Here is the sad and beautiful countermelody of truth, audible at last, now that we have trashed the drums and cymbals of yet another senseless war, wrote novelist kurt vonnegut. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of. Not a history book, not a war novel dear america is a book of truth. The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations. The september issue of armchair general magazine contains an article, 10 essential vietnam war books by james h. Nearly forty years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam. Decades after the end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first. The book is an anthology of letters assembled by the new york vietnam veterans memorial commission, to which the director offered the profits from the.
I was a teenageryoung adult while this war took place, and each letter reminded me of someone i knew. In 1981, six years after the official end of the vietnam war, mayor edward koch of new york city appointed a task force of twentyseven leading citizens of the city to develop a framework for a fitting memorial to vietnam war veterans. From the first impressions of troops newly arrived in country to the agony of losing a friend in battle, these letters from over 100 men and women stationed in. You replied as i knew you would always the mother who tries to put her sons.
Letters home from vietnam was first telecast april 3, 1988, over the hbo cable service. Ties in to the march 88 hbo films motion picture with an allstar cast including tom berenger, kathleen turner and robert deniro. Dear america is a series of historical fiction novels for older girls published by scholastic in 1996. Shop for a great selection of vietnam war history books at. Letters home from vietnam is a 1987 american documentary film inspired by the anthology of the same title, directed by bill couturie in 1987. Vietnam veteran this important investigation of the vietnam war and its effects on an entire generation will appeal to both vietnam era specialists and general readers. Chastant hhephu bai 29 june 68 mom, today i received your letter in reply to my extension letter. Letters home from vietnam, originally published in 1985. The fall of an empire and the making of americas vietnam, by fredrik logevall fredrik logevalls book focuses on the french conflict in vietnam at the end of world war ii and the. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in the bush, their longing for home and family, their emotions over the conduct of the war, and their ache at the.
More than 25 years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows readers to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served there. This book is about a 15yearold girl named molly mackenzie flaherty. An overwhelmingly eloquent book of the purest and most simple writing on vietnam. Found the book on amazon in an american second hand book store. Barry denenberg is a critically acclaimed author of nonfiction and historical fiction.
Letters home from vietnam by bernard edelman overview more than twentyfive years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam. Dear america is a series of historical fiction novels published by scholastic. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in. Patrick is the protagonist mollys brother, and the two books cover very different aspects of the war. Pocket books, apr 1, 1988 political science 344 pages. Nonfiction an intimate history of killing by joanna bourke. It weaves the words of the soldiers who served into a poignant verbal history. Dear america is a collection of letters back home from menand women in vietnam. All the confusion, pain, despair, and even hope of the men and women who served in vietnam is captured in dear america. Letters home from vietnam by commission, new york vietnam veterans memorial and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Vietnam war resources vietnam war music, books, memorials. Letters home from vietnam recalls the vietnam war in the words of the men and women who fought it, in letters written in haste, without selfconsciousness and. The book is an anthology of letters assembled by the new york vietnam veterans memorial commission, to which the director offered the profits from the film in exchange for rights to the letters.
Secret wars of americas commandos in vietnam by john. More than twentyfive years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam. More than 25 years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to. In my mind its one of the first really wellwritten books that describe the moral ambiguities and difficulties faced by a young marine officer in this particular war. Every vietnam war story has value, even the ones you have heard before. The series was originally canceled in 2004 after its thirtysixth book but was relaunched in september 2010 with a new book and rereleases of three older books. Teaching with dear america books grades 48 9780439105477.
Recently, i read three autobiographies by soldiers who experienced combat in vietnam during the 1968 tet offensive. Mar 31, 2019 the means of turning this concept into a film came from cowriter richard dewhurst, who showed couturie a copy of the book dear america. The united states and vietnam, 19501975 by george herring, 1978 this book is widely viewed as the best concise history of the vietnam war. The common theme of each of the writers was their sense of duty to their country despite the hardships. A reliving of the war in vietnam through actual letters from american g. Dear mom and dad, love from vietnam by joe abodeely books. Mark kitchell anti war protesters at berkeley university. The common theme of each of the writers was their sense of duty to.
The series began in 1996 with kathryn laskys a journey to the new world, until the cancellation in 2004 after hear my sorrow. A major reason for the visceral clout of dear america is the coordination of rock music by bob dylan, the rolling stones, the doors, and others with the images on the screen. More than 200 letters home from vietnam era servicemen to family, friends, and others have been selected for publication in this volume about the most intimate thoughts of the soldiers who served in vietnam. Dear america letters home from vietnam part 1 8 youtube. Most vets dropped the 19 when it came to their years over there. The way i see the situation, i would rather fight to stop communism in south vietnam than in kincaid, humbolt blue mound or kansas city, and that is just about what it would end up being.
A privatesector web site for veterans and their families that features benefits provided by corporations as well as profiles of special veterans, most of whom served during the vietnam war. More than 25 years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows readers to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women. Tell me about the first book on your list, a rumor of war 1977. Most are a page or less, and they give a vivid insight into attitudes of the men there, though possibly selfcensored to.
The entire books is all real letters from soldiers that were stationed. No full understanding of the most disastrous foreign war. Letters home from vietnam tv movie 1987 dear america. Letters home from vietnam was met with almost universal critical acclaim. Letters home from vietnam is a 1987 american documentary film. Based on letters from us soldiers serving in vietnam. Archive footage of the war and news coverage thereof, augment the firstperson narrative by men and women who were in the war. The means of turning this concept into a film came from cowriter richard dewhurst, who showed couturie a copy of the book dear america. A journey to the new world and hear my sorrow were also the first and last books in the relaunch. His historical fiction books include titles in the dear america, my name is america, and royal diaries series, many of which have been named ncsscbc notable social studies trade books for young people. Herring, a former university of kentucky history professor, covers virtually every important event in the conflict, presenting the war objectively and assessing its legacy. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in the bush, their longing for home and family, their emotions over the conduct of the. Letters home from vietnam definitely captures the essence of the vietnam war.
Da is split up into 8 sections, giving the reader a decent exposure into what guys went through over there. Booktopia buy vietnam war books online from australias leading online bookstore. Covering world war i, world war ii, and the vietnam war, this book does an exceptional job illuminating the psychological aspects of wartime on those who do the killing. Letters home from vietnam, clip 08 lrhssocialstudies. Using real letters written by american soldiers which can be read in the book. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in the bush, their longing for home and family, their.
Dear america 6 book set i thought my soul would rise and fly, standing in the light, my heart is on the ground, voyage by joyce hansen dear america 6 books set 2 the winter of red snow, west to a land of plenty, dream in the golden country, voyage on the great titanic, across the wide and lonesome praire, so far from home by kristiana gregory. Best rock songs vietnam war music best rock music of all time 60s and 70s rock playlist. Ties in to the march 88 hbo films motion picture with an allstar cast including tom. Essential vietnam war reading vietnam veterans of america. Boston globe dear america is painful, but it must be difficult to be realistic and. Critically acclaimed since its release in 1977, dispatches was one of the first books which offered an insiders account of the vietnam war to the general public. Michael herr was a war correspondent for esquire between 1967 and 1969. This book covers the fighting done by special operations groups sog during the vietnam war. It would be hard to imagine a more powerful documentary on the vietnam war than dear america. She talks about a lot of different things in this book, like the assassinations of john f. Using real letters written by american soldiers which can be read in the book along with many more and archive footage, the film creates a highly personal. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in the bush.
Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. The series was cancelled in 2004 with its final release, hear my sorrow. Eloquent, gutwrenching letters from american men and women stationed in vietnam paint a poignant picture of war s agonies and joys. Letters home from vietnam by edited by bernard edelman for the new york vietnam veterans memorial commission dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in vietnam in this powerful collection of more than 200 poignant, honest, and very human letters. This incredibly moving documentary adds immeasurably to the growing stockpile of testaments about the vietnam war. Philip caputo was a marine who later became a very wellknown journalist. San jose mercury newslisten to these authentic voices of the vietnam war. Letters home from vietnam allows readers to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served there. Willbanks, a retired army colonel, who has written widely about the war, in which the author recommends ten essential books that should be on every historians bookshelf. For the 1987 vietnam war documentary, see dear america.
The dear america series was relaunched in september 2010 with their first new book since 2004, the fences between us by kirby larson, set during world war ii, as well as rereleases of earlier books. In the fiction section, you will find the best books on vietnam war, other vietnam bestseller novels as well as novels set in vietnam. Sep 10, 2016 as others have noted, the 36 books in the original dear america series were published between 1996 and 2004, right after the fierce debate over the national history standards. The series was relaunched in the fall of 2010, before ending around january 2014. Jul 17, 2002 few books touched me as much as dear america. Dear uncle and aunt, some people wonder why americans are in vietnam. Based on the book of the same name, the program is devoted to poignant recitations of letters to and from american participants of the vietnam war. His coverage of the war in dispatches was groundbreaking for its presented a type of journalism that traded monotonous details for.
Oct, 2015 anyway, this book is the only dear america with a specific companion book, which ill cover next weekthat being the journal of patrick seamus flaherty, united states marine corps, khe sanh, vietnam, 1968. These groups secretly worked within laos and cambodia and sought to disrupt the ho chi minh trail that brought north vietnamese army supplies to south vietnam. Read by dozens of actors such as harvey keitel, matt dillon, and kathleen turner, these letters show a more human story of the war than we see in most media outlets and reveal real people in real situations trying to. They come to us after the journalists, the generals, and the politicians have had their say. More than twentyfive years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and. Dear america is a middle grade series of historical novels for girls published by scholastic. The official web site of vietnam veterans of america. Vietnam is the thirtyfourth and latest book in my australian story by scholastic. Dear america letters home from vietnam vietnam war books. Collects letters, poems, and petitions from the front, written mostly by infantrymen to their families and friends. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. Titanic, 1912 by ellen emerson white, across the wide a.
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