Vietcong perspective on the vietnam war books

The name is said to have first been used by south vietnamese pres. During the tet offensive of 1968, we attacked the bien hoa airport. History of the vietcong, weapons, its tactics and the outcome of the vietnam war for world history if you want to make a movie about the vietnam war, there are a few stock things you need. Seizing the opportunity, the communists organised a vietnamese independence league, the viet minh, whose armed forces became known as the pavn more commonly known to the west as the vietcong, or nva and prepared to launch an uprising against the french at the wars end. On the 35th anniversary of the fall of saigon, ray suarez talks to retired marine corps lt. An oral history of the vietnam war, from the perspective of africanamerican veterans. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. More than a decade later, he returned to his former battlegrounds and recorded his journey in goodbye vietnam. Viet cong, the guerrilla force that, with the support of the north vietnamese army, fought against south vietnam late 1950s1975 and the united states early 1960s1973. These include winners of national book awards and pulitzer prizes, both fiction and nonfiction. An inside account of the vietnam war and its aftermath tang, truong nhu on. Unlike so many other books on the subject, it is not an academic exercise or attempt at justification. He now lives in exile in paris, the highest level official to have defected from vietnam to the west. His role with the vietnamese communists began when he met ho chi minh while in france.

James zumwalt about his new book on the vietnam war, as seen through the eyes of north vietnamese. The vietcong the vietnamese communists, or vietcong, were the military branch of the national liberation front nlf, and were commanded by the central office for south vietnam, which was located. Chinese native xiaobing li corrects this oversight in voices from the vietnam war. The vietnam war, as seen by the victors the atlantic. A new book, vietnam, forget me not, has been released by french publisher, delpire editeur. The best vietnam war books some forty years after american withdrawal from vietnam, the u. Many thought the united states involvement in vietnams affairs was a mistake, and the opposition to the war defined a generation.

A have read more than a few books on vietnam both the country and the war and i would have to say that this is the most engaging. They believed that the united states, which in their view had failed in korea and taiwan in the 1950s, was now expanding the war against china into vietnam. Accounts of the vietnam war from the perspective of vietnamese are often overlooked, and books by south vietnamese soldiers in particular are. When truong nhu tang returned to vietnam to fight for national liberation, he rose to become the minister of justice for the vietcong. From his encounters with exvietnamese soldiers to interviews with victims of his own violence, broyles memoir is a reminder of how the brotherhood of man can. How young vietnamese view the vietnam war the atlantic. All the history books are written by the government, so they include 80 percent of the truth. He became the vietcongs minister of justice, but at the end of the war he fled the country in disillusionment and despair. On a recent visit to vietnam, i followed the path of the war from hanoi to danang to ho chi minh city. An inside account of the vietnam war and its aftermath by truong nhu tang vintage books, 340 pgs. At the height of the vietnam war, if you had asked an american who their country was fighting in vietnam, most would have answered the viet cong. Scholars and historians continue to debate the justification or lack thereof for u. Before he penned the screenplays for jarhead and castaway, a young william broyles enlisted to serve in the vietnam war. Viet cong vc, in full viet nam cong san, english vietnamese communists, the guerrilla force that, with the support of the north vietnamese army, fought against south vietnam late 1950s1975 and the united states early 1960s1973.

What is the best book about vietnam war written from. Primary documents concerning the vietnam war, including peace proposals, treaties, and platforms. 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. Li spent seven years gathering hundreds of personal accounts from survivors of the war, accounts that span continents, nationalities, and political affiliations. During the vietnam war, the viet cong vc main forces and north vietnamese army nva were forced to hide weapons and supplies underground and to dig protective shelters to counter massive us firepower. 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. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. Each title provides indepth background information using primary source material and detailed descriptions of an event, while also considering the issues at stake, the people involved, the aftermath, and the consequences. Book examines vietnam war from viet congs point of view. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. Stories from american, asian, and russian veterans. Whilst some of these books are a bit older, they are still brilliant to read and give you great insight into the war. Thousands and thousands died in the war on all sides.

Prior to reading a vietcong memoir, i read several books on vietnam. It was part of a larger regional conflict as well as a manifestation of the cold war. Abbas photoessay my three vietnams is unique in capturing the final years of the war from the perspective of all sides, with abbas having gained access to both southern and northern vietnam, and the activities of the vietcong army in the south. This is his candid, revealing and unforgettable autobiography.

The viet cong was a network of communist agents and subversives, supplied and controlled by north vietnam but active within south vietnam. A young girl aligned with the viet cong and a captured pilot. The phoenix program was a cia plan during the vietnam war to eliminate the vietcong with its killer squads. The books by halberstam, sheehan, karnow and nearly every other orthodox author concentrated on the period from the division of vietnam in 1954 to the tet offensive of 1968, providing minimal coverage of the years 1969 to 1975. Ken burns and lynn novick talk about episode 5 of the vietnam war, and the racist attitudes both acknowledged and not that fueled the conflict. This book is an excellent factual overview of the american experience in vietnam. Hanoi, vietnamforty years ago, on april 30, 1975, nguyen dang phat experienced the happiest day of his life. The largest selection of civil war and military books on the internet.

The pentagon papers, the sacred willow four generations in the life of vietnamese family, and a. A vietnamese perspective on the wars war is boring medium. In rural towns in the north, the vietnamese flag a red banner with a single gold star. Revisionists began fixing that problem in the late 1990s with histories arguing that the south vietnamese government. The vietnam war, as we americans call it, looms large in american history. The best books about the vietnam war the vietnam reader. Webb, as you probably know, went on to write a few other books and still find the time to become a u. An inside account of the vietnam war and its aftermath. Find below a collection of the best books on the vietnam war. James zumwalt about his new book on the vietnam war, as seen through the eyes of. A vietcong memoir by cipactli of united struggle from within september 2011 permalink. An ugly war, seen through the lens of the vietnamese. Their field works defended villages, hidden base camps, and fortified complexes, and took the form of trench systems, individual fighting positions, crewserved weapon positions, bunkers.

It is a personal account from a man who was a prime motivator in the nlf, but was not communist. Stanley karnow was there, as a reporter, and this book has become a staple in the vast collection of american vietnam war books. The author was the highest ranking member of the communist party to defect after the war. The viet cong 19651967 part 1 and the viet cong 19651967. Browse the worlds largest ebookstore and start reading today on the web, tablet, phone, or ereader. A slew of war memoirs stand with the best writing of that genre.

A memoire ok, ghost written of a viet cong politician who served in the upper echelons of viet cong secret government in south vietnam during the early days of the second south east asia war up to 1968 when he was caught and swapped for south vietnamese agents. A viet cong setting booby traps during the vietnam war. 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. All books with dust jackets are wrapped in brodart dust jacket covers to keep them looking great on your shelves for years to come.

The guy writing it ended up being a counterrevolutionary, so what he says needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The ambassadors credentials, as i saw it, were also twofold. Truong nhu tang tang was the exminister of justice for the provisional revolutionary government of the republic of south. Historians at war national association of scholars. The vietnam war an australian perspective compiled from records and historical articles by r freshfield introduction what is referred to as the vietnam war began for the us in the early 1950s when it deployed military advisors to support south vietnam forces.

Among the most positive is an abundance of topnotch books, many written by veterans of the conflict. The definitive collection of fiction and nonfiction on the war 1998. What do vietnameseamericans think of the vietnam war. Halberstam, who was a vietnam war correspondent for the new york times. Truong nhu tangs a vietcong memoir is an easy read if youre familiar with vietnams lengthy colonial history. See more ideas about vietnam war, vietnam and books. Are there any nonfiction books written about vietnam from. This is an excellent primer for those looking for a basic chronological understanding of the events of the war. A vietnamese perspective on the wars war is boring. We are pleased to offer an expanded selection of vietnam war titles many of our new books are offered at a discount.

This series examines the causes and effects of the most important events in the last century. Ten vietnam war novels to read council on foreign relations. Here he tells of his experiences during and after the tet offensive of 1968. Some of these are fiction books about vietnam war based on factual information, whilst others include some of the best books on vietnam history of the war. American and vietnamese perspectives 2010 by michael h. 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. 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. See news of our latest vietnam warrelated film, mia. Viet cong and nva tunnels and fortifications of the.