By Fredrik Logevall

A history of the four decades leading up to the Vietnam War offers insights into how the U.S. became involved, identifying commonalities between the campaigns of French and American forces while discussing relevant political factors.

By David H. Hackworth

The commanding officer of an infantry battalion in Vietnam in 1969 recounts how he took over a demoralized unit of ordinary draftees and turned it into an elite fighting force, and describes its accomplishments.

By John Steinbeck

The author of The Grapes of Wrath (published in 1939) kept writing for close to three decades. At the age of 64, at the end of 1966, he put on combat boots, went to Vietnam, and wrote a series of essays for Newsday over the course of about six months.

By Harold G. Moore

To honor fallen comrades, a journalist and a soldier return to Vietnam battlefields more than 30 years later.

By Karl Marlantes

Offers insight into the combat experience, drawing on the author’s background as a decorated Vietnam War veteran to raise awareness about how inadequately troops are prepared for battle-related psychological and spiritual trauma.