Vietnam in Literature, History & Film. discussion

I've read several books by American authors about the Vietnam War, and now I'd like to read something from the Vietnamese perspective. Any recommendations?

by Bui Tin

edited by Michael Hunt

Jimmy wrote: " by Bui Tin"
Thanks for posting that, Jimmy. I've considered reading it, and I might eventually, but considering that Bui Tin is an outspoken critic of the Hanoi leadership, I'm afraid he will just be parroting American points of view.

Jimmy wrote: " edited by Michael Hunt" Looks interesting. Have any of you read:

Bare Feet, Iron Will ~ Stories from the Other Side of Vietnam's Battlefields ?

The Bare Feet book seems only to be on Kindle. I only use paper. Old habit.

I'm just the opposite. Love reading on my Kindle.

James wrote: "I've read several books by American authors about the Vietnam War, and now I'd like to read something from the Vietnamese perspective. Any recommendations?"

I would recommend two books: Novel without a Name by Duong Thu Huong and The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh

LOL. "parroting the American point of view." And what exactly would that "point of view" be?

And of course the communists are well known for only reciting/publishing the truth!

North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam, at first by supplying and supporting the guerilla movement. They then got their butts kicked by the Americans and their allies. They brilliantly played the left, anti-war movement in America to precipitate a complete withdrawal of support, ignored the Paris peace treaty and invaded and conquered the South Vietnamese in 1975. There followed horrendous deaths in SE Asia and the 'development' of one of the poorest nations in the world led by one of the most tyrannical governments. As a post script that government is now sucking up to the West to try to keep from sinking into oblivion.

Phillip wrote: "LOL. "parroting the American point of view." And what exactly would that "point of view" be?

And of course the communists are well known for only reciting/publishing the truth!

North Vietnam i..."

Obviously you live in a different world then I do...since you seem to forget the fact the the US and South Viet Nam violated the Geneva Peace Accords they had agreed to...long before there was any invasion and I suspect that if you have any discussion with any South Viet Namese, not in the government, that the government of South Viet Nam was just as corrupt and violent and unfair as you profess the North Viet Namese to be.

David, what were the violations of the "Geneva Peace Accords" you refer to? How do you make your comparisons of South and North Vietnam other than communist propaganda? I don't "profess" the cruelty, violence, and unfairness of North Vietnam. It is part of history. And your acceptance of moral equivalency of actions of the two countries shows a paucity of knowledge of communism in general and North Vietnam in particular that is staggering. But sadly common among leftists, liberals, and bleeding hearts.
I have discussions with South Vietnamese almost daily. I travel there. I've written two best selling books about the war. I've edited three books by others on the war. I've studied the war since I was a teenager and spent three years in the war.
The government of the U.S. is now incredibly unpopular. Our congress has approval ratings just above thieves (or maybe they are equal). You are judging a country at a time they were in the middle of being attacked by a foreign nation, they were trying to install a democratic government after centuries of the exact opposite and a few decades of French control.
Yes, I do live in a different world than you do. A world where study, experience and discovery uncover that lies and bigotry of the American left in Vietnam (they didn't think Vietnamese were sophisticated enough to be democratically ruled and would have preferred to just be communist ruled (Hmmm, those 800,000 lost boat people must have been drunk).
What exactly IS it that you "know" about the war that puts you in a world elevated from us pro-Americans?

If you do know the history of the area and violations by the USA and South Viet Nam of the Geneva Accords, such as the agreement to allow national elections...the the violence by the South regime against Buddhists...then why have this discussion.....neither side was worth being called a democracy in any why shape or form....

The Geneva Accords (a kind of subset to the Geneva Conference on Korea) were not signed by South Vietnam representatives and certainly not by the U.S. Hard to violate agreements you don't sign. The violence against the Buddhists was overstated and was often the result of their infiltration by communists.
As to "neither side was worth being called a democracy.." Out of all the lies and propaganda put out by the communists, not sure they ever claimed to be a democracy. When they were invading Laos and Cambodia (not a part of Vietnam so there goes the 'civil war' b.s.) they represented themselves as communists. They were also brutal killers and enslaved thousands upon thousands of Laotians.
Is there a topic you know something about we might discuss?

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James wrote: "I've read several books by American authors about the Vietnam War, and now I'd like to read something from the Vietnamese perspective. Any recommendations?"

Hi James,
I invite you to check out my book "Once upon a Mulberry Field," which I spent 6 years to write before publishing it in 2014. The protagonist and narrator of the book is a young USAF doctor serving at Bien-Hoa air base near Saigon in 1967-68, who made friends with the local Vietnamese people and in the process discovered their history and culture, their survival struggle and perspective on war and peace. The book is largely based on my memories of growing up in Vietnam during the war. Best wishes.

Yeah, wouldn't want to support an outspoken critic of the bloody communist 'leadership' that invaded Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam and slaughtered millions of people to advance the communist cause which had (in the 20th Century) already killed near 100 million in Russia and China.
There was an excuse to be 'ignorant' about the "American" Vietnam War during the war as the media was reporting it ineptly and with malice. But for God's sake, the records, documents, and books are easily obtainable now. You can read how the North plotted, slaughtered and invaded their way through South East Asia with support of the leftists in the U.S. and the arms and ammunition of China and Russia.

C.L. wrote: "James wrote: "I've read several books by American authors about the Vietnam War, and now I'd like to read something from the Vietnamese perspective. Any recommendations?"

Hi James,
I invite you to..."

I've checked the reviews, and your book looks like a good one, C.L. I've added it to my reading list.

by Lien-Hang T. Nguyen

by Cecil B. Currey

Has anyone considered the reaction of books on the Vietnam War by the sons and daughters of ARVN veterans living in America? This spring my Vietnam Veterans Chapter will host a luncheon and the guests will be those ARVN still living in our community. It has been a long time and it is time we honor our allies from that long ago war.

I'm really with you on that. My job was training ARVN soldiers. They always get treated like shit in every movie, book, whatever. I read that they were given 10 years in "re-education" camps.

The Headmaster's Wager by Vincent Lam is not directly about the Vietnam War but about (in fictional terms) life in Vietnam occurring during this time. The protagonist is Chinese and lives in Vietnam. Perhaps this will offer you a different perspective depending on what you are looking for.

In his short story “Thi Bong Dzu,” American author Larry Rottmann explores the war from the Vietnamese perspective. It is a very interesting short story and is definitely worth reading.

In English?

Try A Vietcong Memoir

Try A Vietcong Memoir

Do you have a title or link?

A Vietcong Memoir by Troung Nhu Tang

A Vietcong Memoir by Troung Nhu Tang

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Taylor wrote: "In his short story “Thi Bong Dzu,” American author Larry Rottmann explores the war from the Vietnamese perspective. It is a very interesting short story and is definitely worth reading."

I cant seem to find that book for sale....

Jb3 wrote: "A Vietcong Memoir by Troung Nhu Tang"

It seems the author is pro-American. I want to read something from a pro-Vietnamese perspective.

I'm not sure I would agree with that perspective, James. He was hoping, perhaps foolishly, for some sort of democratic freedoms.

I am familiar enough already with American propaganda, as I grew up with it, reading American newspaper accounts during the war. I want to read about the war from the point of view of the victors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tr%C6%B...

The North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong are two totally different groups. Troung Nhu Tan was a VC. He was South Vietnamese.

Jimmy wrote: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tr%C6%B...

The North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong are two totally different groups. Troung Nhu Tan was a VC. He was South Vietnamese."

I'm quite aware of that. I'm interested in reading about the war from the point of view of those who orchestrated the victory over the United States, be they VC or PAVN. Both groups ultimately worked under the same command structure.

Why not read Giap's book then.

You might try "We are soldiers still: A Journey back to the battlefields of Vietnam" by Harold Moore and Joseph Galloway. It talks about army leaders returning to meet and talk with their counter parts after a huge battle in 1966. Very informative.

On the self-serving side, I wrote a novel of enemies working together in Vietnam titled "Hearts, Minds, and Coffee."

Getting the other sides' points of view are crucial in this world. I wish our leaders would do more of it to protect our soldiers.

Kent wrote: "You might try "We are soldiers still: A Journey back to the battlefields of Vietnam" by Harold Moore and Joseph Galloway. It talks about army leaders returning to meet and talk with their counter p..."

Thanks for two interesting suggestions, Kent. I strongly agree with you about reading all points of view.

Last Night I Dreamed of Peace: The Diary of Dang Thuy Tram

"Last Night I Dreamed of Peace" is beautiful and tragic. Its the diary of a Northern surgeon who operated in Quang Ngai province in the time after the Tet Offensive.

She's a fascinating, heroic character who's voice is a blend of romanticism and despair common to so much literature of the war—from both sides.

Tram's diary is full of poetic, sentimental longings & memories, diatribes about the "robber devil" American imperialists, and clashes with the Party—who deny her membership despite her advanced status and ability.

Many of the other recommendations here are great too though: Sorrows of War, Novel Without a Name, and A Vietcong Memoir are all well-written and enlightening.

The Sympathizer

I'd also recommend last year's novel The Sympathizer—a spy noir set in the wake of Saigon's fall. It focuses on the boat people's experience, the Vietnamese in America, and the disturbing reeducation camps back in the SRV, all with a healthy dose of Anti-Americanism slathered on top.

Thanks for this insightful post.

Allow me to introduce my book "Once upon a Mulberry Field," an award-winning novel set in the 1960's at the height of the Vietnam War. It is written from both perspectives, South Vietnamese and American, and is based on my experience growing up in Vietnam during the war as well as on my interviews of American veterans who served over there.
As it so happens, the book is currently available at great discount (56%) from the regular price on amazon.com. This is a promotion run by the vendor and not by me and is a great buy opportunity for readers. So if you know of anyone or any group/organization who might be interested in the book, please pass on the word to them. Many thanks!
The amazon book page is at:
http://amzn.to/1Sut6mz

Novel Without a Name is excellent, and The Sorrow of War: A Novel of North Vietnam has a good reputation. Both North Vietnamese authors writing fiction informed by the author's experiences of the war.

It's so sad to think I - as a vietnamese- do not care much about our war.

Fukthang wrote: "It's so sad to think I - as a vietnamese- do not care much about our war."

Do you live in Vietnam? Why do you think you don't care much about a war that had such a profound impact on your country?