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The Cold & The Green: 15 Gritty Epics of Korea & Vietnam
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items They call Korea ‘The Forgotten War’ and Vietnam ‘The Great Divide.’ I have always been a fan of the movies, and even my favourite Quantum leap episode is set in Vietnam, but only recently got around to reading more on it. This is a collection of stor...
Sections
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THE FROZEN RIDGES (KOREA)
BOOTS ON THE GROUND (VIETNAM)
THE HUMAN COST & AFTERMATH
THE FROZEN RIDGES (KOREA)
The Korean war kind of gets forgotten about between WW2 and Vietnam. The Korean War was defined by a bone-chilling cold that jammed rifles and broke spirits. These books capture the 'Forgotten War' at its most visceral—focusing on the brutal geograph...
This covers the Chosin Reservoir, and honestly, you’ll find yourself reaching for a blanket just like I did with Breem’s Roman frontier. It’s a staggering look at survival against impossible odds."
The Frozen Hours: A Novel of the Korean War
I know it’s technically non-fiction, but it reads like a gripping thriller. It’s the 'bible' of the Korean War. If you want to understand why the war was such a gritty, unglamorous slog, start here.
This Kind of War: Classic Korean War History
A short, sharp shock of a book. It captures the fatalism of the naval pilots who had to keep flying missions into 'The Slot.' No fluff, just high-stakes drama.
Amazon.com: The Bridges at Toko-Ri: A Novel
This is for those who might have enjoyed the intrigue of the Roman senate. It’s a long read, but it’s the most complete picture of the conflict I’ve found
The Coldest Winter: America & Korean War
Forget the TV, as brilliant as it is. The original book is much darker and grittier. It’s that 'gallows humor' that soldiers use to stay sane in the middle of a slaughterhouse.
Mash: A Novel About Three Army Doctors|Paperback
BOOTS ON THE GROUND (VIETNAM)
Recemtly finished the excellent Ken Burns documentart and I’ve selected these because they capture the sensory overload: the smell of diesel, the humidity, and the psychological weight of a war that felt like it had no front line
In my humble opinion, the greatest Vietnam novel ever written. It’s a massive, exhausting, and brilliant book about a Marine company trying to hold a mountain. It’s as gritty as it gets
Amazon.com: Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War
This one stayed with me for weeks. It’s a series of linked stories that blur the line between what actually happened and what it felt like. Hauntingly beautiful
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
A massive recent hit that focuses on the nurses. We always hear about the soldiers, but the women in the surgical tents saw the absolute worst of it. A gut-wrenching perspective
The Women: A Novel by Kristin Hannah
Written by a guy who was actually there as a Marine. It reminds me of the 'Macro and Cato' dynamic from my Roman list, but stripped of any glory. It’s about brotherhood in a very dark place
Fields of Fire: A Novel - James Webb
Ok, maybe a bit high brow but still enthralling. It’s a spy novel about a man with dual loyalties. It’s clever, cynical, and gives a perspective on the war we rarely see in the West
The Sympathizer: A Novel (Pulitzer Prize)
THE HUMAN COST & AFTERMATH
History books love to talk about geopolitics and the big picture but they often gloss over the people living in the villages and the scars soldiers brought home. These stories look at the war from the Vietnamese side and the long shadow the conflict ...
A beautiful, sweeping family saga from the Vietnamese perspective. It covers generations of war and survival. It’s a necessary balance to the American-centric stories
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
A memoir that reads like the most intense fiction. It’s the story of a young man going in with high ideals and coming out completely changed. Raw honesty at its best
A Rumor of War (40th Anniversary Edition)|Paperback
A rare look at the war through the eyes of a North Vietnamese soldier. It’s not a political book; it’s a ghost story about what war does to a man’s soul
The Sorrow of War: A Novel of North Vietnam
If you like the 'mechanics' of war, this is incredible. It’s about the Huey helicopter pilots. You can practically feel the vibration of the rotors as you read
Chickenhawk|Paperback
Set in Saigon before the war fully exploded. It’s about the wives of 'advisors' trying to do good in a place they don't understand. Subtle, social, and very sharp
Absolution by Alice McDermott - Goodreads