There is an extensive collection of material written on the Vietnam War, one of the most controversial events in our history. These are but a few that offered one or more perspectives of the war and seemed appropriate for young adult readers. They are all non-fiction sources. Several books are useful for reference and factual information, and some are autobiographical accounts of the war. The reading levels are approximate, and determined from sources such as School Library Journal and Booklist.
~Julianne Veschi
1. Fighting on Two Fronts: African Americans and the Vietnam War. James Westheider. 1997. New York University Press. 238 p. ISBN: 9780814793015.
Reading Level: Grade 7 and up.
The Vietnam War was the first war in which African American soldiers served in an integrated armed forces. The author interviewed many veterans to research this book and provide the perspective of these soldiers who not only had to endure combat, but also discrimination among their fellow troops. The author examines the reasons and pressures that led to racial problems within the ranks. Consequences of the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960’s and 70’s, and how they impacted the soldiers are discussed in this book.
2. I Refuse: Memories of a Vietnam War Objector. Donald L. Simons. 1992. Broken Rifle Press. 173p. ISBN: 0962002429.
Reading Level: Grade 9 and up.
This book is the memoir of one man’s resistance to participate in the Vietnam War. Although it is an account of his personal struggles and decision, it is reminiscent of thousands of “conscientious objectors” and peace activists who have refused to fight when drafted for a war. The author discusses how the war, and refusing to participate in it affected him, and how the peace protests and “draft dodgers” affected the war and our country during that time.
3. Patriots – The Vietnam War Remembered from all Sides. Christian G. Appy. 2003. The Penguin Group. 549 p. ISBN: 9780142004494.
Reading Level: Grade 9 and up.
The author, a history professor who has taught at Harvard and MIT, examines the Vietnam War from the beginnings of conflict in the 1940’s to the fall of Saigon in 1975. Testimonies from 135 men and women impacted by the war are used to illustrate the different perspectives of the war. People from both American and Vietnamese sides are presented – generals and infantrymen, policymakers and protesters, pilots and doctors, and ordinary citizens whose lives were changed forever by this war that killed three million people.
4. Sacred War: Nationalism and Revolution in a Divided Vietnam. William J. Duiker. 1995. McGraw-Hill. 289 p. ISBN: 97800701080307.
Reading Level: Grade 9 and up.
An overview of the Vietnam War that examines the Vietnamese perspective, the reasons for conflict, support for Ho Chi Minh, civil war in Laos, fighting U.S. forces and the aftermath of the war. The history of the conflict and its communist roots dating back to the 1940’s is also examined.
5. Strong Hearts – Wounded Souls: Native American Veterans of the Vietnam War. Tom Holm. 1996. University of Texas Press. 359 p. ISBN: 0292730950.
Reading Level: Grade 9 and up.
This book is an account of the experiences of Native American soldiers both during and after the Vietnam War. Stories of how they were treated upon returning from the war –mostly forgotten. Ways in which their tribal connections and spirituality are impacted by their participation in combat are examined.
6. Vietnam War Biographies. Kevin Hillstrom and Laurie Collier Hillstrom. Diane Sawinski, editor. 2001. UXL Press. ISBN: 9780787648848.
Reading Level: Grade 7 and up.
This is essentially a multi-set of reference books devoted to the Vietnam War, which offer an almanac, biographies and primary sources. Sixty biographies are included, and cover a range of people involved in the war, from military and political leaders, protesters, soldiers, journalists and civilians, with various points of view of the war. Some of the primary sources included are speeches, photos, letters and editorials. Although a comprehensive research source, it has been written in a way that it can be recommended for general reading as well.
7. A Vietnam War from the Other Side: The Vietnamese Communists’ Perspective. Ang Cheng Guan. 2002. Routledge Curzon Group. 143 p. ISBN: 9780700716159.
Reading Level: Grade 9 and up.
This book, based on Vietnamese, Chinese and former Soviet sources, presents a history of the Vietnam War from the perspective of the Vietnamese communists. It discusses the changing communist aims and shows how they formulated their strategies. It examines relations with Moscow and Beijing, showing how the involvement of the two major communist powers changed over time, and how the Vietnamese, despite their dependence on the Chinese and Soviets, remained in charge of their own decision making. The author also delves into developments in Laos and Cambodia.
8. Vietnamese Women at War. Sandra C. Taylor. 1999. University Press of Kansas. 136p. ISBN: 070060927
Reading Level: Grade 9 and up.
The contribution of women in the Vietnam War is the focus in this book, which chronicles their stories through the jungles at Dien Bien Phu to the female “tunnel rats” at Cu Chi in the South. They were at times brave and ferocious fighters for the North, and were some of the unsung heroes of Vietnam’s war of national liberation. They were referred to as the “long-haired warriors”, and their stories are essential to knowing the entire picture of the Vietnam War.
9. A Voice from the Vietnam War. Russell Coward. 2004. Greenwood Press. 185 p. ISBN: 9780313325861.
Reading Level: Grade 9 and up.
The author recounts his experiences as he spent two years teaching English to South Vietnamese soldiers during the Vietnam War. As he developed relationships with the troops, he witnessed another side to the war, and describes it in this autobiography.
10. Waiting Wives: The Story of Schilling Manor, Home Front to The Vietnam War. Donna Moreau. 2005. Atria Books. 287 p. ISBN: 0743477077
Reading Level: Grade 9 and up.
The author, who grew up in a military family during the Vietnam War, wrote this book about her mother and the other wives and children who lived at Schilling Manor, the only air force base set aside for families of soldiers assigned to Vietnam. This narrative tells their stories after much interviewing and investigation. They show the other side of the war, which for them meant fear, loneliness, and a lack of information. Although focusing on the Vietnam War and life in the 1960’s and 70’s, much of their stories exists today for military families.
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