Favorite Vietnam Book?

I am reading Bing West's The Village for about the sixth time, and must say it is probably my favorite Vietnam book. I enjoy small unit actions, having owned numerous titles over the years, including the Blackjack series and others that delve into smaller operations and unit levels. o, with that said, if you were choosing one book on the war, what would it be?

I'd have to say Nam by Mark Baker. It's a collection of stories from vets on the war. Some stories are only a couple of paragraphs and some are a few pages. Really great insights into what they experienced in their own words. He published a similar book called Cops which was done in the same style and also among my favourite books in general.

It is impossible for me to answer that. I cannot name one. I went to my Vietnam books just now. A quick look showed twenty five that I know I have read three times. A few I have probably read more.

They are all books that have detail on the individual soldier level.

Some of those in the 25 are:
All of Matt Brennan's books on 1/9 Air Cavalry, Brennan's War (a revised version is called Flashing Saber), Headhunters and Hunter Killer Squadron.

We Were Solders Once and Young by Moore and Galloway.

Fire in the Streets (Hue) by Hammel

Hamburger Hill by Zaffiri

SOG by Plaster

SOG: A Photo History

All three of Donahue's books on the Mobile Guerrilla Force

The Raid (Son Tay) by Schemmer

Air America by Robbins

The Battle for Saigon by Nolan

All of SLAM Marshall's Vietnam books.

I give up.

Tom

Keith Nolan's "Magnificat Bastards" is a very focused and detailed description of a series of actions by Marines and Army units against a cluster of villages to block a major offensive by the NVA over the DMZ.

Oh man, there's no way I can pick just one! Especially since so many new titles are coming out all of the time via some of the college press like at Texas Tech Vietnam Studies.

I thought it might be a challenge to pick just one, but it sparks some conversation and gets one thinking a bit. I like Tom's list!

Michael Herr's Dispatches.



He was Rolling Stone's and Esquire's correspondent in Saigon, and he later cowrote the script for Full Metal Jacket:



This book was a guide to me as I discovered Saigon. I visited the places he wrote about. The Caravelle rooftop bar, the Rex, the Continental, Tu Do street, Cholon. I even unwittingly stumbled on Tim Page's legendary Frankie's house. It's all still there, in mutated form. Herr gives the sex, drugs and rock'n'roll version of the war, whilst at the same time wondering why in Hell he is there and musing on the craziness of the whole she-bang.

Tim Page's obituary of Michael Herr (he died on 23 June 2016):

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jul/05/words-that-will-forever-pursue-us-tim-page-on-michael-herr-the-rock-and-roll-voice-of-the-vietnam-war

I think Keith Nolan and Eric Hammel titles all are great.

I think this one is my favourite of all the Nam books.....

Phase Line Green.

An account of a Marine Lieutenants part in the Battle for Hue city. Superb account with some great stories. Highly recommended.

BravoSix wrote:I think this one is my favourite of all the Nam books.....

I have come across another guy who swears by this book - I'll have to check it out.

Wow... I haven't read a Mack Bolan book in years. YEARS. Geez Todd, you're old.

I was kidding guys. Mack Bolan books are ridiculous. I haven't read one since Jr High. And yes.... I'm old.

Old B6? It says your age is 51. That's not old!

Tom

BravoSix wrote:I was kidding guys. Mack Bolan books are ridiculous. I haven't read one since Jr High. And yes.... I'm old.

I've never read a Mack Bolan book but when I find this one, I'm going to, and it's all your fault.

OTB wrote:
I've never read a Mack Bolan book but when I find this one, I'm going to, and it's all your fault

Glad I could help.

BravoSix wrote:I was kidding guys. Mack Bolan books are ridiculous. I haven't read one since Jr High. And yes.... I'm old.

I remember Wolf asking me "there's this FNG asking me about Nam, will talk to him? His names Todd...."

Really? Is that a fiction or non-fiction recollection?

In my youth Vietnam and WWII kind of blended together. I was an avid reader, mostly of fantasy and sci-fi. One day I was at the bookstore and saw "The 13th Valley" by John M. Del Vecchio. This was probably my 8th grade year. I thought, "Hey they write fiction books about wars too!" So I got it and couldn't put it down (outside of troublesome interruptions like school, homework, and parents). It was a real eye-opener. It was the first time it "clicked" that the Vietnam War wasn't John Wayne and Audie Murphy performing movie heroics on Saturday afternoon TV.

I don't recall if it was accurate or even a good book. So I'm thinking of reading it again after all these years. Should be interesting to see what I think of it now some 26 years later.

So is it a favorite? Can't say until after the 2nd read. Does it have a special place in my history. Certainly.

That one was a favourite of mine. I lost it several moves ago, but I have a copy on it's way to me from eBay was we speak.

I loved 13th Valley too, another favorite is "The Crouching Beast" by Frank Boccia but I may be biased. I'd forgotten all about Charlie Mike....Ltc. Scott was still commanding jump school at Benning when I attended in 1985.

Welcome aboard! Be sure to say a proper hello in the Check Your Gear thread.

Any recommendations for books of first hand accounts from NLF soldiers?

'Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides' by Christian G. Appy, is a good starting point.