travel books on vietnam

The Ultimate List of Best Vietnam Books to Read!

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED LINKS. FIND MORE INFO IN MY DISCLAIMER.

Home » The Ultimate List of Best Vietnam Books to Read!

I love to read and nothing excites me more than finding a book before I travel to power-up the anticipation of the trip to come!  In this post, you will find a list of the best Vietnam books to read this year!

I have broken down the best books about Vietnam into helpful sections.

In the Fiction section, you will find the best books on Vietnam war, other Vietnam bestseller novels as well as novels set in Vietnam.  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.

For those keen on travelling to Vietnam, you will most certainly enjoy our suggested collection to help you pick the best Vietnam travel guide book for your type of holiday.

Whichever genre you love to read, I’m sure you will find something on this list to suit your needs and taste buds!  Enjoy!

____________________

Don’t miss these!

KINDLE-READER BONUSES

AMAZON KINDLE UNLIMITED: If you read a lot of books, I’m hoping you would know about the value of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program!  This program will save you loads of money.

For only $9.99 you get access to unlimited ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines for any device. Now as most ebooks cost more than this monthly cost, you can see the insane value!  Plus your first 30 days are absolutely FREE!! – Click here to try out the Amazon Kindle Unlimited program for free 

Best Vietnam Fiction Books

Find below a list of the best Vietnam novels has to offer! You can find suggestions for the best books set in Vietnam.

1. Best Books Set in Vietnam

Find below suggestions of books to read before visiting Vietnam.

The Beauty of Humanity Movement

by Camilla Gibb

The Beauty of Humanity Movement was one of the first books I read and I still feel like it is one of the best novels set in Vietnam that looks at daily life beyond the war.

Book Synopsis:

Every morning in Hanoi, people line up to breakfast on a bowl of pho, traditional noodle soup, made by Old Man Hung. An itinerant soup vendor living in a shantytown, Hung once owned a café where a group of dissident artists and intellectuals called the Beauty of Humanity Movement met until the Communists shut it down.

If Hung is a link to Vietnam’s past, Tu, the grandson of one of the artists, is a link to its future. It is Tu’s job as a tour guide to show the sites of Hanoi to visitors from the West. One of these is Maggie, a Vietnamese American art curator who has come to Hanoi to catalogue the art collection of the refurbished Hotel Metropole. She also hopes to learn something about her father, an artist, who stayed behind when Maggie and her mother fled to the U.S.

Through the very different perspectives of these three, Gibb fluidly takes the reader from the bitter years of war to the Hanoi that has emerged in the reform era, which, despite all its modernization, is still a mystery to many of us.

Click here to see prices for this book (Available in Kindle, Hardcover, Audio CD & Paperback). 

___________________________

The Best We Could Do

The Best We Could is a national bestseller!

It is an illustrated memoir of one family’s journey from war-torn Vietnam. It is a graphic novel and the story is told in a beautiful emotional voice.  It is about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. The book explores the anguish of immigration.  It also shares the emotions of a family dealing with the lasting effects that displacement has on a child.

The book looks at the story of a family’s daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970’s.  It looks at the realistic challenges they faced whilst trying to rebuild a new life for themselves.  At the heart of Bui’s story is a universal struggle: While adjusting to life as a first-time mother, she ultimately discovers what it means to be a parent—the endless sacrifices, the unnoticed gestures, and the depths of unspoken love.

The important of the strength of family, the importance of identity, and the meaning of home are some of the main themes that runs throughout this incredible book.  It is the best book about Vietnam family life and the realistic struggles of lost identity.

Click here to see prices for this book (Available in Kindle, Hardcover & Paperback).

2. Best Vietnam War Books

Find below a collection of the best books on the Vietnam war!  Whilst some of these books are a bit older, they are still brilliant to read and give you great insight into the war.  Some of these are fiction books about Vietnam war (based on factual information), whilst others include some of the best books on Vietnam history of the war.

Saigon: An Epic Novel of Vietnam

by Anthony Grey

‘Saigon: An Epic Novel of Vietnam by Anthony Grey’ happens to be one of the best books on Vietnam War; so if you are after a bit of war history then this one is the perfect book for you!

This book centers around twentieth-century Vietnam.  It tells the story of Joseph’s first visit to Saigon in 1925.  He returns back to Vietnam many times, sometimes as a traveler, other times as a soldier and finally as a reporter.  He falls in love with the exotic land and with Lan, a mandarin’s daughter he cannot forget.

Over five decades Joseph’s life becomes enmeshed with the political intrigues of two of Saigon’s most influential families, the French colonist Devrauxs, and the native Trans—and inevitably with Vietnam’s turbulent, war torn fate. He is there when the hatred of a million coolies rises against the French, and when the French Foreign Legion fights its bloody last stand at Dien Bien Phu. He sees US military “advisors” fire their first shots in America’s hopeless war against the red tide of Communist revolution and tries to salvage something of lasting value on a desperate helicopter flight out of defeated Saigon.

A great read!  If you haven’t read this one yet, then it might be the time for it today!

Click here to see prices for this book (Available in Kindle, Hardcover, Audio CD & Paperback). 

The Vietnam War: An Intimate History

by  Geoffrey C. Ward

There still seems to be an argument around about who was right and wrong in their response to the conflict of the Vietnam War.

What we do know is that when the war divided the country, it created deep political fault lines that continue to divide us today.  It has been over 40 years since the war ended, but yet it still haunts their country.

This book is not however about taking sides, the book is all about seeking to understand why this war happened, why it went the way it did.

The authors have done their research, they have interviewed dozens and dozens of people from both America as well as Vietnam to get the true perspectives from people that were actually involved in the war.

People interviewed include U.S. and Vietnamese soldiers and their families, high-level officials in America and Vietnam, antiwar protestors, POWs, and many more.

This book is beautifully written and the illustrations are rich.  The book aims to launch a new national conversation.  Have you read it yet??

Click here to see prices for this book (Available in Kindle, Hardcover & Audio CD). 

Fields of Fire

by James Webb

One of the best books on Vietnam  

This book is a great read if you enjoy reading books about the Vietnam war!  This book happens to be one of the best novels about Vietnam and will give you some great insight into what it was like to be in this war!

Fields of Fire is a brilliant book about the Vietnam War.  The book includes some great observations and agonizing human truths about the nonstop combat of the war.

The book looks at unformed men through a man-made hell, following along with their journey until eventually, they face their fate.

The book centers around three young men who were thrown into the murderous realm of the jungle warfare of 1969. They were unaware of what exactly waited for them and there was no way that they could have prepared themselves for the chaos and madness to come.

All of this madness made them take on new identities, take on each other, and each was reborn in fields of fire on the battlefield.

Click here to see prices for this book (Available in Hardcover, Paperback & Audio CD). 

Catfish and Mandala

by Andrew X. Pham

Catfish and Mandala is the story of an American Odyssey, a book that tells its story through a solo bicycle voyage around the Pacific Rim to Vietnam.

A young Vietnamese-American man was born in Vietnam but raised in California.  He sets off in pursuit of his adopted homeland and his forsaken fatherland.

After the suicide of his sister, Pham decides to leave everything behind and sets off on a year-long bicycle journey.

He crosses the Mexican desert, bicycles from Narita to Kyoto in Japan; and, after five months and 2,357 miles, bicycles to Saigon.

In Vietnam, he’s taken for Japanese or Korean by his countrymen. Only his relatives know that he is truly Vietnamese.

A vibrant, picaresque memoir written with narrative flair and an eye-opening sense of adventure, Catfish and Mandala is an unforgettable search for cultural identity. And in my opinion, a great Vietnam book to read.

Click here to see prices for this book (Available in Hardcover & Paperback). 

The Sympathizer: A Novel

by Viet Thanh Nguyen

This book won six awards!   The Sympathizer  has the pace and has the suspense of a thriller, but yet the writing style is compared to other popular authors such as Graham Greene and Saul Bellow.

The Sympathizer  is a story of two opposites: love and betrayal.

It tells the story of a communist double agent, a half-French, a half-Vietnamese army captain.  He makes his way to America after the Fall of Saigon, and finds other Vietnamese refugees in Los Angeles, where he tries to build a new life.  He secretly reports back to his communist superiors in Vietnam.

The Sympathizer  is a book that explores identity and America.  It is a powerful novel of both love and friendship.

Click here to see prices for this book (Available in Kindle, Hardcover & Paperback). 

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War

by Karl Marlantes 

Vietnam Novels Bestsellers  

A very popular book and one of the most bought of the Vietnam Novels Bestsellers! New York Times bestseller, a National Indie Next and a USA Today bestseller.

Matterhorn was written by a Vietnam veteran.  M atterhorn has been hailed as a “brilliant account of war”.

This book is an epic war novel that centers around the timeless story of a young Marine lieutenant, Waino Mellas, and his comrades in Bravo Company.  They are dropped into the jungle of Vietnam as boys and are forced to fight.

They have the challenge of dealing with the North Vietnamese, with monsoon rain, mud, leeches, tigers, disease and malnutrition.

On top of all of those challenges, they are faced with obstacles that relate to racial tension, competing ambitions, and duplicitous superior officers.

The experience of the war will change them forever.  As they fight as a man right into manhood.  It is a brilliant novel that will take emotions from the tragedy of Vietnam and turn them into a powerful story of courage, camaraderie, and sacrifice.

A great read! Why not grab it now!

Click here to see prices for this book (Available in Kindle, Hardcover, Audio CD, MP3 & Paperback). 

When Heaven and Earth Changed Places

by Le Ly Hayslip

What an incredibly emotional novel set in Vietnam.  If you are after a Vietnamese novel that will pull at your heart string then this is the one!

Some believe that during the war, heaven and earth change places not once, but many times.

When Heaven and Earth Changed Places is a novel in the format of a memoir; of a girl on the verge of womanhood, stuck in a world that is turned upside down.

She is the youngest of six children, she is part of a close-knit Buddhist family.  She was only 12 years old when U.S. helicopters landed in her tiny village in central Vietnam.

The government and Viet Cong troops recruited children as spies and saboteurs. Le Ly was one of those children.

Le Ly had a childhood that nobody should have, before the age of sixteen, she had already suffered near-starvation, imprisonment, torture, rape, as well as witness the deaths of family members.

But yet, even through all these obstacles, she still holds fast to her faith in humanity.

Eventually, Le Ly manages to escape to America, and when she is older she returns to the devastated country and family she left behind.

The book is a book of contrasts, with scenes of a joyous reunion, but with the history and emotions of the brutal war years.  The book is about Le Ly, a courageous woman who experienced the true horror of the Vietnam War—and survived to tell her unforgettable story.

The Quiet American

by Graham Greene  

The Quiet American  is perhaps the most controversial novel of Graham Greene’s career.

The novel centers around the main character, Pyle, who is a brash young idealist sent out by Washington on a mysterious mission to Saigon. In Saigon, the French Army is struggling against the Vietminh guerrillas.

As young Pyle’s well-intentioned policies blunder into bloodshed, Fowler, a seasoned and cynical British reporter, finds it impossible to stand safely aside as an observer.

But Fowler’s motives for intervening are suspect, both to the police and himself, for Pyle has stolen Fowler’s beautiful Vietnamese mistress.

A great read, even though it is an older release, it is still one of the most popular books about Vietnam.

Click here to see prices for this book (Available in Kindle, Hardcover, Audio CD & Paperback).  

Vietnam Books Non-Fiction

1. vietnam travel guide books.

Find below a list of the most popular Vietnam travel books. 

These books will all help you as you plan your Vietnam holiday. 

We also suggest you take them along on your trip as they can be so beneficial when you get lost, or when you try to find activities to fill in spare time in a day.

National Geographic Traveler: Vietnam

Vietnam Travel Book Synopsis:

The National Geographic travel guide is aimed at active travelers who want authentic, enriching, cultural experiences.

The book covers the following areas:

• Destinations covered include the ancient capital of Hanoi; Ha Long Bay; North-Central Vietnam, including visits to Vietnamese tunnels; Hue and Hoi An; the Southern Central Highlands; Ho Chi Minh City; and the vast Mekong Delta.
• Learn more about Vietnam’s history and culture, including discussions on the hill tribes and the life of the boat people in the Mekong Delta.
• Get information on self-guided walks and drives that you can take, for example, through Hanoi’s picturesque Old Quarter and along the cliffside beauty between Hue and Danang.
• Get lists of ‘Not-To-Be-Missed’ Sites
• Handy information on hand-picked hotels and restaurants for you to enjoy!

Click here to see prices for this book (Available in Paperback Only) .

Lonely Planet Vietnam (Travel Guide)

Best travel guide for Vietnam

We personally love Lonely Planet’s guidebooks and never look anywhere else.  They have the best Vietnam guide book for your travels.

Lonely Planet are comprehensive and in depth guide books.  Inside Lonely Planet’s Vietnam Travel Guide Book you will find:

• Colour maps and images throughout
• Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
• Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
• Essential info at your fingertips – hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices
• Honest reviews for all budgets – eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss
• Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience – customs, history, architecture, regional specialties, tribes, environment, food, drink
• Free, convenient pull-out Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi map (included in print version), plus over 80 maps
• Covers Northwest Vietnam, Northeast Vietnam, Hanoi, North-Central Vietnam, Central Vietnam, Central Highlands, South-Central Coast, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Siem Reap and more

Click here to see prices for this book (Available in Kindle & Paperback).  

___________________________ –

Vietnam ese Children’s Books

Find below a list of some good books about Vietnam that are suitable for children.

Vietnamese Children’s Favorite Stories

By phuoc thi minh tran.

This gorgeous and colorful children’s book has a collection of Vietnamese fairy tales and other folk stories.  These stories are brilliant as they give you and your child some insight into their rich culture.  You will find a charming collection of 15 tales in this book, all written and told by a popular Vietnamese writer – Tran Thi Minh Phuoc.

Some of the folktales in this books are “The Story of Tam and Cam” (the Vietnamese version of Cinderella), “The Jade Rabbit,” and “The Legend of the Mai Flower.”  The stories told include great lessons of concepts such as integrity, hard work and a kind heart triumph over deception, laziness, and greed—as gods, peasants, kings and fools spring to life in legends of bravery and beauty, and fables about nature.

This book was the  **Winner of Creative Child Magazine  and receive the 2015 Book of the Year Award** .  Give this book a go, I bet you will love it!!

Click here to see prices for this book (Available in Kindle & Hardcover). 

Vietnam A to Z: Discover the colorful culture of Vietnam!

By elka k. ray.

This is a gorgeous ABC-style book on Vietnam.  It is geared toward smaller children and features creative & colorful illustrations that your child will enjoy.  It is bilingual with English and Vietnamese text so even if you don’t understand Vietnamese, you can still easily explain the new words to your child. This is a beautiful Vietnamese book for kids!  Eye catching for the little ones and educational!  What more can you ask for!?

Click here to see prices for this book (Available in Paperback only).  

Inside Out and Back Again

by Thanhha Lai

Truly a great pick from the Vietnamese books for kids on offer!

Inside Out and Back Again is a New York Times Vietnam Novel  bestseller, a Newbery Honor Book, and a winner of the National Book Award!

The book is inspired by the author’s life as the experienced fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon during her childhood.  She immigrated to Alabama and tells her moving story as she goes through a change of life, dreams, grief and then healing.

And there you have our Ultimate Reading List of Vietnam Books to inspire wanderlust pre-trip!

Leave us a Comment:

• Which Vietnam book took your fancy?
• Do you have any books set in Vietnam to recommend?
• Have you read and loved any of these Vietnam Novels?
• Are you after more Vietnamese stories for Kids?

Further Reading Suggestions:

• Click to read one of our most popular posts containing bucket-loads of tips and hints of how to prepare for Vietnam!
• Find out what are the most popular places to see in Vietnam here!
• Check out our list of where we stayed throughout Vietnam here !
• Click to read our comprehensive, informative stories of our travels through Vietnam!

Jolene Ejmont

10 thoughts on “the ultimate list of best vietnam books to read”.

The Big Buddha Bicycle Race by Terence Harkin is a great read. It’s more military fiction than straight fiction and it’s a great read.

Oh I do love the title Matt, will have to look it up thanks!

Jonathan Cain’s 12 book series “Saigon Commandos” are the best novels out there about love and war in The ‘Nam circa 1966-75!

Hi Nick, thanks for the suggestion, will have to order it and have a read!!

Thank you it was very helpful

Check out Long Daze at Long Binh the first truly funny book about the Vietnam War. Excellent reviews from Vietnam Veterans of America, Goodreads.com, Midwest Book Review and ReadersFavorite.com, among others. VVA calls it “The best book about ‘Rear Echelon’ life in Vietnam during that time period… nobody will top it any time soon, if ever.”

Thanks for sharing a book with our readers Dan.

Hello Jolene, my wife and I shared a group tour to Vietnam, and, I became fascinated with the history of the conflict, and the conflict, being an avid reader of military history. Have read well over 20 different books with regard to the country. One which I would recommend is ? “Vietnam A Country, Not A War” Have done searches for this book, but it just does not get any hits. I am in the midst of reading “Vietnam-An Epic History of a Tragic War” by Max Hastings. This is very different to any other historical accounts of the conflict, in that, it is written by a reporter, rather than a historian

Thnak you for the tips on the book titles. Will definitely look into those as well. Much appreciated. 🙂

Looks like you might be trying to find this: Where We Were in Vietnam: A Comprehensive Guide to the Firebases and Military Installations of the Vietnam War All best 🙂

Comments are closed.

2024 - Wanderlust Storytellers. All Rights Reserved.

About Us  |  Contact Us  | Work with Us  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimer

* Disclaimer: Wanderluststorytellers.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and other Amazon sites.

• Welcome to My Own Way To Travel!

Sign up for Newsletter

Sign up for travel updates, tips, and inspiration!

• Search for:
• Travel Tips

Food Middle East

Exploring the Irresistible Flavors of Popular Middle Eastern Cuisine

Europe Travel Tips

Maximizing Your Layover: Insider Tips for Enjoying Istanbul Airport

Asia Pakistan Travel Accessories Travel Books

7 Must-Read Travel Books To Visit Pakistan

Asia Pakistan

Is it Worth to Visit Pakistan

Middle East Saudi Arabia Travel Tips

A Spiritual Odyssey: Two Weeks in Makkah and Madinah – Unveiling the Treasures of Devotion and History

Tips and Tricks to Find Cheap Flights to Anywhere

Navigating the Sacred Journey: Hajj Essentials for Men and Women

Middle East Solo Travel Travel Accessories

Must-Have Travel Essentials for Women Exploring the Middle East

No products in the cart.

Return to shop

Asia , Travel Accessories , Travel Books , Vietnam

7 books to read before visiting vietnam.

Vietnam is becoming a popular travel destination in Southeast Asia. The cultural diversity, extreme natural beauty, delicious cuisine are all attracting every year many tourists visit Vietnam. Vietnam is also a budget-friendly destination. However, it is always a great idea to know a bit more about any destinations you’re visiting for the first time. I loved to go through some travel books before planning my first trip to beautiful Vietnam. Here I’ve listed 7 books to read before visiting Vietnam along with my favorite Lonely Planet Vietnam Travel Guide  and Vegetarian Viet Nam . 

Recently I had a solo trip to Vietnam and found this country is very welcoming for any traveler and worth visiting. Locals are open, friendly, and helpful. It is easy to communicate mostly with all in English. I enjoyed trying many street foods in Hanoi. I loved the magical beauty of Halong Bay, the rustic charm of Ninh Binh, the local lifestyle of Mekong Delta, and city touring in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

The following Vietnam guide books will help you to plan your trip and guide you to explore Northern Vietnam to Southern Vietnam. You’ll get to know about Vietnamese culture, must-visit travel attractions, top things to do, and local delicacies. Moreover, it will provide you many expert and budget travel tips to visit Vietnam even for the first time. 

Disclosure: All are paid links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Table of Contents

• 1 Lonely Planet Vietnam (Country Guide)
• 2 The Rough Guide to Vietnam (Travel Guide) (Rough Guides) 
• 3 Vietnam – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
• 4 Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors 
• 5 National Geographic Traveler: Vietnam, 3rd Edition 
• 6 Vietnam: Vietnam Travel Guide: 101 Coolest Things to Do in Vietnam (Southeast Asia Travel, Backpacking Asia, Hanoi Travel, Saigon Travel, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Tours, Vietnamese Food, Hoi An)
• 7 Fodor’s Essential Vietnam (Travel Guide)
• 8 Are You On Pinterest? Click To Save These For Later Read!

Lonely Planet Vietnam (Country Guide)

Lonely Planet Vietnam Country Guide to help you to know the best of Vietnam with the most up-to-date tips and information. It covers all parts of Vietnam along with cultural insights, history, and offbeat destinations. You’ll get many insider tips and reviews based on what to do, what to see, and what to eat during your Vietnam travel from Lonely Planet Travel Guide. You may also like to keep foldable Lonely Planet Vietnam Planning Map  along with this travel guide. It comes with practical travel tips with destinations map, many images, a transport guide, and suggestions on itineraries. 

Furthermore, are you thinking to travel like a local in Vietnam? Lonely Planet Vietnamese Phrasebook & Dictionary  is a practical guidebook to teach you useful Vietnamese vocabulary and phrases. You’ll be able to bargain like a pro while eating and shopping from the local eateries and markets. 

If you’re also traveling nearest countries along with Vietnam, then don’t miss to get the guide on Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand (Multi Country Guide) .

• Vietnamese culture, history, politics, art, cuisine, people, landscapes, and wildlife
• Reviews and insider tips for traveling like a local
• Accessible to hidden destination guide and information
• Colorful maps and images
• Essential tips on any budget
• Vietnam travel itineraries

The Rough Guide to Vietnam (Travel Guide) (Rough Guides) 

The Rough Guide to Vietnam comes with trusted and independent reviews on exciting destinations of Vietnam. Rough Guides help you to get all detailed coverage on popular tourist destinations to offbeat destinations. You’ll get to know about all the right places to see, visit, shop, sleep, and eat in Vietnam. Whether a cruise to Halong Bay or Cat Ba Island, trip to Tam Coc or Da Lat, you’ll have all travel tips itineraries and ideas from this travel guide of Vietnam. 

• Essential tips on outdoor activities, local transport, personal safety, food, and accommodation
• Detailed coverage on Vietnam tourist destinations
• Comprehensive and colorful travel maps and images
• Vietnam travel itineraries to organize trips

Vietnam – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Vietnam – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture by Geoffrey Murray will help you to get the depth knowledge of Vietnamese history, culture, and customs. You can find present Vietnam as open, confident, inviting, and welcoming towards the world. However, Vietnamese peoples have suffered a lot during the Vietnam War and after reunification in 1975. 

This essential guidebook will give you the outline of past to present Vietnam, cultural and social changes, traditions, and modern lifestyle of Vietnam. Moreover, you’ll get practical advice to face any awkward situations during your first visit to Vietnam.  

• Vietnamese history
• The culture and customs of Vietnam
• The outline of present Vietnam, peoples, and cultural changes
• Practical advice on unfamiliar situations

Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors 

You can’t leave Vietnam without trying many delicious Vietnamese delicacies. Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors  by Andrea Nguyen comes with 80 simple recipes of Vietnamese food . Inside the book, the writer has shown how to prepare Viet food like famous rice paper rolls, banh mi, pho, honey-glazed pork riblets, coffee ice cream quickly at home by using all simple ingredients. You can buy those ingredients from your local grocery store only. Undoubtedly, for Vietnamese food lovers, this cookbook is a must-read to enjoy cooking in Vietnamese style. 

During my Vietnam trip, I’ve tried all-vegetarian Vietnamese food. If you want to know all about meatless Vietnamese cooking, then Vegetarian Viet Nam by Cameron Stauch is a must-read for you. Chef Cameron Stauch nicely described all details about making Vietnamese healthy, sustainable food with sauces, herbs, noodles, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and tofu.

• Vietnamese food
• 80 simple Vietnamese recipes
• Easy to prepare with local ingredients
• Effortless Vietnamese cooking style to make at home

National Geographic Traveler: Vietnam, 3rd Edition 

Are you interested in discovering Vietnam from the travel stories which have appeared in National Geographic Traveler? National Geographic Traveler: Vietnam  is a must-read travel book by James Sullivan who currently lives in Hue, Vietnam with his Vietnamese wife and headed to Vietnam first in 1993. Here he has shared his personal experiences to let you know all about Vietnamese history, culture, and all major sites of Vietnam. This book is a must-read for every traveler to experience a place from local eyes and full with much expert advice. 

• The culture and history of Vietnam
• Expert travel advice from local traveler
• Detailed coverage on major sites of Vietnam
• The list of Not-To-Be-Missed Sites
• Tips on choosing the right restaurants and hotels in Vietnam
• Cultural travel experiences

Vietnam: Vietnam Travel Guide: 101 Coolest Things to Do in Vietnam (Southeast Asia Travel, Backpacking Asia, Hanoi Travel, Saigon Travel, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Tours, Vietnamese Food, Hoi An)

Vietnam offers a lot of beautiful destinations to explore, and there are many top things to do as well. 101 Coolest Things to Do in Vietnam  is a perfect travel guide covering the destinations like Hanoi, Hoi An, Sapa, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon, and Mekong Delta. Get to know all the top things to do in Vietnam while visiting those travel destinations. 

• Coolest Things to Do in Vietnam
• Vietnam Travel Guide
• Hanoi Travel Guide
• Saigon Travel Guide
• Vietnam tours and tips
• Backpacking in Vietnam

Fodor’s Essential Vietnam (Travel Guide)

Fodor’s Essential Vietnam Travel Guide by local experts and so this travel guidebook will give you all insider tips, advice and suitable for any budget. You’ll be able to plan your Vietnam trip with the help of sample itineraries along with detailed maps and colorful images. You’ll get all detailed tips on where to eat, shop, and stay in Vietnam. The main destinations covered by this travel guide are Hanoi, Halong Bay, Danang, Dalat, Nha Trang, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, and Phu Quoc. This Vietnam travel guide also focused on the top reasons to visit each destination and advice on local transportation. 

• Insider tips and travel information from local experts
• Detailed maps and colorful images
• Destination-based best hotels and restaurants in Vietnam
• Top places to see in Vietnam
• Top things to do in Vietnam
• Flavors of Vietnam
• Special feature on Vietnam Today

Are You On Pinterest? Click To Save These For Later Read!

Are you planning a trip to Vietnam? Share your top recommendations and must-read travel books to visit Vietnam.

Last update on 2024-10-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Nafisa Habib

Nafisa Habib loves nature and often got fascinated by old beautiful architecture. Here she is with My Own Way To Travel to share her adventures on the road. To her nothing is so interesting than exploring new destinations around. And knowing a new culture and meeting new peoples on the road? Oh, yeah she just loves that too.

Comments are closed.

• Electronics
• Cell Phones and Accessories
• Clothing, Shoes and Jewelry
• Beauty and Personal Care
• Sports and Outdoors
• Luggage and Travel Gear

Username or email address  * Required

Password  * Required

Remember me Log in

Lost your password?

Best Books on Vietnam That’ll Give You Serious Wanderlust

by Julie Books , Vietnam 10 comments

If you’re like me and you love to read up on the place you’re traveling to, then you’ll find yourself overwhelmed by all the choices of books on Vietnam. I swear the number of English-language books on this country could fill a small public library.

What does it say about Vietnam that people have so much to write about? Probably it’s because of all the tragedies the country has experienced over the centuries–war, colonialism, famine, etc. Tragedies make the best stories.

Anyway, there are many books on Vietnam in English to choose from. The good news is that many of them are really good. I mean REALLY good! Some of the best writers in the English language (Greene, O’Brien, Caputo, Sheehan, and so on) have chosen to write about this fascinating Southeast Asian country.

The bad news is that most of us don’t have the time and/or money to read more than one or two, so choosing the best Vietnam book is important.

So, here is my curated list of 29 books on Vietnam and Vietnamese history and culture. Twenty-four of these I have read, and the five I haven’t read are included because they’re considered classics .

Most books are set in Vietnam . However, there are some that take place in the United States but center around Vietnamese characters.

The list is growing and I’ll be adding to it and updating my reviews as I read more. Not all of them are great. So, I’ll let you know which ones I think you should buy, borrow, or just plain skip.

And if you’re interested in books on other Asian countries, check out my books on Japan , Malaysia , Myanmar , China , Thailand , and Singapore .

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate and a Bookshop.org Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  Please see this website's  Disclosure for more info.

In This Post, You’ll Find…

• Fiction Books on Vietnam
• Nonfiction Books on Vietnam
• Books on Vietnamese Food

Books on Vietnam: Fiction

There are some amazing novels set in Vietnam to choose from. Most books are set during the Vietnam War . However, there are some more contemporary ones written in Vietnamese and translated into English that are also worth reading.

Let’s take a look!

1. The Women

Kristin hannah (2024), my rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

“Why had it never occurred to Frankie that a girl, a woman, could have a place on her father’s office wall for doing something heroic or important, that a woman could invent something or discover something or be a nurse on the battlefield, could literally save lives?”

One of the hottest books in 2024 (4.66 Rating on Goodreads with 372,000 reviews) is also one of my favorite books on the Vietnam War. It’s Kristin Hannah’s The Women about the female nurses who served in the war. It’s thought-provoking, emotionally powerful (I cried), and hard to put down.

Frances (Frankie) McGrath is an upper-class, sheltered woman from California who, in 1966, goes to Vietnam as a nurse . As soon as she arrives, all her understanding of the war is upended. After serving two tours in Vietnam, she returns to her country and family who are ashamed of her and her fellow soldiers.

Hannah doesn’t write scintillating prose and her characters can be insufferable at times. However, she is a master at capturing what it must have felt like to be a nurse in Vietnam, struggle with returning to a hostile country and family, and suffer from PTSD.

There are a couple of romantic relationships in the book, but these feel like side stories to the bigger issue of Vietnam and its impact on the women who served.

Verdict: Read it NOW!

2. The Quiet American

Graham greene (1955).

“Innocence is a kind of insanity.”

I’ve read The Quiet American twice. The first time was 20 years ago, and the second time was while I was traveling through Vietnam in 2015. It’s a complex book that is better the second or third time when you can uncover its multiple layers .

The Quiet American takes place in 1955 during the French-Indochinese War. The narrator of the novel is Thomas Fowler, a jaded and cynical British journalist , who’s living an idyllic life in Vietnam with his Vietnamese mistress. That is until he meets the naïve, fiercely anti-communist, and very quiet American Alden Pyle. Pyle is working for the CIA and is involved in some reckless scheme to save Vietnam from not only the communists but also their old European colonizers. Surprisingly, the two instantly like each other.

However, there’s a bit of a problem. Pyle is in love with Fowler’s lover , Phuong. Fowler is at a disadvantage. While Pyle is promising to “rescue” Phuong and take her back to America, Fowler, a married man, can only promise life as a mistress. What lengths will Fowler go to keep Phuong?

The Quiet American is a brilliant book. So many things in it are a metaphor for something more important . For example, Pyle is a metaphor for the United States’ arrogance and ignorance. This quote from Fowler describes Pyle (but really America) perfectly:

“That was my first instinct — to protect him. It never occurred to me that there was a greater need to protect myself. Innocence always calls mutely for protection when we would be so much wiser to guard ourselves against it: innocence is like a dumb leper who has lost his bell, wandering the world, meaning no harm.”

The book was so prescient at the time. Greene wrote it in 1955 (the American Vietnam War began in 1965), yet Graham could foresee the damage America’s idealism, arrogance, racism, and naivety would bring to Vietnam.

Verdict: Buy  The Quiet American  so that you can read it more than once. It’s so complex and thought-provoking. It’s one of the best books on Vietnam.

3. The Things They Carried

Tim o’brien (1990).

“A thing may happen and be a total lie; another thing may not happen and be truer than the truth.”

If you’re going to read just one novel on the Vietnam War , make it The Things They Carried by my fellow Minnesotan, Tim O’Brien.

O’Brien’s writing is so beautiful that it feels more like poetry than prose . Here’s one sentence to give you an idea:

“They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried.”

Forty years have passed since the war ended, and the narrator (named Tim O’Brien) is writing down his memories of Vietnam .  In one of my favorite stories, O’Brien describes the feelings of getting his draft notice. You can sense how O’Brien felt –the numbness, anger, paralysis, bitterness, and self-pity. It almost feels like you’re with him as he contemplates running away to Canada.

I’m not fond of war stories. But the ones here are an exception. They aren’t so much about battles or fighting as they are about what’s going on inside the minds of the soldiers –what they’re thinking while walking through the jungle or through fields dotted with mines or waiting in their camp.

Verdict: Of course, read The Things They Carried! 

4. Matterhorn

Karl marlantes (2010).

“It was all absurd, without reason or meaning. People who didn’t know each other were going to kill each other over a hill none of them cared about”

Written by Karl Marlantes,  Matterhorn is an epic novel (617 pages) on the Vietnam War. It’s a story of a young bookish Marine Lieutenant, Waino Mellas, and the soldiers he commands in Bravo Company. He and his men are dropped in the middle of the Vietnamese jungle where they’ve been ordered to take a mountain–the Matterhorn.

I’m not fond of war novels, but this one resonated with me. Perhaps because I liked Waino so much. It also does a good job of highlighting the pointlessness of the war and how stupid the American military leadership was .

The thing that stuck with me was how the Marines would be ordered to take a mountain. After fighting to the death for it and succeeding to take it, they’d be told to abandon it. Huh????

Verdict: Read Matterhorn even if you’re not into war novels . But read it while traveling in Vietnam, specifically around the DMZ (central Vietnam).

5. The Mountains Sing

By nguyen phan que mai (2020).

I’m always on the lookout for books on Vietnam written by Vietnamese. The Mountains Sing was originally written in Vietnamese by a famous poet, Nguyen Pan Que Mai.

It’s a sweeping multigenerational story of Tran Dieu Lan and her family’s life from the 1920s to the present. Tran’s family was originally from the North. During the communist land reforms, her family was forced to migrate to Hanoi.

The English translation was released in March 2020. I bought the book, but as of 2023, I haven’t read it yet . Hopefully, I’ll have time by the end of 2023. If you’ve read it, let me know what you think.

6. The Sorrow of War

Bao ninh (1987).

I saw copies of The Sorrow of War in English all over Vietnam. Unfortunately, I didn’t pick it up. I wish I had, though, because it would have been nice to have read a book about the war from a North Vietnamese perspective while in Vietnam.

It’s an autobiographical novel based on the author’s time in the Glorious 27 th Youth Brigade . Just like the main character, Ninh served from 1965 to 1976 and was one of 10 survivors from his unit. The book is told in disjointed snippets (not chronological) as the narrator (the author) reminisces about the war.

I finally bought the book, but I haven’t read it yet. However, according to Goodreads reviewers, it’s worth it. It has a 4.1/5 rating on Goodreads and 4.4/5 on Amazon .

7. The Sympathizer

Viet thanh nguyen (2015), my rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

“I could live without television, but not without books.”

Written by Viet Thanh Nguyen, The Sympathizer won the Pulitzer Prize for best fiction in 2016.

The narrator is half-French, half-Vietnamese. He’s a soldier fighting for  South Vietnam. But he’s also a double agent, secretly working for North Vietnam . He leaves Vietnam with other refugees for the U.S. While in America, he spies on his former commander and friends and reports on them to his superiors in Hanoi.

I wanted to love this book, but I just couldn’t. Instead, I’ve got mixed feelings. On the one hand, the writing is good . It’s funny and insightful.  I sympathized with his premise: the only story of the Vietnam-American War that we get in the United States is one that is told from the point of view of America and that view is often full of racism, arrogance, and ignorance . Nguyen wanted to give us the story as told from a Vietnamese point of view.

However, I found myself wanting to get to the end of the book not because I was eager to find out the ending but to get away from the narrator. I hated him. He’s arrogant, bitter, and cold-blooded .

I was also hoping that Nguyen’s view of the war would be more nuanced. 

Verdict: I wanted to like The Sympathizer, but sadly, I recommend skipping it or getting it from the library.

What to Read on Your Travels Around the World

• Books to Read for your Trip to Myanmar
• What to Read on your Travels to Malaysia
• 25 of the Best Novels to Read on Japan

8. A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain

By robert olen butler (1992), my rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

“He was a believer. I could see his Buddhist upbringing in him. The communists could appeal to that. They couldn’t touch the Catholics, but the Buddhists who didn’t believe in all the mysticism were well prepared for communism. The communists were full of right views, right intentions, right speech, and all that.”

A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain won the Pulitzer Prize for the best work of fiction in 1993.

Written by Robert Olen Butler, it’s a collection of short stories told from the perspective of Vietnamese immigrants living in Louisiana.

Some are Catholics who fled North Vietnam when the country was first divided, and some are Buddhists from South Vietnam. Before reading this book, I wasn’t aware of the distinction before (Catholics were from the North and Buddhists from the South), and I wasn’t aware of the animosity each side felt towards the other .

Butler joined the U.S. military and was sent to language school to study Vietnamese before his tour of duty in Vietnam. He arrived in Vietnam already fluent in the language. Due to his language abilities, he was able to connect with regular Vietnamese people , allowing him to see a side of Vietnam that most American journalists and soldiers could never see.

I first read these short stories when the book first came out 25 years ago. At that time, no one thought to criticize the author, a white American male, for writing from the voices of Vietnamese immigrants.

However, if you look today on Amazon or Good Reads, you’ll see that people criticize Butler for thinking he can write with the voice of a Vietnamese immigrant.

I think it’s best to ask Vietnamese of the same generation and background as Butler’s characters whether his stories are authentic . Then, you can decide whether to read A Good Scent.

9. The Bride Test

Helen hoang (2019).

“The government didn’t care about her, the schools didn’t, the scholarship organizations didn’t, but this one person did, and sometimes one person could make a world of difference.”

I had high hopes for The Bride Test . I loved the author’s first book (5/5 stars), The Kiss Quotient. But The Bride Test just fell flat .

The Bride Test is the story of Khai Diep, a Vietnamese-American who happens to be a movie star, movie-star handsome but also autistic . Khai struggles with feeling emotions and, as a result, avoids relationships, especially romantic ones. His lack of a girlfriend concerns his mother, so she heads off to Vietnam to find him a bride . She returns with Esme, a young half-Vietnamese half-Caucasian woman. Will Khai fall in love with Esme and will Esme do the same? Read to find out.

Why I wasn’t in love with this book? Not very interesting characters and not a very believable plot. Esme was shallow and selfish, and Khai was just blah. And I just don’t think they had much chemistry together . (Read the Kiss Quotient for some real chemistry.)

Also, few mothers, especially status-conscious ones, are going to choose a bathroom attendant as their son’s future wife, especially after talking to her for only five minutes and without checking out her background.

Verdict: Skip this book. Better yet, get her book, The Kiss Quotient . It doesn’t have Vietnamese characters, but it’s a fun and deliciously sexy read! Hottest sex scenes I’v read in a long time.

10. The Lotus Eaters

By tatjana soli (2010).

“One stayed at first for glory, then excitement, then later it was pure endurance and proficiency; one couldn’t imagine doing anything else. But there was something more, hard to put her finger on—one felt a camaraderie in war, an urgency of connection impossible to duplicate in regular life. She felt more human when life was on the edge.”

The Lotus Eaters has everything I love in a book : a strong female character with an interesting job (photojournalist) working in an exotic setting (Vietnam) at an important time in history (the Vietnam War). However, I have mixed feelings about the book.

The year is 1965—the beginning of the Vietnam War. A recent college dropout, Helen arrives in Vietnam wanting to become a photographer . She meets Darrow, a famous war photographer who becomes her mentor and lover, and Linh, another man who also becomes her lover.

I liked the story. It’s got enough unexpected twists and turns and beautiful descriptions of Vietnam.

I loved the book’s theme , which is related to the title. The “Lotus Eaters” comes from Homer’s The Odyssey—people who live in a dreamy state of forgetfulness and idleness after eating lotus roots. In Vietnam, the lotus eaters were those photojournalists who gave up everything for the excitement, adrenaline, and danger of war.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find Helen and Linh’s romance very believable . I also found it hard to believe that Helen became a famous war photographer when she arrived in Vietnam without even knowing how to put film in a camera.

The ending, though, was  brilliant .

Verdict: Borrow from the library!

11. Dust Child

By que mai phan nguyen (2023).

“Throughout his life, he had been called the dust of life, bastard, Black American imperialist, child of the enemy.”

Dust Child is an incredibly beautiful and moving book is about the discrimination and cruelty that Amerasians faced growing up in Vietnam–the children of Vietnamese women and American soldiers during the Vietnam War. The Vietnamese call these children the “ dust of life .”

The story begins in 2016 and jumps backward to 1969 . It’s told from the perspectives of three characters:

• Phong – Half-Black and half-Vietnamese man who grew up in Vietnam; at the beginning of the book,
• Dan – Dan was a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War.
• Trang – Trang was a 19-year-old bar girl in Vietnam in 1969.

Nguyen is a good storyteller. She sucks you in from the first chapter and keeps you hooked all the way to the end. You want to keep reading to find out if Dan finds his child and Phong his parents. Her characters are realistic : flawed but sympathetic . You should hate Dan but you don’t. Thien is a jerk but then when you learn his backstory, it’s hard not to empathize with him.

Books on Vietnam: Nonfiction

There are so many good non-fiction books about Vietnam that it’s hard to choose sometimes. Of course, you’ve got loads of books on the Vietnam Wa r, books on the history of Vietnam , and family memoirs that tell the history of one Vietnamese family.

Let’s jump in!

12. The Best and the Brightest

David halberstam (1972).

“Up to then there had been something of a gentleman’s agreement among those who might be called The Good Journalists of Washington that the Kennedy Administration was one of excellence, that it was for good things and against bad things, and that when it did lesser things it was only in self-defense, and in order that it might do other good things.”

If you want to know why the United States lost the Vietnam War, read The Best and the Brightest. David Halberstam was a New York Times journalist stationed in Vietnam during the 1960s.

The Best and the Brightest refers to the Harvard-educated foreign policy decision-makers in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations . These are the same ones that got the United States mired in a war they couldn’t win.

Halberstam looks at what led America to think they could do what the French couldn’t do–defeat the communists and control Vietnam–and why they lost.

I loved, loved, loved this book. I was so absorbed in reading about the arrogance and ignorance of those in power that even though it’s thick ( 832 pages ), it didn’t take me that long to get through it.

Verdict: Read it! The Best and the Brightest is one of the best nonfiction books about Vietnam !

13. A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam

Neil sheehan (1988).

Another great book that reveals why the United States lost the war is  A Bright Shining Lie  by journalist Neil Sheehan. Like  The Best and the Brightest, it’s unputdownable and thought-provoking, and it will change your thinking about change your thinking of those in power.

A Bright Shining Lie tells the story of John Paul Vann , a fascinating character who is deeply flawed yet very heroic . Sheehan portrays John Paul Vann as the only person in the military who understood how to win the war. He was outspoken and critical of those in power, and he wasn’t afraid to tell those higher up what he thought regardless of the consequences. Unfortunately, no one wanted to listen to him.

Whereas The Best and the Brightest focuses on policy-makers in Washington, A Bright Shining Lie looks at how the incompetence and malfeasance of the U.S. military and the corruption of the South Vietnamese army led to the loss of the Vietnam-American war.

Verdict: Buy it! One of the best Vietnam War books. Sheehan beats Halberstam at 898 pages. But A Bright Shining Lie is so good that it doesn’t feel long . It reads more like a novel than a work of nonfiction. I’m glad I own this book because it’s one I’d like to read again.

14. Vietnam: A New History

Christopher goscha (2016).

“In the great power account, Vietnam is the victim of colonization and domination, never a colonizer or conqueror itself. Its own internal divisions, ethnic diversity, and conflicts are obscured.”

Vietnam: A New History is a riveting and groundbreaking book on the history of Vietnam from ancient times to the present day.

Out of all the books I’ve read on Vietnam, it’s probably helped me understand the country’s history the most.

There are fourteen chapters in the book, three of which focus on pre-colonial history, seven on Vietnam under the French, two on the Second Indochina War (Vietnam War), one on the Third Indochina War (Vietnam against China and Cambodia), and one on the country’s post-war years.

I’m always excited by a book that can make me look at the past in a new way , and Gosha’s book made me rethink many of my assumptions and beliefs about the Vietnam War.

If you’re into the history of the Vietnam War, I highly recommend this book. If you want to know more about the history of Vietnam under the French , then this is also a great book to start.

Verdict: Buy it!

You can read my full review of Vietnam: A New History here. 

15. Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam

By andrew x pham (1999), my rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

“If trouble is coming, don’t turn your back, because that’s when it’s gonna stab. Best to meet it with a grin. That way, you can see what’s coming.”

Part memoir and part travelogue , Catfish and Mandala is Andrew X Pham’s first book about his return to Vietnam. Pham was born in Vietnam but immigrated with his family to the United States as a child. After his sibling’s suicide, Pham quits his job, sells all his possessions, and takes off on a bicycle ride across Vietnam .

Pham writes about his family’s immigrant experience . He talks about his difficulties growing up with a strict father and coming to terms with being of two cultures : conservative Vietnamese culture and liberal American culture. The other part of the book is a travelogue about his adventures biking across Vietnam.

The stories about his family in Vietnam and the U.S. are fascinating. However, the travelogue part of Pham biking through Vietnam is dated. It was written in the 1990s, and Vietnam has changed a lot in 20+ years.

Verdict: Read it for the history of his family.

16. Dispatches

Michael herr (1977).

Dispatches  by journalist Michael Herr has been on my Amazon Wish List for several years. I have yet to buy or read it. So many books so little time. It’s supposed to be one of THE classic books on the Vietnam War (along with The Things They Carried and A Rumor of War ).

Dispatches is a memoir that describes the author’s time as a war correspondent for Esquire magazine. He was in Vietnam reporting on some of the most important battles—Ke Sanh and Hue .

The writing is supposed to be superb!

The book gets a 4.2 rating on GoodRead s and 4.5 on Amazon .

Just be aware that he had admitted to inventing some of the stories and conversations (it’s touted as nonfiction).

17. Eating Vietnam

Graham holiday (2016).

“The single thing that alters, distinguishes, and sets Vietnamese apart from Thai, Cambodian, Lao, or any other Southeast Asian cuisine is the presence and abundance of herbs”

The best food I’ve ever eaten in Asia was in Vietnam . Not Japan and not Thailand. But Vietnam. It’s fresh and healthy and the flavors are complex, and it has these wonderful herbs I’d never seen before. So, I was eager to read Eating Vietnam by former street food blogger , Graham Holiday. Since he’d lived in Vietnam for over 10 years, I figured he had enough street cred to write about Vietnamese food .

Eating Vietnam is divided into two parts: part 1 focuses on Hanoi and part 2 on Saigon .

The Hanoi section is good. Holiday writes not only about food but also about his everyday life . For instance, you’ll read about both his first-time tasting Bun Cha and Cha Ca and the first bike he bought, the first apartment he lived in, and the first time he fell in love. I could relate to these westerner-in-Asia experiences having lived for several years in Asia during the same period as Holiday. But if you haven’t lived in Asia, this part might bore you.

It wasn’t until I got to the Saigon section (57% on my Kindle) that the book got REALLY good. Holiday focuses less on himself and more on the food. The chapters on the differences between Ha Noi and Sai Gon cuisine are particularly fascinating.

Verdict: If you’re looking for a book on Vietnam’s food, buy it!

18. The Eaves of Heaven: A Life in Three Wars

Andrew x pham (2008).

The Eaves of Heaven is Andrew X Pham’s second book. In his first one, Catfish and Mandala, he recounts his travels by bike around Vietnam. In The Eaves of Heaven , he tells the history of Vietnam through his father’s life story. His father lived through the Japanese occupation of Vietnam, the French-Indochina War, and the Vietnam War. His father’s family was once wealthy landowners who had to flee from their home in the North to the South when the country was divided. His second book is sooooo much better than his first.

I think history should be learned in two ways: through a nonfiction analysis of historical events and through a memoir of an ordinary person who experienced those events.

The Eaves of Heaven is the latter. It’s an EXCELLENT book that helped me better understand Vietnam’s history. I got a sense of what it must have been like to live through those events.

Verdict: Read it! 

19. Fire in the Lake

Frances fitzgerald (1972).

If you want a book that helps you understand the Vietnamese people better, read Fire in the Lake by Frances Fitzgerald. Unlike many books on Vietnam, this doesn’t center around an American marine, but instead, focuses on the Vietnamese people and who they are, what they believe, and why they think the way they do .

The premise is that if the United States had understood Vietnamese history and culture, then it would never have gotten into a war in the first place.

I read the book many years before writing this post, so I can’t give you many details on why I like it. It’s got a 4.1 rating on GoodReads and a 4.6 on Amazon.

Fire in the Lake  is an informative and fascinating book.

Verdict: Read it!

20. A Rumor of War: The Classic Vietnam Memoir

Philip caputo (1977).

Like Dispatches, A Rumor of War is another classic Vietnam War book  I haven’t read yet.

Beginning in 1965, Philip Caputo served for 18 months in Vietnam . He was part of the first combat troupe to land on the ground in Vietnam. The memoir is about his time in Vietnam.

Caputo was brought up on murder charges for commanding two of his men to capture two Viet Cong soldiers and kill them if they resisted. The charges were later dropped.

It’s got a 4.2 rating on GoodReads and 4.6 on Amazon .

21. The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family

Mai elliot (2000).

The Sacred Willow is a book about Vietnam’s history told through the lives of a wealthy Vietnamese family.

Duong Van Mai Elliot tells the story of her family starting with her great-grandmother to her time working for the RAND Corporation interviewing Viet Cong POWs . That last part is quite fascinating .

Following the story of Elliot’s family during the most important events of Vietnam’s history was a powerful way to help me better understand the country.

I also liked reading how, while working for the RAND Corporation, Elliot slowly began to understand that the South would never win. 

Verdict: Read this! Which one is better: The Eaves of Heaven or The Sacred Willow ? The Sacred Willow is broader in scope, covering a longer time period and more generations than Eaves of Heaven . It was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. So, I’d pick The Sacred Willow .

22. Vietnam: Rising Dragon

Bill hayton (2010).

“There’s a saying in Vietnam: ‘The emperor’s rule stops at the village gate’.”

If you’re interested in learning about contemporary Vietnam , then the most recently written book on the subject is Bill Hayton’s Vietnam: Rising Dragon .

Hayton is a British journalist who worked for the BBC in Vietnam in the early twenty-first century. He doesn’t tell his readers exactly when he lived there, but he does mention that in 2007, he was expelled from Vietnam for his reporting on the dissident movement.

Rising Dragon is i nformative and insightful . To help you decide whether to buy it, here’s a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of what you’ll read:

• Chapter 1:  the economy
• Chapter 2:  the farmers
• Chapter 3: the cities; the government’s policy of “civilized living” versus reality
• Chapter 4: how the government controls the people
• Chapter 5: who has the power in Vietnam
• Chapter 6: the dissident movements
• Chapter 7: freedom of the press
• Chapter 8: the environment
• Chapter 9: relations with China and the United States; how Vietnam got its name
• Chapter 10: north/south relations and treatment of ethnic minorities
• Epilogue: Is Vietnam headed toward a liberal democracy?

Bill Hayton’s writing is dry, and he rarely puts his personality or personal life into his writing. So, the book can be boring at times .

Verdict: Almost 15 years have passed since the book was written, so some things might be out-of-date. But I haven’t come across anything more recent than Rising Dragon . Let me know if you have a more current book on Vietnam. Let me

23. When Heaven and Earth Changed Places

Le ly hayslip (1989).

An emotionally heartwrenching book on Vietnam is the memoir by Le Ly Hayslip When Heaven and Earth Changed Places.

Hayslip grew up in a poor family in a small village that became a battleground in the war. Both the North and South accused her of being a spy for the other side, and as a result, she was tortured, raped, and sentenced to death. She and her mother fled their small village to live in Saigon where she worked various jobs from housekeeper to black marketeer to prostitute. She married an American contractor , had a son, and moved to the United States.

I read the book many years ago, so my memory of the content is hazy. I do remember it being an emotional read . The author went through some horrible events (rape, torture, death of loved ones). It was also made into a movie called Heaven and Earth .

Verdict: Your understanding of the Vietnam War will be incomplete unless you read at least one book told from the Vietnamese point of view. There are many like that on this list of books about Vietnam, and When Heaven and Earth Changed Places is a good choice. I had originally borrowed it from the library. I wish I owned it so that I could read it again before my next trip to Vietnam.

Looking for More Books to Read for Your Travels?

• What to Read for Your Trip to Thailand
• The Best (and Worst) Books to Read on Singapore
• 25 of the Best Nonfiction Books on China

Books on Vietnam: Food

After my first trip to Vietnam, I became obsessed with Vietnamese food, and I bought and borrowed cookbooks and scoured the internet for videos on how to cook it. I tried making pho and other noodle dishes, Cha Ca (fish in turmeric and dill), stews, banh mi, and other dishes.

Here is a list of my favorite cookbooks:

24. The Banh Mi Cookbook: Crazy Delicious Recipes for Vietnamese Sandwiches

Andrea nguyen (2014).

The Banh Mi Cookbook is the first of many cookbooks on this list by Andrea Nguyen, and as the name suggests, it focuses on making banh mi sandwiches. Here’s what you’ll get in this cookbook:

• tips on buying the most suitable bread for banh mi including alternatives to baguettes
• recipes for making your own bread
• 1 detailed recipe for making a banh mi sandwich
• recipes for making your own condiments
• lots of delicious recipes for making the cold cuts like pate, chicken, seafood and fish, pork, and beef that goes into the banh mi sandwich
• recipes for making vegetarian banh mi

I’ve made some of the chicken recipes in this book, but I haven’t made my own bread. The recipes are tasty and easy to make , but I’m always hampered by a lack of suitable bread in my city . Without good bread, the sandwiches can get annoyingly chewy. They should be chewy but not THAT chewy. So, I stopped making banh mi after several attempts.

This is still a great cookbook and I highly recommend getting it if you like sandwiches.

Verdict: Buy it or borrow from the library!

25. Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors

Andrea nguyen (2011).

Into the Vietnamese Kitchen was my first Vietnamese cookbook and the one I have cooked from the most. It’s a treasure trove of information about cooking Vietnamese food.

What I love about it is Nguyen’s explanations of why you would use one ingredient (fish sauce, chicken stock) or cooking technique over another.

The list of recipes includes those from both the North and South (missing those from the central part). Many of them were ones that I tried on my trip. It also helps me that Nguyen gives the name of the dish in Vietnamese because I’m more familiar with the original name than the English name.

However, some of her instructions are confusing , and I needed other books to help me cook such as when I was first cooking pho.

I had some successes with Into the Vietnamese Kitchen : banh mi, beef stew, and a curry. I also had some major failures as well: papaya salad, a dried noodle bowl, and the Cha Ca dish.

26. The Pho Cookbook: Easy to Adventurous Recipes for Vietnam’s Favorite Soups and Noodles

Andrea nguyen (2017).

Have you ever tried making pho before?

It’s one heck of a loooooong and complicated process . The first time I made it, I didn’t have this cookbook. Instead, I had to use several cookbooks and YouTube videos to understand what to do.

Then The Pho Cookbook came out. And I found all I needed to cook pho in one cookbook. 

The book explains the process so clearly and thoroughly that you don’t need several books or videos to understand how to make this iconic Vietnamese dish.

You’ll even find a recipe here for making it in an instant pot (not as good as the traditional method but quicker and easier).

27. Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table

Mai pham (2001).

Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table is THE best Vietnamese cookbook I’ve used .

It’s not flashy. There are no colored photos–it’s only negative.

The dishes just sing ! Whenever I cooked from it, I always felt like a good cook.

Unfortunately, I don’t own the book. I used to get it from my local library and hold onto it until I ran out of renewals. Then one day my local library got rid of it when they disposed of a whole bunch of books for a temporary move during a remodeling project. Ugh! I’m on the move now, so there’s no need for me to purchase my own copy. But someday…

When I’m first learning to cook a certain cuisine, I need photos. Since this one lacks them, I think Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table is more suitable for those with some experience cooking Vietnamese food.

Verdict:  Buy it!

28. The Slanted Door: Modern Vietnamese Food

Charles phan (2014), my rating: 2 out of 5 stars.

Charles Phan, head chef and owner of the popular San Francisco restaurant , the Slanted Door , wrote this cookbook with recipes from his restaurant. I’ve never eaten at the Slanted Door. But I tried cooking the restaurant’s famous dish, Shaken Beef , using this book’s recipe.

I wasn’t impressed . My problem with the recipe was that it calls for way too much beef to cook in a home cook’s wok (maybe it’s ok for a restaurant wok). When you cook in a wok, you need to cook fast, so you shouldn’t have too much food in it. If you do, the ingredients will either be overcooked or undercooked. The recipe also called for a very expensive cut of beef: filet mignon! In the end, I got an overpriced unevenly cooked disaster of a dish.

Verdict: Skip it!

29. Vietnamese Home Cooking

Charles phan (2012).

While I was disappointed with Charles Phan’s The Slanted Door, I love, love, love his cookbook, Vietnamese Home Cooking .

Charles Pham is Chinese-Vietnamese, so some of the recipes are more Chinese than Vietnamese . Don’t worry, though—there are still lots of Vietnamese dishes.

The recipes are clear and easy to follow —perfect for the home cook. My favorite dish from this book is steamed pork ribs with black bean sauce, which I cooked over and over again.

I highly recommend getting Vietnamese Home Cooking!

Verdict: Definitely buy it!

Get FREE trials of my favorite Amazon products:

• Kindle Unlimited – I have a subscription to Kindle Unlimited just for all the free Lonely Planet guidebooks. You get FREE books and magazines including Lonely Planet books with a 1-month FREE trial .
• Audible – Audible is amazing for those who need something to listen to while going for long walks. You get 2 FREE book s with a FREE one-month trial .
• Amazon Prime 30-Day FREE Trial – I was an Amazon Prime Member for years (I’m traveling full-time now so it’s not so useful). I loved its free shipping and its Amazon Prime movies and TV shows ( Mrs. Maisel, Bosch , and Expanse ).
• Prime Student 6-month FREE Trial - If you have a university email account, you can get an even better deal with a FREE 6-month trial of Amazon Prime.

Final Thoughts: Books on Vietnam

So that’s my list of the best and the not-so-great books on Vietnam. If I had to choose one book to read on this list, I’d say The Things They Carried is #1. Here are my top 5 must-read books:

• The Things They Carried
• The Best and the Brightest
• A Bright Shining Lie
• The Quiet American

If you’ve got a favorite book, I’d love to hear from you. Include it in the comment section. If you find this list helpful, please share the love on social media. Thank you!

Are you on Pinterest?

Hey! How about saving one of these pins to Pinterest to read for later?

And feel free to follow me on Pinterest, where you'll find lots of travel articles for everywhere around the world.

More Books from Around the World

• 30 Books on Singapore
• 10 Books on Malaysia
• 13 Books on Myanmar
• 25 Nonfiction Books on China
• 35 Fiction Books on Japan
• 15 Books on Korea
• 25 Books on Thailand
• 28 Books on Vietnam
• 20 Books on Sri Lanka
• 15 Books on Indonesia
• 25 Books on Cambodia
• 15 Books on Guatemala
• 16 Books on the Ancient Maya'
• 13 Books on Russia and Vladimir Putin
• 35 Books on Ukraine
• 25 Books on Ecuador
• 25 Books on Panama

10 Comments

One I loved was Single White Female in Hanoi – written by an Australian woman who was living as an ex-pat in Hanoi for a period. Sadly she passed away not long after it was published and the profit from sales of the book goes to charities she chose

Thanks Paula for the recommendation. I’ll have to check it out.

This is a great post with some really solid advice, thank you for sharing! Merry christmas from Stockholm Sweden 🙂

Thanks, Ann!

I love your post! It’s so nice to read a book about the country that you visit. I’ve read a book from Graham Greene (it was his sort of autobiography), and I’d be really interested in the Vietnamese authors’ fiction.

Thanks, Anna!

Last year, I read “The Lotus Eaters” by Tatjana Soli and it was my first historical fiction read set in Vietnam. Having been born during the war, my knowledge of it is not very great. It also seems like history classes in school always focused on older history and we consistently ran out of time before we could track as far forward as things that were then more considered “recent events.”

Last week, I finished reading “Come Fly The World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am” by Julia Cooke and the last fourth of the book was about the ways the international airlines helped during the Vietnam War. I had never even realized there were so many orphans who were saved and brought to the United States during that time. I am now interested in learning more about Vietnam with the hopes of one day visiting. Thank you so much for your list and your insight into these books. You might enjoy “The Lotus Eaters” also!

Thanks for the recs! I’ve heard of the Lotus Eaters but haven’t had a chance to read it yet. I haven’t heard of the other book, though. It sounds interesting.

The perfect spy

Do you mean the John le Carre novel? Does it take place in Vietnam? I haven’t had a chance to read it yet.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Submit Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

What are you looking for?

About the bamboo traveler.

Welcome to The Bamboo Traveler, a travel blog dedicated to helping those travelers who want to dig deeply into the history, heritage, and culture of a place. Whether it’s through the pages of your passport or the pages of a book, I’ll help you travel the world and uncover the history, culture, food, architecture, and natural beauty of some of the world’s most fascinating places.

Follow the Bamboo Traveler!

Traveling to Japan soon?

Get all my great travel tips as well as this FREE Japan travel and itinerary guide sent to your email right away!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Recent posts.

• Best & Worst Books on Myanmar
• Me Encanta Oaxaca Food Tour Review: Is It Worth It?
• 24 Best Things to Do in Puebla, Mexico (+ Itinerary)
• 17 BEST Things to Do in Campeche, Mexico
• How to Get from Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido in 2024

Books for Armchair Travelers

• Books on Cambodia
• Books on China
• Books on Ecuador
• Books on Guatemala
• Books on Hong Kong
• Books on Indonesia
• Books on Korea
• Book on Japan – Fiction
• Books on Myanmar
• Books on Malaysia
• Books on Panama
• Books on Russia
• Books on Singapore
• Books on Sri Lanka
• Books on Thailand
• Books in Ukraine
• Books on Vietnam
• Books on the Ancient Maya
• Books by Murakami 
• Books on Pandemics

Get Your FREE Japan Itinerary Guide Here!

Subscribe to my newsletter to receive the latest travel tips for Asia and get a free 4-page PDF version of my 3-Week Japan Itinerary.

Pin It on Pinterest