10 Compelling Books Inspired by the Vietnam War

On April 30, 2025, we will mark the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the conclusion of the Vietnam War. To honor this occasion, Military Times is featuring narratives related to the Vietnam War.

Vietnam has been referred to as the first "televised" war. However, it has equally motivated numerous authors to delve into its roots, its atrocities, its consequences, and the fundamental errors and misjudgments that led the globe’s leading nation, the U.S., into an extended, ghastly, and futile struggle.

Fiction

Graham Greene’s 'The Quiet American' (1955)

Graham Greene’s British novel carries an enduring quality of tragic foresight. In this tale, Alden Pyle—a well-intentioned but misguided CIA operative—harbors idealistic visions of shaping a superior course for Vietnam through what he calls a “Third Force,” distinct from both communism and colonial rule; however, his concept exists solely within literature. This narrative emerged at the onset of increased U.S. military engagement in Vietnam, yet it eerily predicted America's extended struggle with their inability to grasp the nation they were purportedly rescuing.

"Carrying What We Bear," Tim O'Brien (1990)

The Vietnam War marked the final prolonged confrontation during which the U.S. maintained conscription, as well as being the last war to generate extensive notable firsthand literature—none more acclaimed or widely read than O’Brien’s 1990 compilation of linked narratives. O'Brien saw action with an infantry division between 1969 and 1970, and this work went on to sell over a million copies. "The Things They Carried" encompasses stories such as a soldier sporting his girlfriend's stockings around his neck during combat, all the way to the author attempting to reconstruct the life narrative of a Vietnamese fighter whom he had slain. This work by O'Brien has turned into required studying regarding the conflict and prompted an exhibition at the National Veterans Art Museum located in Chicago.

"Matterhorn," Karl Marlantes (2009)

Karl Marlantes, who holds a degree from the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship program and served as an honored marine officer, drew upon his personal experiences when writing his lengthy novel spanning over 600 pages. The book focuses on a freshly minted university grad and his comrades in Bravo Company as they endeavor to reclaim a strategic outpost close to the Laotian frontier. Similar to Graham Greene’s “The Quiet American,” Marlante’s work delves into themes of disenchantment, revealing how even academic achievements and social advantages cannot protect one from combat realities. As the protagonist comes to understand, "no plan is flawless," and every decision inevitably has negative consequences.

" The Sympathizer," by Viet Thanh Nguyen (2015)

When he was only 4 years old, Viet Thanh Nguyen's family escaped from Vietnam in 1975, ultimately making their home in San Jose, California. His debut work, "The Sympathizer," which won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 2016, stands out prominently within Vietnamese American literary works. This narrative revolves around the admissions of an erstwhile Northern Vietnam spy turned Hollywood advisor, before he ends up back in Vietnam battling against his former allies. “I am a spy, a covert operative, a phantom, a dual-faced individual,” the protagonist states. “Unsurprisingly perhaps, I'm also someone with divided thoughts.”

"The Mountains Sing," Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (2020)

Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai was born in Northern Vietnam in 1973, just two years prior to the withdrawal of U.S. forces, and grew up listening to tales about her homeland’s tumultuous yet valiant history. In her book, she weaves together narratives shared between a grandmother who came into this world in 1920 and a granddaughter born four decades afterward. Through their intertwined lives, the story spans most of the 20th century in Vietnam, covering periods such as French colonization, Japanese occupation, the emergence of communism, and the escalating and harsh conflict with American armed forces fighting against them. The author dedicated her work to several forebears, notably one uncle for whom “the youth were engulfed by the Vietnam War.”

Nonfiction

"THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST," DAVID HALBERSTAM (1972)

When he was a novice journalist in Vietnam, David Halberstam was one of the initial reporters to openly discuss the military’s setbacks and governmental dishonesty. His bestselling work captured public attention with its catchy phrase, serving as an account of how some of the most esteemed thinkers from the post-World War II era—the top advisors within the Kennedy and Johnson administrations—could severely misjudge both the strategy and implementation of warfare along with their profound misunderstanding of the nation they were combating.

"Fire in the Lake," written by Frances FitzGerald in 1972

Frances FitzGerald’s acclaimed book, released in the same year, joins “The Best and the Brightest” as one of the pioneering works offering insight into the war’s aftermath. Having covered South Vietnam for publications like the Village Voice and The New Yorker, FitzGerald leveraged her direct experiences and extensive studies to argue that the U.S.’s understanding of Vietnamese history and culture was dangerously lacking, ultimately leading to fatal missteps.

"Dispatches," Michael Herr (1977)

Michael Herr, who later contributed to writing "Apocalypse Now,” served as a Vietnam correspondent for Esquire magazine. He infused his critically acclaimed and impactful work with a laid-back yet intensely vibrant rock 'n' roll perspective. In one dispatch, he recounted the story of a soldier who consumed “pills by the fistful.” The man had stimulants in one pocket and sedatives in the other. As quoted by Herr, the soldier explained, “They cool out things just right for me” and added, “I can look at that old jungle at night like I’m seeing it through a starlight scope.”

"Bloods," Wallace Terry (1984)

"A Landmark," Bloods" was one of the initial works to focus on the experiences of African American veterans. Journalist Wallace Terry from Time Magazine gathered oral accounts from twenty black servicemen with different backgrounds and ranks. Among these interviews, Richard J. Ford III shared his story; he had been injured thrice during service and recalled receiving visits at the hospital from high-ranking officials like generals who expressed their respect and admiration for him as both brave and courageous, calling him “America’s finest.” However, upon returning home, those very individuals would not acknowledge him anymore.

" A Brilliant Falsehood: The Lie That Glitters," Neil Sheehan (1988)

In his reporting, Halberstam drew from insights provided by Lt. Col. John Paul Vann, a U.S. advisor to South Vietnam who later emerged as a vocal detractor of America’s military command. He ultimately perished in combat in 1972. The narrative of Vann is comprehensively covered in Neil Sheehan's book "A Bright Shining Lie." Sheehan, recognized for unveiling the Pentagon Papers which exposed decades of governmental deceit regarding the conflict, wrote this account. Winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1989, “A Bright Shining Lie” was also turned into an HBO film where Bill Paxton portrayed Vann.