It is historical fiction, a genre perhaps not fully appreciated. The fictitious characters and circumstances provide an entertaining read for those who lived through the era as well as those for whom vietnam is only a. Fastpaced, graphic in its description of the vietnam conflict, body count is a novel whose effects will linger long. Focusing on the politics of war memory and commemoration, this book retheorizes the connections among history, memory, and power and. In america, it is traditional to destroy the black body it is heritage. The author points out in his forward that, this is a work of fiction and as such is not meant to depict the literal truth of characters and events, but rather the deeper meanings of what happened and why. Mar 06, 2015 dog soldiers won the 1975 national book award for fiction, the first vietnam war novel to do so. March, harpercollins and elizabeth becker on female journalists during the vietnam. Vietnam war fiction books meet your next favorite book. This is the second time i read this book and i wish the author had put some details about his life as an afterward in the book.
The quiet american 1996, reprint, penguin by graeme greene perhaps the most well known book set in vietnam in the english language. Hey, everyone knows that everyone knows that were winning the war in vietnam. The terrifying true story of the spokane serial killer is a nonfiction book released in december 2012 by pinnacle books and written by the crime writer burl barer about the american serial killer robert lee yates from spokane, washington. Body count is more than a thriller set at the 1967 turning point of the vietnam war. Described in 1956 as a novel of sexual intrigue, savage warfare, and some mystery. A work of fiction but does present situationsactions that are a bit unbelievable. Viet nam body count kindle edition by montoya, mushroom. Historian gibson condemns the us organization of the war in strong terms. The books to read in 2020 the sydney morning herald. Viet nam body count by mushroom montoya, paperback. 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.
Hasford served as a combat correspondent with the 1st marine division during the tet offensive of 1968. If the doomsayers are right, we are soon in for the mother of all crime waves, as the baby boomers offspring enter their dangerous late teens. This book contains a detailed breakdown of what goes on inside the human body. My top 10 fiction and nonfiction books to read on vietnam. Viet nam body count is a slightly fictionalized story that reveals the secrets that sailor, mushroom montoya, has kept hidden, in a dark place in his heart.
Army infantry division that was activated and trained stateside specifically to fight in vietnam. Huggett served in the vietnam war as a marine, and was. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. Body count by richter watkins book cover, description, publication. Within a ten minute span, over 55 people are killed, by being sawn in half by bullets, or having their limbs, ribcages or heads literally explode.
Body count by erika dreifus i adore all of the pale of settlement 2007, a collection of linked stories by margot singer that won the flannery oconnor award for short fiction, the glasgow prize for emerging writers, and the reform judaism prize for jewish fiction. A vietnam war thriller by richter watkins goodreads. While the body can easily be subject to domination and control by others, our mind, along with our thoughts, beliefs and convictions, are to a large extent beyond external constraint. Matterhorn by karl marlantes, the things they carried by tim obrien, the th valley by john m. Fields of fire is a brilliant book about the vietnam war. The sympathizer, without remorse, the quiet american, matterhorn, the lover, preacher, volume 3. It is the first novel of the remembrance of earths past chinese. The terrifying true story of the spokane serial killer is a non fiction book released in december 2012 by pinnacle books and written by the crime writer burl barer about the american serial killer robert lee yates from spokane, washington. Body count was the only novel published by william turner huggett 1939 2004. Didnt you see the body count numbers on cbs last night. Unparalleled and unequaled university of kentucky press, 195 pp. It runs a very close second to james webbs fields of fire.
Clinton body count epstein suicided mena iran contra barry. Nov 01, 2012 horror is the dominant feature of this entry in the aptly named horrors of history series. A novel of the vietnam war intense, powerful, and compelling, matterhorn is an epic war novel in the tradition of norman mailersthe naked and the dead and james joness the thin red line. Yoichi okamoto lbj library in this interview with al carroll, author of presidents body counts. His semiautobiographical novel the shorttimers 1979 was the basis of the film full metal jacket 1987. Often used in reference to military combat, the term can also refer to any situation involving multiple killings, such as the actions of death squads or serial killers. A body count is the total number of people killed in a particular event. There are issues around killing and counting unarmed civilians noncombatants as enemy combatants, as well as inflating the number of actual enemy who were killed in action kia. Accordingly, i use this very term, body counts, as the book s title in order to expose the wars costs borne by the vietnamese and to insist that bodiesvietnamese bodiesshould count. The vietnam war body count controversy centers on the counting of enemy dead by the united states armed forces during the vietnam war 19551975. I first encountered the very well written body count back when i was a lad during the early 1980s when vietnam war message movies still werent quite the rage just yet, probably in my sophomore year in high school.
It was first published in 2002, and then updated and rereleased 10 years later. Thats one of the more grisly aspects of the vietnam war that the u. Our books conditioned as good may have yellowing of pages due to age and may have very minimal under 5 pages worth, transparent highlighting but no writing or note taking. Every night was a body count of those who died in the battles. Fortyone years is a long time to hold a secret that haunts its keeper. Vietnam body count by mushroom montoya vietnam veterans. He was a united states marine corps veteran, who served during the vietnam war.
We are all taught that hurting people and certainly killing people is wrong. One of the most severe lines in the book is also one of the most frequently quoted. In quiet, airconditioned, thickcarpeted rooms, such terms as systematic pressure, armed reconnaissance, targets of opportunity, and even body count seemed to breed a sort of gamestheory. The author points out in his forward that, this is a work of fiction and as such is not meant to depict the literal truth of characters and events, but rather the deeper meanings of what. In combat, a body count is often based on the number of confirmed kills, but occasionally only an estimate. When we are put into a position where killing is necessary, our moral compass goes haywire and we have to deal with it, not. Viet nam body count by mushroom montoya, paperback barnes. Jerry gustave hasford november 28, 1947 january 29, 1993, also known under his pen name gustav hasford was an american novelist, journalist and poet. Vietnam body count by mushroom montoya vietnam veterans of. Every living room was placed into the heat of modern combat with its horrific images. The daily body count of killed and wounded north vietnamese soldiers was, in epsilon theoryspeak, a cartoon an abstraction of an abstraction in service to the creation of common knowledge. Suitable for upper ks2, the text holds a wealth of information organised into accessible bullet points, clear photographs, pullout wall posters and very detailed diagrams. Theodore e meyer the story of three americans, before, during and after their service in vietnam. Marine corps veteran gustav hasford, about his experience in the vietnam war.
What is best historical fiction book written about the. The vietnam war has produced as much literature as w. Conjoined with the general decline in moral values, community, and sobriety, these teenagers will be horrifingly violent. Jun 28, 2018 while the body can easily be subject to domination and control by others, our mind, along with our thoughts, beliefs and convictions, are to a large extent beyond external constraint. The second and third novels in the trilogy are titled the dark forest and. Fields of fireis a brilliant book about the vietnam war. An intriguing analysis of the vietnam war from a new perspective. Personal narrative of a tour of duty with the usmc in vietnam.
Ken burns never knew how wrong he was about the vietnam war. Our books experts recommends 10 authors to read on the conflict. Body count a vietnam war thriller like in the us for sale. Ground zero series which is what the scorpion squad series metamorphosed into after four books some of the most riveting war fiction. Mar 17, 2015 many of the body count lists say florence martin was killed in mabelle, texas in 1994. Body count mass market paperback february 1, 1988 by william huggett author 4. That florence martin, however, was a 69yearold employee of a nearby convenience store and a spokesperson for the baylor county, texas district attorneys office says she had nothing to do with bobby seal, mena, arkansas, or the cia. Annmargrets spontaneous tribute to vietnam vets at a book signingtruth summary of erumor. Life and death in vietnams television war consortiumnews. Ten vietnam war novels to read council on foreign relations.
His third book about the war, it is based upon his experiences as a soldier in the 23rd infantry division obrien generally refrains from political debate and discourse regarding the vietnam war. The military historian max boot takes on the counterinsurgency maven edward lansdale. This book deals with my own awakening to the reality of war and the moral questions that war raises. Virtuecrats bennett and gang haul in the usual suspects in this flatfooted, statisticheavy collection of warmedover nostrums. It is the timeless story of a young marine lieutenant, waino mellas, and his comrades in bravo company, who are dropped into the mountain jungle of vietnam as boys and forced to fight their way into manhood. The things they carried 1990 is a collection of linked short stories by american novelist tim obrien, about a platoon of american soldiers fighting on the ground in the vietnam war. Body counts by yen le espiritu paperback university of. Body count by eric helm meet your next favorite book. Montoyas worked in r repair gangs on board his navy ships. Illustrated with numerous period photographs, this fictional effort follows many through the lethal 1918 influenza epidemic in philadelphia, one of the hardesthit cities in america. Jan 17, 20 vietnam was even more horrific than we thought.
Intense, powerful, and compelling, matterhorn is an epic war novel in the tradition of norman mailers the naked and the dead and james joness the thin red line. A warm story about a vietnam vet who wanted actress annmargret to sign a snapshot he had taken of her when she once performed for troops in vietnam. Having known some marines who were there, this book shows the everyday grunt and what he went through during the war. The book looks at unformed men through a manmade hell, following along with their journey until eventually, they face their fate.
When i started reading this novel, i didnt know who were the good guys and who were the. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. The book includes some great observations and agonizing human truths about the nonstop combat of the war. Shortlisted for canadas prestigious giller prize, this profoundly humane novel vancouver sun, wrings suspense and humor out of the everyday choices we make, revealing the delicate balance between sacrifice and selfinterest, doing good and being good. Dec, 2017 in the fiction section, you will find the best books on vietnam war, other vietnam bestseller novels as well as novels set in vietnam.
Dog soldiers won the 1975 national book award for fiction, the first vietnam war novel to do so. Although conditions varied widely during the ten years of the war, the historical fiction genre allows veterans to recognize historically correct settings in vietnam during 1971 and 1972. Mar 17, 2015 annmargrets spontaneous tribute to vietnam vets at a book signingtruth summary of erumor. I too fought in viet nam as a 2nd lt in the marines and the first time i read this i concluded the author had to have been there as a marine officer and this book was based on his experiences. Like fields of fire, this would have made a great movie or cable miniseries.
A good book describes the average used worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Huggett 1988, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. A vietnam war thriller, isbn 1098918398, isbn 9781098918392, brand new, free shipping in the us. Presidential histories and analysis of accomplishments and failures. The authors personal outrage occasionally spills over into. In his creatively written memoir, vietnam body count createspace, 370 pp. The sorrow of war reprint 1996, riverhead books by bao ninh sad, reflective, poetic book written by a north vietnamese. The book looks at unformed men through a manmade hell, following along. Army employed body countsthe number of confirmed vietnamese killsto chart u.
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