Based on letters from us soldiers serving in vietnam. 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. Decades after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america. A journey to the new world and hear my sorrow were also the first and last books in the relaunch. 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. Jul 17, 2002 few books touched me as much as dear america. Most are a page or less, and they give a vivid insight into attitudes of the men there, though possibly selfcensored to.
Dear america letters home from vietnam vietnam war books. The means of turning this concept into a film came from cowriter richard dewhurst, who showed couturie a copy of the book dear america. Letters home from vietnam tv movie 1987 dear america. Letters home from vietnam was met with almost universal critical acclaim. Barry denenberg is a critically acclaimed author of nonfiction and historical fiction. Using real letters written by american soldiers which can be read in the book. Philip caputo was a marine who later became a very wellknown journalist. 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. Vietnam war resources vietnam war music, books, memorials. 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 a letter to her son, left at the vietnam memorial dear bill, i came to this black wall again, to see and touch your name. Pocket books, apr 1, 1988 political science 344 pages. 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. Letters home from vietnam, clip 08 lrhssocialstudies.
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. The common theme of each of the writers was their sense of duty to. 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. The common theme of each of the writers was their sense of duty to their country despite the hardships. Every vietnam war story has value, even the ones you have heard before. This incredibly moving documentary adds immeasurably to the growing stockpile of testaments about the vietnam war.
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. This book covers the fighting done by special operations groups sog during the vietnam war. 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. In the fiction section, you will find the best books on vietnam war, other vietnam bestseller novels as well as novels set in vietnam. A reliving of the war in vietnam through actual letters from american g. Letters home from vietnam by bernard edelman, editor w. Dear uncle and aunt, some people wonder why americans are in vietnam.
Letters home from vietnam was first telecast april 3, 1988, over the hbo cable service. Letters home from vietnam allows readers to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served there. Tell me about the first book on your list, a rumor of war 1977. Patrick is the protagonist mollys brother, and the two books cover very different aspects of the war. Letters home from vietnam is a 1987 american documentary film inspired by the anthology of the same title, directed by bill couturie in 1987. 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. This book is about a 15yearold girl named molly mackenzie flaherty. 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. His coverage of the war in dispatches was groundbreaking for its presented a type of journalism that traded monotonous details for. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in. The series was cancelled in 2004 with its final release, hear my sorrow. The september issue of armchair general magazine contains an article, 10 essential vietnam war books by james h. Dear america letters home from vietnam part 1 8 royalfool1195. Dear america is a middle grade series of historical novels for girls published by scholastic. Ties in to the march 88 hbo films motion picture with an allstar cast including tom berenger, kathleen turner and robert deniro. Herring, a former university of kentucky history professor, covers virtually every important event in the conflict, presenting the war objectively and assessing its legacy.
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. Vietnam is the thirtyfourth and latest book in my australian story by scholastic. 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. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. 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. 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 is a series of historical fiction novels published by scholastic. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions. The entire books is all real letters from soldiers that were stationed.
The series began in 1996 with kathryn laskys a journey to the new world, until the cancellation in 2004 after hear my sorrow. Letters home from vietnam as you read note the mens feelings about the war. 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. Found the book on amazon in an american second hand book store. Most vets dropped the 19 when it came to their years over there. San jose mercury newslisten to these authentic voices of the vietnam war. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of. 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. Secret wars of americas commandos in vietnam by john.
Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. One of my favourites from this list is the beauty of humanity movement, it might be an oldie but it is a great book that tells an interesting story about key characters and their lives in old vietnam. An overwhelmingly eloquent book of the purest and most simple writing on vietnam. You replied as i knew you would always the mother who tries to put her sons. Letters home from vietnam is a 1987 american documentary film. It weaves the words of the soldiers who served into a poignant verbal history. Dear mom and dad, love from vietnam by joe abodeely books. 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. 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.
Letters home from vietnam definitely captures the essence of the vietnam war. They come to us after the journalists, the generals, and the politicians have had their say. Not a history book, not a war novel dear america is a book of truth. 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. 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. 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. Letters home from vietnam, originally published in 1985. 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. Da is split up into 8 sections, giving the reader a decent exposure into what guys went through over there. 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. This gripping documentary of the vietnam war begins with the kennedy administration and extends through the return of the first mias in the mid 1970s. 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. The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations.
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 experience of the vietnam war. The series was relaunched in the fall of 2010, before ending around january 2014. The united states and vietnam, 19501975 by george herring, 1978 this book is widely viewed as the best concise history of the vietnam war. 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. 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. Chastant hhephu bai 29 june 68 mom, today i received your letter in reply to my extension letter. 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. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in the bush. Nearly forty years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear ame. Collects letters, poems, and petitions from the front, written mostly by infantrymen to their families and friends.
For the 1987 vietnam war documentary, see dear america. 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. Eloquent, gutwrenching letters from american men and women stationed in vietnam paint a poignant picture of war s agonies and joys. Booktopia buy vietnam war books online from australias leading online bookstore. Mark kitchell anti war protesters at berkeley university. Teaching with dear america books grades 48 9780439105477. Dear america is a collection of letters back home from menand women in vietnam. 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. 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. Letters home from vietnam by commission, new york vietnam veterans memorial and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Titanic, 1912 by ellen emerson white, across the wide a.
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. Essential vietnam war reading vietnam veterans of america. 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. No full understanding of the most disastrous foreign war. Archive footage of the war and news coverage thereof, augment the firstperson narrative by men and women who were in the war.
Dear america letters home from vietnam 1987 l 1of2. 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. 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. 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. All the confusion, pain, despair, and even hope of the men and women who served in vietnam is captured in dear america. Michael herr was a war correspondent for esquire between 1967 and 1969. Nonfiction an intimate history of killing by joanna bourke.
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. Best rock songs vietnam war music best rock music of all time 60s and 70s rock playlist. More than 25 years after the official end of the vietnam war, dear america allows us to. 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. The official web site of vietnam veterans of america. Recently, i read three autobiographies by soldiers who experienced combat in vietnam during the 1968 tet offensive. Dear america letters home from vietnam part 1 8 youtube.