book presenting history through the words of first-person narrators,
describes the lives of American infantrymen, medics, nurses, and pilots as well as the
lives of North and South Vietnamese soldiers and civilians.
The Vietnam War (Turning Points in World History). San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press,
2001.
Summary: Presents 19 essays related to the Vietnam War and its aftermath, including
the history of Vietnamese conflict, America’s involvement, American disillusionment,
and the legacy and lessons of the war. Also includes an introduction, chronology,
glossary, and further reading list.
The Wall: Images and Offerings from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. New York: Collins,
1987.
Summary: Captioned photographs depict the people who have visited the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Tollefson, James W. The Strength Not to Fight: Conscientious Objectors of the Vietnam War –
In Their Own Words. Washington, DC: Brassey’s, 2000.
Summary: Shares the stories of conscientious objectors to the Vietnam War, discussing
how their decisions not to fight affected their lives, often resulting in family disputes,
exile, arrest, and imprisonment, and considering how they feel about their actions thirty
years later.
Warren, Andrea. Escape From Saigon: A Vietnam War Orphan Becomes an American Boy.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004.
Summary: Chronicles the experiences of an orphaned Amerasian boy from his birth and
early childhood in Saigon through his departure from Vietnam in the 1975 Operation
Babylift and his subsequent life as the adopted son of an American family in Ohio.
The 1960s. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2000.
Summary: Reprints twenty-two notable speeches of the 1960s in which the speakers
address issues of the Cold War, Cuba, communism, civil rights, the space race, the Great
Society, the counterculture and student activism, and the Vietnam War.
The 1960s (Great Speeches in History). San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2003.
Summary: This book traces social and political controversies that challenged traditional
systems of American beliefs through speeches by President John F. Kennedy, President
Lyndon Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr.
The 1960s: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997.
Summary: Articles discussing different sides of the issues of the 1960s in the United
States including the space race, social problems, the Vietnam War, the civil rights
movement, women's liberation, and rejection of law and order.