From the Mekong Delta to Halong Bay there are signs declaring Vietnam is the "Destination of the Millenium" and this declaration seems to be justified by the friendliness and hospitality of the people and the historic and cultural attractions that are waiting to be discovered by tourists.
- Excellent books providing insight into Vietnamese life and history available from Amazon.com include:
The Beauty of Humanity Movement
In her 2011 novel, Camilla Gibb has written an inspirational account of the strength of the human spirit that endures and transcends the suffering of war, political oppression and cultural and social changes by preserving the most fundamental connections between human beings.
Anatomy of a War
Gabriel Kolko's study of Vietnam, the United States and the modern historical experience follows Vietnam's road to crisis from World War II to the fall of Saigon in 1975.
A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam
Neil Sheenan's account (first published in 1988) of the experiences of American military advisor John Paul Vann that made him a critic of his country's policies reveals the weaknesses that undermined the American backed regimes in the South. There is also a film version of this story available on DVD and VHS video.
A Dangerous Friend
Ward Just uses his knowledge of Vietnam acquired during his years there as a war correspondent to write a novel about civilian experience of the war in 1965 as the escalation of American military involvement was accelerating.
Fire in the Lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam
This is Frances Fitzgerald's prize-winning historical work named for an image for revolutionary change from the I Ching.
Ho Chi Minh: A Life
This is William Duiker's comprehensive biography of the leader of Vietnam's struggle for liberation and unification.
The Girl in the Picture
This is Denise Chong's highly readable account of the story of Kim Phuc, a young girl burned by napalm, and the role of photo journalism in the Vietnam War.
The Journey of Tao Kim Nam
M.J. Bosse's first novel, published in 1959, is an account of the flight of a young man from the North to the South after the Viet Minh victory over the French.
Memories of a Pure Spring
Duong Thu Huong's novel is a poetic account of the struggle to survive in Vietnam after reunification and the disillusionment that results from the loss of revolutionary ideals.
The Mindful Moment
Vietnam war photographer Tim Page reflects on the changes he has observed in Vietnam and its neighbours in the years since he first travelled and worked there. He also discusses his own spirituality and experiences as a photographer. He comments on how contemporary consumerism is subverting Vietnamese culture more profoundly than colonial domination or revolutionary communism.
The Quiet American
Recently made into a feature film starring Michael Caine, Graham Greene's 1955 novel investigates the roots of American entanglement in Vietnam.
The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family
Duong Van Mai Elliott account of the lives of a Vietnamese family from the nineteenth century, through the colonial era, the Vietnam War, re-unification and its aftermath.
The Sorrow of War
This novel, which is thematically similar to Memories of a Pure Spring, is credited by David Bergen as a source of inspiration in his writing of The Time in Between.
The Time in Between
This novel by David Bergen, winner of the 2005 Scotiabank - Giller Prize, is set in contemporary Vietnam. Adult children of an American veteran discover Vietnam while investigating the disappearance of their father who had been drawn back to the scene of actions that had haunted him since the war.
There It Is - A Canadian in the Vietnam War
Canadian Les D. Brown presents a grunt's eye view of his experiences as conscript infantryman in Vietnam as the United States was beginning the process of extricating itself from the conflict.
The Two Viet-Nam's
Bernard Fall's political and military analysis of Vietnam was first published in 1963 with a second edition being published in 1967. Now out of print, it provides the historical and political context to the escalating conflict in which the United States was enmeshed by the time of the book's publication. The dedication is to "The valiant and long-suffering Vietnamese--North and South."
Under Fire: Great Photographers and Writers in Vietnam
With a foreward by John McCain, this is an anthology of photography and writing from the Vietnam War edited by Catherine Leroy.
- These books are useful resources for travellers in Vietnam:
The Vietnam Reader
This is a collection of readings edited by Walter Capps.
- These books are useful resources for travellers in Vietnam:
Insight Guide Vietnam
This is a very colourful and informative guide book for the traveller and a beautiful souvenir to supplement the traveller's own photographs.
Lonely Planet Vietnamese Phrasebook
This is a helpful source of critical words and phrases and cultural information for the traveller.
This site will take you on a virtual tour of Vietnam and offer some suggestions for reading about the country.
For teachers looking for fictional reading about Vietnam an excellent novel for adolescents is Song of the Buffalo Boyby Sherry Garland. A series of lesson plans based on this novel will be made available on this site.
Readers who are interested in a North Vietnamese soldier's perspective on the war should read Novel Without a Nameby Duong Thu Huong. An excellent outline of the history of Vietnam and analysis of the American involvement in the country is provided in Vietnam: A History by Stamley Karnow.
See a brief History of Vietnam.
To jump on the bus to begin your Virtual Tour of Vietnam click on the forward button below.
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