Vietnam War

Explore the history and lasting social impacts of the Vietnam War in this curated list of titles focused on the 20-year conflict. Through real-life accounts as well as historical fiction and poetry, a diverse group of authors examines the conflict in Vietnam, which lasted from 1955 to 1975, as well as the anti-war movement that erupted in the United States.

Publication year 2017

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Life/Time: Aging

Tags Immigration / Refugee, Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Vietnam War, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, History: World

The Refugees is a 2017 collection of short stories by celebrated Vietnamese American author, Viet Thanh Nguyen. Nguyen has written fiction, academic nonfiction, and children’s books, and his novel The Sympathizer won the Pulitzer Prize in 2016. Nguyen received his doctorate in English at the University of California Berkeley, and he currently is a literature professor at the University of Southern California. Nguyen’s scholarship and literary works focus on the experiences of Vietnamese communities in... Read The Refugees Summary


Publication year 1990

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Society: War

Tags Military / War, American Literature, Creative Nonfiction, Vietnam War, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Published in 1990, The Things They Carried is a collection of interrelated short stories about the Vietnam War written by American author Tim O’Brien. The historical fiction collection is considered essential literature about the Vietnam War and is often used to teach fiction writing techniques. An authorial persona, Tim O’Brien, narrates the stories in the first-person about his experiences during the war. The collection explores themes of Survivor’s Guilt, Talking as a Way of Processing... Read The Things They Carried Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: War, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family

Tags Historical Fiction, History: U.S., Vietnam War, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Humor

Gary Schmidt’s middle grade novel, The Wednesday Wars, follows seventh grader Holling Hoodhood as he navigates the difficulties of junior high in the late 1960s. Published in 2007, Schmidt’s novel blends historical fiction with a coming-of-age theme, and was given the Newbery Medal in 2008. Other works by Schmidt include Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (2004), Okay for Now (2011), and The Labors of Hercules Beal (2023).This guide refers to the Clarion Books 2009... Read The Wednesday Wars Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: War, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction, Vietnam War, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2011

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Immigration

Tags Vietnam War, Military / War, Immigration / Refugee, History: World, Biography


Publication year 1989

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags History: Asian, Vietnam War, Immigration / Refugee, Politics / Government, Military / War, History: World, Biography