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InstantDeath · 01-22-2010, 02:20 PM

If you are into history/military history at all – two of my favorite books of all time are about the Vietnam War.

The first one is fiction (sort of), and is called ‘The Things They Carried’ by Tim O’Brien, a Vietnam veteran. It’s a book that is all at once amazingly entertaining and deeply touching. May be my favorite book ever.

From Wiki:

O'Brien feels that the idea of creating a story that is technically false yet truthfully portrays war, as opposed to just stating the facts and creating no emotion in the reader, is the correct way to clear his conscience and tell the story of thousands of soldiers who were forever silenced by society. Critics often cite this distinction when commenting on O'Brien's artistic aims in The Things They Carried and, in general, all of his fiction about Vietnam, claiming that O'Brien feels that the realities of the Vietnam War are best explored in fictional form rather than the presentation of precise facts.

The second book is called ‘Everything We Had’, by Al Santoli. This book is something I think everyone should have to read in high school. It is a collection of (true) short stories from Vietnam vets, ranging from humorous anecdotes about fellow soldiers amidst a totally effd up situation, to some isht that you wouldn’t believe really happened if someone on the street was telling you the story. (Unfortunately, after publishing, two of the vets who volunteered their stories admitted they had lied about them, but that should not take away from the other 31 amazing and deeply personal accounts in the book.)

Definitely recommend both of these – and they are both cheap to get a hold of and very easy reads.

They will have you thinking pretty deeply about mankind itself and the futility of war for quite some time, I think.

01-22-2010, 02:20 PM	#39
InstantDeath Backup Goalie Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: New Jersey Exp:	Epic Vietnam Books If you are into history/military history at all – two of my favorite books of all time are about the Vietnam War. The first one is fiction (sort of), and is called ‘The Things They Carried’ by Tim O’Brien, a Vietnam veteran. It’s a book that is all at once amazingly entertaining and deeply touching. May be my favorite book ever. From Wiki: O'Brien feels that the idea of creating a story that is technically false yet truthfully portrays war, as opposed to just stating the facts and creating no emotion in the reader, is the correct way to clear his conscience and tell the story of thousands of soldiers who were forever silenced by society. Critics often cite this distinction when commenting on O'Brien's artistic aims in The Things They Carried and, in general, all of his fiction about Vietnam, claiming that O'Brien feels that the realities of the Vietnam War are best explored in fictional form rather than the presentation of precise facts. The second book is called ‘Everything We Had’, by Al Santoli. This book is something I think everyone should have to read in high school. It is a collection of (true) short stories from Vietnam vets, ranging from humorous anecdotes about fellow soldiers amidst a totally effd up situation, to some isht that you wouldn’t believe really happened if someone on the street was telling you the story. (Unfortunately, after publishing, two of the vets who volunteered their stories admitted they had lied about them, but that should not take away from the other 31 amazing and deeply personal accounts in the book.) Definitely recommend both of these – and they are both cheap to get a hold of and very easy reads. They will have you thinking pretty deeply about mankind itself and the futility of war for quite some time, I think.