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I would put in a recommendation for "The Sorrow of War" by Bảo Ninh. It is a novel, so not the hard history you have been asking for, but it is very well written and from the N. Vietnamese perspective which is unusual.

As I eagerly await CSV, I cannot do more than highly recommend Max Hastings's book on the Vietnam War. If someone is looking for a single book that condenses everything, look no further. And whoever is looking for an extensive first introduction to the subject, this is his book. Amazing.

Across the Fence, John Stryker Meyer, for an intro to SOG.

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Here's one that's online, intro to the Mobile Riverine Force:

https://history.army.mil/html/books/090 ... index.html

Written by Fulton who was the Brigade Commander during the first six months of operations. A true "joint" force, before there were "joint" forces. Navy carried Army on boats. Lots of choppers in support and Air Farce Spads and fast movers also supporting.

Dispatches, Michael Herr, a very good novel disguised as journalism.

Several parts of the book were later used in the narration for Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket films

One of my favorite Vietnam books on an often undercovered part of the war is Gordon Rottman's Mobile Strike Forces In Vietnam about the CIDG mobile forces. I reviewed it glowingly.

My dad, whom is a Vietnam veteran, recommended I read The Magnificent Bastards: The Joint Army-Marine Defense of Dong Ha, 1968 by Keith Nolan. Unfortunately I haven't read it yet, but being the veteran and avid Vietnam history buff my dad is, he wouldn't have recommended it if it wasn't great. He even bought a copy for me.

Max Hastings' book, which you've already read, is one of the best grand views of the war I've read.

I have been always fascinated by the Vietnam world.

My best book is Bat 21 and also the movie is one of the best Vietnamese war movie I like.

When you read the book, you discover the story was a bit different and some situation were in reality changed to make the story a bit more simple.

My recommendation for anyone would be The Things they Carried by Tim O'Brien.

It's truly a great read on many levels.

I'd recommend Battle of Skyline Ridge, as a Viet vet I was left with a sense of 'what might have been' if Westmoreland had listened to Marines more closely instead of re-fighting ww2 or Korea.

Osprey Publishing has just printed Sergio Miller's A History of the Vietnam War in two volumes: Vol. 1 In Good Faith and Vol. 2 No Wider War.

The Valley

Chickenhawk

Body Count

A Rumor of War

Fields of Fire

All excellent books.

Any of the late Keith Nolan’s books are certainly worth reading. Ripcord and the Defense of Dong Ha were particularly well done. I am personally familiar with the terrain around Ripcord.