Bibliography

 

Bates, Milton J. "Tim O’Brien’s Myth of Courage." Modern Fiction Studies 33 (Summer

1987): 263-79. Illustrates the uniqueness of Tim O’Brien’s viewpoint of courage in

his literary works. Author states that O’Brien is more civilized than many of the

writers of war fiction.

Birdwell, Dwight W. and Keith William Nolan. A Hundred Miles of Bad Road. Novato,

CA: Presidio Press, 1997. A personal account of one man’s struggle with fighting a

war he did not understand. Non-fiction but written more like a story than a history

book.

Blades, John. "War Stories." Chicago Tribune 27 Apr. 1990. 2 pp. Online. Internet. 30 Mar.

    1. Compares the writings of Tim O’Brien with that of others who specifically
write about the Vietnam War era. Carlin, Margaret. "Vietnam Will Always be One Thing Tim O’Brien Carries." Rocky

Mountain News 20 Nov. 1994: 2 pp. Online. Internet. 19 Apr. 1998. A personal

interview with Tim O’Brien. O’Brien claims that since the war is such a central part

of his life, it is natural that his stories revolve around Vietnam.

Cryer, Dan. "Talking with Tim O’Brien." Newsday 16 Oct. 1994. 3 pp. Online. Internet.

21 Apr. 1998. A personal interview with Tim O’Brien. Subjects such as O’Brien’s

personal life, the Vietnam War, and his novels are discussed.

Davidson, Phillip B. Vietnam at War: The History 1946-1975. Novato, CA: Presidio

Press, 1989. Author was chief of military intelligence in Saigon. Main focus is on

military operations and attitudes of military personnel rather than who they were

fighting and why.

Dowling, Tom. "The Endless March of War." San Francisco Examiner (5 Apr. 1990): 2 pp.

Online. Internet. 12 Apr. 1998. A literary review of Tim O’Brien’s The Things

They Carried.

Esper, George. The Eyewitness History of the Vietnam War, 1961-1975. New York:

Ballantine, 1983. As a journalist for the Associated Press, Esper began coverage of

Indochina in 1965 and continued coverage of this area until the end of the Vietnam

War. A good historical account of the war and events that led to it.

Grossman, Mary Ann. "Fighting Words." Saint Paul Pioneer Press 30 Apr. 1995: 6 pp.

Online. Internet. 19 Apr. 1998. Compares O’Brien’s word usage with that of other

war fiction writers. Discusses the impact of well-used words to make a point.

Grossman, Mary Ann. "Secret Life of Tim O’Brien." Saint Paul Pioneer Press 17 Oct.

1994: 4 pp. Online. Internet. 19 Apr. 1998. A personal interview. O’Brien reveals

personal aspects of his life he has never before talked about. He illustrates the

break up of his marriage, the death of his editor, and how these events almost

resulted in his committing suicide.

Heineman, Kenneth J. Campus Wars: The Peace Movement at American State Universities

in the Vietnam Era. New York: New York University Press, 1994. This book takes

an up-close look at the attitudes of students and faculty regarding the Vietnam War.

Heineman researched student newspapers, government documents and personal

records to get an in-depth report of the impact of universities.

Herring, George. America’s Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975

America in Crisis. 3rd Edition. New York: McGraw Hill Text, 1996. An overview of events leading up to the Vietnam War, important dates and historical facts concerning the war. Also gives summary of effects after the war and the "Vietnam

Legacy."

Jamieson, Neil L. Understanding Vietnam. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.

Attempts to explain the reasons for the Vietnam War by referring to fundamental Vietnamese cultural issues. Numerous research references are made throughout the book. Kaplan, Steven. Understanding Tim O’Brien. Columbia: University of South Carolina

Press, 1995. Kaplan discusses areas of Tim O’Brien’s life, such as his career, writing

style and past experiences. A brief review of each of his works is also included.

McNamara, Robert S. and Brian Vandemark. In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of

Vietnam. Berkely: Vintage Press, 1996. An insider's look at the decision-making that

led to the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. McNamara was the Defense

Secretary for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

Mehren, Elizabeth. "Short War Stories." Los Angeles Times 11 Mar. 1990. 3 pp. Online.

Internet. 4 Apr. 1998. A literary review of Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried.

Nolan, Keith William. The Battle for Saigon Tet 1968. New York: Pocket Books, 1996.

A historical account of the taking of South Vietnam’s capital city. Also refers to

the invasion of the American Embassy and other battles that impacted

heavily on many. Photos included.

O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. New York: Penguin Books, 1990. A collection of

short stories that tie together. Each story deals with some aspect of the Vietnam

War.

Reilly, Patty. "Vietnam Grunt Tim O’Brien Get Decorated on Literary Front." People

Magazine 14 May 1979: 3 pp. Online. Internet. 26 Apr. 1998. Discusses O’Brien’s

past as a Vietnam foot soldier and how he has turned a negative situation into a

writing career. Discusses honorary awards.

Spector, Ronald H. After Tet: The Bloodiest Year in Vietnam. New York: Free Press, 1993.

Written by a military historian and ex-marine, this book discusses the turning point

of the Vietnam War and the bloodiest battles U.S. troops would fight during the

entire war.

Thayer, Thomas. War without Fronts: The American Experience in Vietnam. Boulder,

Colorado: Westview Press, 1985. Thayer studied the war in Vietnam and also in

Washington working with systems analysts. This book includes statistics of all

types that are important for looking at the war in terms of numbers.

United States. State Department. Aggression From the North: State Department White

Paper on Vietnam. Washington: 27 Feb. 1965. A government document sent out

to explain the arising violence soon to occur in Vietnam. Numerous mentions of

communistic actions are made.

Vinh, Pham Kim. The Politics of Selfishness: Vietnam—The Past as Prologue. San Diego:

privately printed, 1977. Author was lawyer, journalist, and officer during the war.

Vinh was originally involved in the war for the North Vietnamese now he is

extremely anti-Communist.

Williams, William Appleman, et al. America in Vietnam: A Documentary History. New

York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1989. This book confronts issues of the Vietnam War that many people ignored. Williams presents arguments and insists that different actions taken by the U.S. could have lead to entirely new and less volatile situations. Zaroulis, Nancy and Gerald Sullivan. Who Spoke Up? Americans Protest Against the War

in Vietnam. New York: Doubleday, 1984. Claims that an immediate resistance to

U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War could have prevented the huge number of

lives lost in the war.