books on vietnam travel

• 29 Books on Vietnam That’ll Give You Serious Wanderlust

by Julie May 27, 2024 Books , Vietnam

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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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!

____________________

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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).  

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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 🙂

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The Rough Guide to Vietnam

This practical travel guide to Vietnam features detailed factual travel tips and points-of-interest structured lists of all iconic must-see sights as well as some off-the-beaten-track treasures. Our itinerary suggestions and expert author picks of things to see and do will make it a perfect companion both, ahead of your trip and on the ground. This Vietnam guide book is packed full of details on how to get there and around, pre-departure information and top time-saving tips, including a visual list of things not to miss. Our colour-coded maps make Vietnam easier to navigate while you're there. This guide book to Vietnam has been fully updated post-COVID-19 and it comes with a free eBook. The Rough Guide to VIETNAM covers:  Ho Chi Minh City and around, the Mekong Delta, the central highlands, the southern coast, central Vietnam, the northern coast, Hanoi and around and the far north. Inside this Vietnam travel guide you'll find: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERY TYPE OF TRAVELLER

Experiences selected for every kind of trip to Vietnam, from off-the-beaten-track adventures in Ca Mau Peninsula to family activities in child-friendly places, like Tra Su Bird Sanctuary or chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas, like Ha Long Bay. PRACTICAL TRAVEL TIPS

Essential pre-departure information including Vietnam entry requirements, getting around, health information, travelling with children, sports and outdoor activities, food and drink, festivals, culture and etiquette, shopping, tips for travellers with disabilities and more. TIME-SAVING ITINERARIES

Includes carefully planned routes covering the best of Vietnam, which give a taste of the richness and diversity of the destination, and have been created for different time frames or types of trip. DETAILED REGIONAL COVERAGE

Clear structure within each sightseeing chapter of this Vietnam travel guide includes regional highlights, brief history, detailed sights and places ordered geographically, recommended restaurants, hotels, bars, clubs and major shops or entertainment options. INSIGHTS INTO GETTING AROUND LIKE A LOCAL

Tips on how to beat the crowds, save time and money and find the best local spots for water puppetry, boat trips, cycling, kayaking or exploring markets. HIGHLIGHTS OF THINGS NOT TO MISS

Rough Guides' rundown of Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, Kon Tum and Son My's best sights and top experiences helps to make the most of each trip to Vietnam, even in a short time. HONEST AND INDEPENDENT REVIEWS

Written   by Rough Guides' expert authors  with a trademark blend of humour, honesty and expertise, this Vietnam guide book will help you find the best places, matching different needs. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Comprehensive 'Contexts' chapter of this travel guide to Vietnam features fascinating insights into Vietnam, with coverage of history, religion, ethnic groups, environment, wildlife and books, plus a handy language section and glossary. FABULOUS FULL COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

Features inspirational colour photography, including the stunning Ma Pi Leng Pass and the spectacular Khai Dinh Mausoleum. COLOUR-CODED MAPPING

Practical full-colour maps, with clearly numbered, colour-coded keys for quick orientation in Hoi An, Hue and many more locations in Vietnam, reduce the need to go online. USER-FRIENDLY LAYOUT

With helpful icons, and organised by neighbourhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time. FREE EBOOK

Free eBook download with every purchase of this guide book to Vietnam allows you to access all of the content from your phone or tablet, for on-the-road exploration.

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Lonely Planet's Vietnam is our most comprehensive guide that extensively covers all the country has to offer, with recommendations for both popular and lesser-known experiences. Kayak through Halong Bay, sample street food in Hanoi and immerse yourself in a rich history; all with your trusted travel companion.

Inside Lonely Planet's Travel Guide: 

Lonely Planet's Top Picks - a visually inspiring collection of the destination's best experiences and where to have them

Itineraries help you build the ultimate trip based on your personal needs and interests

Local insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - whether it's history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, politics

Eating and drinking get the most out of your gastronomic experience as we reveal the regional dishes and drinks you have to try

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Language - essential phrases and language tips

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Covers: Hanoi, Northern Vietnam, Central Vietnam, Southeast Coast, Southwest Highlands, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Siem Reap and the Temples of Angkor and more

ISBN: 9781788688963

Edition: 16th

Publication Date: August 2023

Stewart, Iain

Atkinson, Brett Lockhart, Katie Pham, Giang Pham, James Ray, Nick Truong, Diana Zukas, Josh

416 pages,93 maps | Dimensions: 128mm width × 197mm height

Next edition due: July 2025  

Language: English

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The 39 Best Books About Vietnam: Travel By Book

Are you dreaming of going to Vietnam? Or are you already planning a trip? Have you been, and Vietnam is now your dream destination? Or is this your first time exploring this country? Whichever one it is, travel there by book! Traveling by book is the next best thing to hopping on a plane! We curated a list of books about Vietnam to keep you dreaming, help you plan, and whisk you away to this riveting country in Southeast Asia !

This post contains Amazon associate affiliate links. This means we make a small commission at no cost to you if you click through and make a purchase. All prices listed are accurate at time of publication. 

Best Books About Vietnam

No matter if your favorite books are fiction or non-fiction, or a healthy mix of both, we got you covered! Reading about a destination is one of the best ways to explore it before you make the trip. Because the Vietnam War was such a defining time in history, you will find many war-related books on our list of the best books about Vietnam. While it is hard to find books that have a topic other than the war, we dug deep and unearthed them for you! Many of these books have audio versions as well, in case you prefer that over digital or physical copies. Let’s start digging into books about this fantastic country in Southeast Asia!

Best Fiction Books About Vietnam

1. graham greene – the quiet american.

The Quiet American by Graham Greene is a classic. Alden Pyle arrives in Saigon on a secret mission during a time when the French Army struggles against the Vietminh guerrillas. He is young and idealistic, and he loves Vietnam, but then things go sideways. Pyle has a beautiful Vietnamese mistress, but she is whisked away from him by a British reporter named Fowler. Naturally Pyle doesn’t take to this very well, and then there is bloodshed. While the action in the book is slow moving, it’s a fascinating story worth reading.

2. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai – The Mountains Sing

The Mountains Sing rightfully made it onto the list of international best sellers. It’s the story of several generations of the Trần family, set during the Vietnam War. Trần Diệu Lan and her six kids were forced to flee from their home during the land reform. Her boys head off to war, while her granddaughter, Hương, is coming of age. The story is told in dual timelines, from the perspective of grandmother and granddaughter, and paints a vivid picture of 20th century Vietnam. Readers will find themselves glued to the pages!

3. Tim O’Brien – The Things They Carried

Tim O’Brien is an American writer who served in the Vietnam War. The Things They Carried is his most famous work and was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award and a Pulitzer Prize right after its publication in March 1990. It has since become a staple in classrooms across the United States, documenting the American experience in Vietnam. The book contains linked semi-autobiographical stories of young men who carry the burden of a brutal war. They march through rivers and streams, and carry their burden across hills and into valleys. These stories will leave you awe-struck and heartbroken at the same time. It’s one of the best Vietnam War books on the market.

4. Tim O’Brien – Going After Cacciato

While The Things They Carried is certainly Tim O’Brien’s most famous book, Going After Cacciato also deserves attention. This book won the National Book Award in 1979, and is now considered a classic among the novels about the Vietnam War. Going After Cacciato is the story of a young soldier. One day, he simply lays down his gun and decides to follow his dream instead of fighting this ugly war. He’s convinced he can walk all the way to Paris. Will he make it? Read and find out!

5. John Shors – Dragon House

John Shors’ Dragon House is a rare find! The story is set in modern day Vietnam. Iris and Noah, two Americans, are looking for a way to deal with their painful past and heal. They move to Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon) and open a center with the purpose to help Vietnamese street children. These children’s stories will seriously tug at your heartstrings, and they do on the heartstrings of Noah and Iris. Not just do these two save the children, but the children save them, too. This is a story about trauma in a country which has known nothing but war for decades, and the survival stories of those growing up in this place.

6. Karl Marlantes – Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War

Karl Marlantes is another veteran of the Vietnam War who processed his memories by writing. Matterhorn is a powerful and timeless story of a young marine lieutenant, and it’s about what it is like to be a young man sent to fight a war on foreign soil. Written over the course of thirty years, this epic novel will hold your attention like nothing else. Waino Mellas is a young Marine lieutenant and part of the Bravo Company. They aren’t just fighting the North Vietnamese, but also the conditions on the ground: monsoons and wild animals, and the resulting malnutrition and diseases. But even within their company, there is division. When it comes down to the wire, will they stand together and overcome, or will they crumble in the face of their enemies? Pick up Matterhorn right now to find out!

7. Duong Thu Huong – Paradise of the Blind: A Novel

Duong Thu Huong was a teenager and young woman in Vietnam during the war. When she was old enough, she served seven years in a women’s youth brigade on the front lines. After the war ended in 1975, she became very outspoken about and critical of the Communist government and was imprisoned for a short time for her criticism. Her first two books became instant best sellers in Vietnam, and were banned quickly thereafter. In Paradise Of The Blind, the reader meets three Vietnamese women who are struggling in a world where women are expected to be subservient to men, and the people are suffering from brutal effects of the Communist government’s actions. Hang is just a little girl, ten years old, and living in a slum in Hanoi with her mother. Land reform had ripped apart the tiny village they called home. Hang never knew her father, who died when she was just a baby. This family saga will capture the reader’s attention from the first page.

8. Sue Cook – On Dangerous Ground

Things aren’t going well for Pru. Her husband confesses his infidelity, and her daughter Molly is going on a gap year in Vietnam. But just when she thought things couldn’t get worse, they do: she receives an email informing her that Molly might be in serious danger. She has become involved with political activists. Pru flies to Vietnam to find her daughter, but what she finds will change her life. Walk the streets of Saigon with Pru in search for Molly. You are guaranteed to be hooked until the very end!

9. Bảo Ninh – The Sorrow Of War: A Novel of North Vietnam

Bao Ninh is a former North Vietnamese soldier who fought bravely not only in the war, but later against his own government, who didn’t want The Sorrow Of War to be published due to it being too non-ideological and too non-heroic. But there’s good reason this novel became an international bestseller. The Glorious 27th Youth brigade of the Vietcong was almost completely wiped off the face of the earth in battle. There is only a sole survivor: Kien. Kien is left to deal with the aftermath of the horrors of war. He picks up writing as a form of dealing with his ghosts, and it’s almost like therapy for him. Kien tells his story: before, during, and after the war. Relive his story from the Vietnamese side of the war in this epic war novel.

10. Thanhhà Lại – Listen, Slowly

Twelve year old Mai is a California girl through and through. All she wants from her vacation is lots and lots of time at the beach. But her parents and her grandmother have other ideas. Grandma wants to travel to her home country of Vietnam and find out what happened to her husband during the Vietnam War. For Mai, it is a great opportunity to learn about Vietnamese culture – only Mai doesn’t think this is a great idea. Yet she travels to Vietnam. What will happen? You will have to read this New York Times bestseller and find out for yourself!

11. Viet Thanh Nguyen – The Sympathizer

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen not just a New York Times bestseller, but so successful, it won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the 2016 Edgar Award for Best First Novel, the 2016 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, and several other prizes. That obviously makes it a top candidate for our list of best books about Vietnam. The year is 1975, and there’s nothing but chaos in Saigon. A group of high ranking members of the South Vietnamese army manage to leave Vietnam on one of the last flights out. They start a new life in the United States, in Los Angeles. But they aren’t safe: one of them is reporting everything they do to a higher-up in the Viet Cong. While The Sympathizer is fiction, and a spy novel, it still touches on many important points of Vietnamese American history while conveying the experience of being a Vietnamese in America after the Vietnam War. A must read!

12. Emily Maguire – Fishing for Tigers

Mischa Reese got out of an abusive marriage and needed a place to reinvent herself and her life. She left California and found it in Hanoi. While she loves her freedom and her life in Vietnam, she has adopted a quite cynical attitude towards life and love, surrounding herself with other expats who share those views. But when she meets Cal, a very attractive Vietnamese-Australian boy, and starts an affair with him, something awakens within her. However, her actions have consequences…

13. Larry Heinemann – Close Quarters

Larry Heinemann is yet another great chronicler of the war in Vietnam. Close Quarters tells the story of an ordinary soldier, Philip Dosier. He is drafted right after high school into a world of fighting and despair, and he returns home a much different person than he was when he left. Be aware that Close Quarters isn’t an easy book to read. It contains graphic descriptions of violence, expletives, and racial slurs. But it is also harrowing, gritty, and a realistic depiction of the events back then.

14. Dinah Jefferies – The Silk Merchant’s Daughter

The Silk Merchant’s Daughter is set before the Vietnam War, during the French occupation of Indochina. The year is 1952, the setting is Hanoi. Nicole and Sylvie are half French and half Vietnamese, and newly orphaned after the death of their mother. Nicole has always lived in her older sister’s shadow. Sylvie is given control of the family silk business, while Nicole is given an abandoned silk shop in a less than great quarter of the city. Here is where Nicole meets militant rebels, who open her eyes about the corruption of colonial rule. But not just that. She learns that her own family is involved. On top of that, two men are vying for her love. Tran, a Vietnamese rebel, and Mark, an American silk trader. Who can she trust? Who is the right man for her? And how is history going to unfold?

15. Robert Olen Butler – A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain

Pulitzer Prize Winner alert! This exemplary collection of short stories about the aftermath of the Vietnam War and its impact on the Vietnamese by one of the most important living American authors is well worth your time. Robert Olen Butler served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971. In his book, he gives voice to Vietnamese people who fled their country and settled in the United States. These are stories of the immigrant experience with the background of the Vietnam War.

16. Robert Dugani – The World Played Chess

This novel by Robert Dugoni is set shortly after the Vietnam War, in 1979. Vincent Bianco is a recent high school graduate and wants to enjoy the summer while making a bit of pocket money. He starts working on a construction crew alongside two men who are Vietnam veterans, and from those guys, he gets an education that deeply ingrains itself in him. Jump to forty years later, and his son is about to leave for college, when these life lessons unfold dramatically.

17. Danielle Steel – Message from Nam

Paxton Andrews is a journalist. She’s sent to Vietnam to write for an acclaimed newspaper. In her seven years in this Asian country, she reports on many historical events, but the truly touching part are the soldiers she meets and their stories. Break out the tissues, you will need them!

18. Huynh Quang Nhuong – Water Buffalo Days: Growing Up in Vietnam

Nhuong grew up as a little boy in the hills of central Vietnam, with his best pal being Tank the water buffalo. Life in the Vietnamese jungle was dangerous, but Tank was not only Nhuong’s best friend, but his protector. It’s a delightful book that takes you to village life in Vietnam just before the war.

19. Ocean Vuong – On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous is a book that’s truly haunting. It’s written in the form of a letter from a son, Little Dog, to his illiterate mother. The letter reveals the family history, starting way before Little Dog was born. When his mother was only five years old, her village in Vietnam fell victim to a Napalm raid, destroying the school house and leaving her unable to continue her education. Consequently, she leads the life of a ghost, working in nail salons and factories in the United States, wilting away like a flower which isn’t getting enough sunlight. This book depicts the love between a mother and her son, as well as an immigrant experience.

Best Non-Fiction Books About Vietnam

20. lonely planet vietnam 15 (travel guide).

What would a list of books about Vietnam be without a proper travel guide? Lonely Planet produces excellent guides with up to date information, all the important information you’ll need, maps, itineraries, insights into Vietnamese culture, and so much more!

21. Christian G. Appy – Vietnam: The Definitive Oral History, Told from All Sides

The title tells you all you need to know about this comprehensive non-fiction book. It’s a compilation of the stories of 135 women and men, from the beginning of the Vietnam war until the end. These are stories from Vietnamese and Americans, from generals and guerillas – from all sides. What makes this book so compelling is that it’s not one person’s side, but that of many, which leads to the reader seeing this conflict from all sides and gaining a broader perspective. Lots of these stories are told from an American point of view, and it’s good to also consider the Vietnamese perspective to get a fuller picture of the events.

22. John Donohue – The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War

The Greatest Beer Run Ever was published in 2021, became an instant New York Times bestseller, an instant USA Today bestseller, and has since been turned into a movie. If these accolades aren’t convincing you to pick up the book immediately, let us tell you what it’s all about. Twenty six year old John ‘Chick’ Donohue was out drinking with some of his buddies in a New York City bar on an evening in 1967. The Vietnam War is in full swing, and the men mourn the loss of loved ones. They reminisce about the war, and those who are still serving, when one of them comes up with an idea that seems impossible. What if one of them tried to sneak into Vietnam to give the troops, demoralized by anti war protests back in the US, messages of support from home? Chick volunteered, but what he didn’t know was how this journey would change his life.

23. Captivating History – History of Vietnam: A Captivating Guide to Vietnamese History

The Captivating History books are easy to read and enjoyable, while containing all the important facts the reader needs to know. History of Vietnam: A Captivating Guide to Vietnamese History is no exception. Unlike many other books it focuses on the complete history of Vietnam, the more recent history as well as ancient history, rather than just the time of war, from the 11th century, when the word ‘Viet’ was first used, until today.

24. William J. Duiker – Ho Chi Minh: A Life

If you know a little bit about Vietnam, then you know that in 1975, Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. But who was this important figure named Ho Chi Minh? William J. Duiker shines light on that question in his book Ho Chi Minh: A Life. Ho Chi Minh is known as the father of modern Vietnam. For nearly three decades he led the Vietnamese nationalist movement. He founded the Communist Party Of Vietnam and was the most famous communist party member. This biography tells the story of how this man shaped the twentieth century. Wherever you travel in Vietnam, you will find tributes to Ho Chi Minh. It’s worth digging in and reading the 600 pages to fully understand and appreciate his life and what he means to Vietnam today. Pick up this great book today!

25. Philip Caputo – A Rumor of War

Philip Caputo’s memoir of the Vietnam war is a classic. Now available in the 40th anniversary edition, and featured in the PBS documentary series ‘The Vietnam War’, this book is simply riveting. As a young man, Caputo entertained rather romantic ideas about war. Therefore he enlists in 1965, and is sent to Danang with the first ground combat unit deployed. He remains in Vietnam for 16 months, and returns home knowing the true nature of war and what it does to humans. He tells his story as it is: ugly, real, not in any way sugarcoated, but raw and painful. This is the best Vietnam War memoir out there!

26. Stanley Karnow – Vietnam: A History

As I mentioned before, lots and lots of books have been written about the Vietnam War. But this one is truly a masterpiece. A New York Times book review notes: “Even those of us who think we know something about it will read with fascination.” In an unbiased way it not only analyzes, but demystifies the events of the Vietnam War. This is a well-written piece of journalistic work. If you only want to read one book about the Vietnam War, this should be it!

27. Neil Sheehan, Hedrick Smith, E.W. Kenworthy, Fox Butterfield – The Pentagon Papers: The Secret History of the Vietnam War

Before WikiLeaks, the release of the Pentagon Papers was the most significant breach in security in the history of the United States. Essentially they were papers documenting how the US government lied to the public about the extent of the American involvement in the war. Their release came at a time when the US was already deeply divided about what was then the longest of America’s wars (it’s now the second longest after Afghanistan). Especially young Americans were opposed to it. It’s utterly fascinating to take a look at these papers! For those who want to go further, check out Steven Spielberg’s 2018 movie ‘The Post’.

28. Neil Sheehan – A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam

A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam won not only a National Book Award, but a Pulitzer Prize as well. Lt Col John Paul Vann came to Vietnam in 1962 as a field adviser to the army. Aclear-eyes, charismatic young man, he was quickly appalled by the corruption of the South Vietnamese regime, and he put his life on the line to convince his superiors that the war must be fought another way. Vann died in Vietnam in 1972. But did he succeed? Or did he give up on his convictions? You’ll have to read this book to find out!

29. David Butler – The Fall of Saigon: Scenes from the Sudden End of a Long War

When Saigon fell, marking the end of the war, NBC reporter David Butler was on scene. In his book The Fall of Saigon: Scenes from the Sudden End of a Long War Butler describes the chaos of these last few weeks, the agony it caused, and the horrors people lived through. In this collection of stories of thirty people, the author describes many interesting details of everyday life in Saigon during these tumultuous days, and the political decisions behind the US’s final retreat. It’s a very detailed account, and allows the reader an inside look into this period in time.

30. Charles Waugh, Huy Lien – Family of Fallen Leaves: Stories of Agent Orange by Vietnamese Writers

Agent Orange was a herbicide used in the Vietnam War by American troops. It was mainly used to defoliate trees which could give cover to the enemy. Its toxicity caused a lot of environmental damage, as well as damage to humans: cancer, birth defects, and many other conditions. This book contains one essay and twelve short stories by Vietnamese writers about the fallout from the use of Agent Orange. Family of Fallen Leaves allows you to see this tragedy from the Vietnamese perspective.

31. Michelle Robin La – Catching Shrimp with Bare Hands: A Boy from the Mekong Delta

Catching Shrimp with Bare Hands is a true story of a boy named Luong La, who grew up in the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War. In 1968, Luong La’s family is forced to flee the countryside due to threats from the Viet Cong. But despite the nearby fighting they continue to travel back and forth to their farm in the middle of the Mekong River. The Viet Cong arrive to stay in the family’s village, and terrible things start to happen. Before Luong is old enough to join the army, the war is over. But that doesn’t spell the end of their troubles…

32. Martin Windrow – The Last Valley: Dien Bien Phu and the French Defeat in Vietnam

The year is 1953, and the French army is occupying Vietnam. In December, they challenge the Vietnamese army to a final battle. But soon, the hunters become the hunted, and, eventually, the defeated, when their base at Dien Bien Phu fell on May 7, 1954. This ended French colonialism in Indochina. As the French withdrew, the United States insisted on a division of the country to prevent regional instability, which led to the Vietnam war two years later.

33. James Arnold – Tet Offensive 1968: Turning point in Vietnam (Campaign)

The Tet Offensive was the decisive battle in the Vietnam War in January of 1968. Together with the Viet Cong, the North Vietnamese soldiers launched a coordinated attack against several targets in south Vietnam. The South Vietnamese and United States military sustained heavy losses, but were able to defeat their enemies. But this offensive marked the beginning of America’s slow withdrawal from this endless war. James Arnold delivers a brilliant account of this decisive battle, and explains why, despite winning, the Americans started to see the Vietnam War as a lost cause.

34. Denise Chong – The Girl in the Picture: The Story of Kim Phuc, Whose Image Altered the Course of the Vietnam War

Sometimes war seems so far away, but a picture speaks volumes and brings the horrors straight into every person’s living room. Such was the case on June 8, 1972, when the picture of a little girl, nine year old Kim Phuc, severely burned by napalm, went viral. This horrific photograph turned the public’s opinion finally and irrevocably against the Vietnam War. Denise Chong’s book is a rare view at the war from the Vietnamese point of view. She tells the story of how the photo was taken, and how Kim Phuc’s life developed afterwards.

35. Michael Herr – Dispatches

If you would like to read a book that became an immediate classic of war reportage, pick up Dispatches by Michael Herr. Michael Herr was a war correspondent who was sent to Vietnam in the 1960s. In this book, Herr talks about day to day life, and reports on the chaos of a combat zone. The New York Times book review claims that it is the best book written about the Vietnam War, and while we see than title awarded so several books, it still speaks to its quality. Therefore, Dispatches made it on our list of the best books about Vietnam. It is an excellent depiction of the realities of war.

36. Harold G. Moore, Joseph L. Galloway – We Were Soldiers Once… and Young: Ia Drang – The Battle that Changed the War in Vietnam

We Were Soldiers Once… and Young is a remarkable book, based on the experiences of Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore in the Vietnam War. Every year, the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps selects one book that he believes is both relevant and timeless for reading by all Marines. In 1993, that honor fell to We Were Soldiers Once. Moore tells the story of one of the most significant battles in this drawn-out war at Ia Drang Valley. In November of 1965, 450 American soldiers under Moore’s command were dropped at that location, only to be surrounded immediately by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Only three days after this, a sister battalion was completely eliminated no more than a half mile away. We Were Soldiers Once tells the story of how the survivors sacrificed themselves for their fellow soldiers, and how they never gave up throughout their wartime experiences.

37. Le Ly Hayslip, Jay Wurts – When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman’s Journey from War to Peace

When Heaven and Earth Changed Places is one of these personal stories that truly get to you. Le Ly Hayslip was a little girl of twelve when the US landed in her small village. The Vietcong recruited her and many other children as spies and saboteurs against the American soldiers. She endured rape, starvation, and other horrible things before she managed to flee to the United States. Twenty years later, in 1986, Le Ly Hayslip returns to her home country and experiences a reunion with her family.

38. Truong Nhu Tang – A Vietcong Memoir: An Inside Account of the Vietnam War and Its Aftermath

Truong Nhu Tang was a young man studying in Paris when he met Ho Chi Minh, became enamored with his anti-colonial nationalism and socialist ideas. He returned to Vietnam to fulfill his family obligation, but soon joined the “fight for liberation” and became one of its major figures, and later even the Vietcong’s Minister of Justice. But when disillusionment set in, he fled his beloved country. if you want a truly rare look into the inner workings of the Vietnam War from a Vietnamese perspective, and at the Vietcong in particular, pick up this book immediately!

39. Kien Nguyen – The Unwanted: A Memoir

This is the true story of a little biracial kid living through apocalyptic times. Kien Nguyen tells the story of his life in Saigon after the retreat of the American’s in 1975, and how, in 1985, he made his way to the United States. It’s an unputdownable memoir with a beautiful message!

What books would you recommend? Tell us in the comments!

Jenny grew up in Germany. All she ever wanted out of life was to leave and have adventures. Jenny always traveled as much as the budget would allow, and when she met her husband traveling became a full-time thing. You can follow Jenny on her blog and Facebook.

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7 Best Travel Books About Vietnam

“A day of travelling will bring a basketful of learning. “

Whether it be a party-filled gap year experience, a wellness retreat away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, or a trek to give something back in a new community, Vietnam is one of the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia. Home to over 100 million and a stunning assortment of natural beauty and experiences, it’s no wonder why Vietnam inspires so many visitors yearly. Join us at What We Reading as we present the best Vietnam travel books! 

Lonely Planet Vietnam – Lonely Planet 

Kicking off our list of the best Vietnam travel books is Lonely Planet’s edition on the Southeast Asian country. The world’s leading travel media company, Lonely Planet is the definitive authority on curating trips that are memorable and magical, offering the latest pieces of advice on what to see and what to skip. 

From paddling by Halong Bay’s limestone peaks at dawn to exploring Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Lonely Planet Vietnam provides travellers of all ages, interests, and budgets with a new easy-to-follow layout, comprehensive listings, and maps that they are sure to fully utilise.

Saigon Survival (Vietnam Travel Guide): A Counter Intuitive Guide To Surviving The Streets Of Saigon – Simon Miller 

Miller’s travel guide, rooted in authentic everyday experiences, utilizes all the most valuable insights he gained from over a year of living in Vietnam’s capital.

He took over nine months to compile it and reworked it several times since, making it one of the best Vietnam books for travelers looking to avoid the rookie mistakes that plague so many first-time trips.

The Ultimate Vietnam Travel Guide: How To Get The Most Out Of Your Travel Through Vietnam From North To South – Hoang Pham

Hoang Pham guides travelers through how to get the best out of their Vietnam trip in The Ultimate Vietnam Travel Guide, immersing them in the local culture and history and letting them sample some of its renowned delicacies.

It’s a snappy read designed to inspire you with information about the best places to maximize your trip, and it solidifies its position as one of the best Vietnam books.

Fodor’s Essential Vietnam – Fodor’s Travel 

Fodor’s Essential Vietnam is one of the best Vietnam travel books for first-time and seasoned visitors. Covering all of the country’s major destinations including Ho Chi Minh City; the Mekong Delta; Hanoi; Halong Bay ; Hue; and Nha Trang, it expertly combines the diverse beauty of the country with practical tips every traveller is sure to make use of. 

All of these destinations are put under the microscope with top 10 lists of the best things to do, see, eat, sleep and experience. 

Made In Vietnam: Homestyle Recipes From Hanoi To Ho Chi Minh – Tracey Lister And Andreas Pohl

Based on their experiences eating at street food stalls, countryside eateries and family gatherings, Tracey Lister and Andreas Pohl’s Made in Vietnam is the ultimate celebration of Vietnamese cuisine. One of the best Vietnam books for any culinary traveller, it is a sweeping guide through the three main regions of the country. 

From the heartiness of the north , the imperial cuisine of the Hue in the centre and the more tropical flavours in the south, it comes complete with various recipes for traditional Vietnamese meals ranging from Pho Bo to Eel in Caul Fat. It also features extensive histories behind these meals and the cultures that make them, giving travellers inside knowledge on not only what they are eating, but also what’s behind it. 

From Saigon To Hanoi: Save Time, Money And Your Sanity – Chris Appleford And Sarah Appleford

In From Saigon to Hanoi, Chris and Sarah Appleford present a unique travel guide on how to tour through Vietnam. Told from the perspective of the couple and their young family across three weeks as they made their way from Saigon in the south to Hanoi in the north, it demonstrates how the best way of trekking through the country is via train. Whether it’s getting inspiration for your trip or picking up some practical tips, 

From Saigon to Hanoi covers everything from clothes tailored by hand in Hoi An, the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City to how to cross the street and avoid being scammed successfully! 

Vietnam: The Ultimate Vietnam Travel Guide By A Traveler For A Traveler – Lost Travelers 

The goal of Lost Travelers’ travel handbooks is to provide quick and succinct guides that every traveller can dive into. And their edition on Vietnam provides one of the best resources for getting to grips with the country without all the fluff of other books.

Revised multiple times on the back of recommendations from readers, it offers a completely unbiased take on the destinations and experiences no trip to Vietnam is complete without. Honest and authentic, for a cheaper and rapid Vietnam travel book, Lost Travelers’ edition is one to consider. 

Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).

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Best Books about Vietnam to Read Before You Visit

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: November 24, 2023

Do you love reading about a destination before you go? Finding out about the history, the culture and the lives of people is one of the best ways to prepare to explore Vietnam (or any new country)

In this post, I have curated a collection of the best books about Vietnam. 

A popular South East Asian country for travellers Vietnam is home to the beautiful Ha Long Bay, cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh and 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

With a population of nearly 100 million, Vietnam is one of the most popular holiday destinations in South East Asia. Soccer is the most popular sport in Vietnam and the Dong is the unit of currency!

You can find a selection of both fiction and non-fiction about Vietnam. You will also find the best Vietnam travel guide books and well as Vietnamese cookbooks.

Listen to episodes of the Global Travel Planning Podcast all about Vietnam

More to read from around the world

The best fiction books about vietnam.

The Mountains Sing

The Mountains Sing by Trần Diệu Lan is a sweeping multigenerational saga of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War.

Set in Hà Nội in the 1960s, The Mountains Sing follows Hương as she grows up with her parents and six older siblings, all of whom are at different stages in their lives.

The Beauty of Humanity Movement: A Novel

Raised in the United States but Vietnamese by birth, Maggie travels to Hanoi seeking clues to the fate of her father, a dissident artist who disappeared during the war.

This book explores the legacies of war and art and the power of love to renew.

Saigon: An Epic Novel of Vietnam

A story of adventure, love, war, and political power, Saigon presents an enthralling and enlightening depiction of twentieth-century Vietnam.

Perfume River: A Novel

An exquisite novel that examines family ties and the legacy of the Vietnam war through the portrait of a single North Florida family.

The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir

This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past.

The Sympathizer: A Novel (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)

The Sympathizer is a blistering exploration of identity and America, a gripping espionage novel, and a powerful story of love and friendship.

Best Books about Vietnam : Non Fiction, Travel Guides & more

Made in Vietnam: Homestyle Recipes from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh

Made In Vietnam covers three main culinary regions of the country. It also looks at aspects of the country’s food history and its absorption of various culinary influences, including the extensive French influence, long-established coffee culture the casual style of dining that is so synonymous with many parts of Asia.

Lonely Planet Vietnam (Travel Guide)

Lonely Planet Vietnam is your passport to the most relevant and up-to-date advice on what to do and see.

Fodor's Essential Vietnam

- Fodor's Essential Vietnam is the go-to guide for first-time visitors and seasoned travellers alike.

Fodor's Essential Vietnam has been newly updated with fresh recommendations and coverage of Sa Pa, a popular destination in the northwest mountains of Vietnam. The book includes: - Top 10 lists of what to see and do, eat, sleep, and experience in each city or region - Coverage of all major sights and attractions including Ho Chi Minh City; the Mekong Delta; Hanoi; Halong Bay; Hue; Nha Trang

Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975

A definitive history of the Vietnam war written by Max Hastings an acclaimed best selling author. If you wish to learn about the Vietnam War this is a highly recommended read.

• A Complete Guide to the Best Books from Around the World
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• Nine Best Books About Vietnam

Check Out the Nine Best Books About Vietnam

While travel to your dream destination isn’t an option at the moment, what better way to explore a country than through its literature? Vietnam has a rich and varied past, with so much more to discover than simply the war. So while you’re spending a bit more time inside than usual, try one of these books for more on Vietnam’s history.

Ask your local bookseller to recommend a book on Vietnam and no doubt, the majority will focus on “the American War” (as it’s called here). The conflict is an integral part of the country’s recent history of course, but people prefer not to dwell on the past. That fact is best discovered in books that delve deep into the fascinating country; they might touch on the war or use it as a frame of reference, but their pages are devoted to a country they love.

“Dumb Luck”, by Vu Trong Phung

First published in 1936 at the height of French colonialism, the satirical Dumb Luck might feel dated today, but at the time it was a damning indictment of foreign oppression and Vietnamese bureaucracy, so much so that the book was often banned through to 1986.

Set in Hanoi and following the farcical rise of a common drifter mistaken for a genius, the book follows his incredible ascent from the city’s filthy streets to its extravagant mansions, showcasing the shallowness of the then-unstable society. A snappy read that anticipates such future capitalistic parodies as Jerzy Kosinski’s Being There (1970).

“A Dragon Apparent”, by Norman Lewis

At a time when its unknown exoticism kept many at bay, travel writer Norman Lewis journeyed deep into Southeast Asia . One of the first 20th century Westerners to write about his travels, he documented his insights and adventures in A Dragon Apparent (1951). Exploring not only Vietnam, but neighbouring countries Cambodia and Laos too, the book balances Lewis’ experiences with both French colonialists and the locals, presenting a rare glimpse into the culture clashes and grievances between the two. The book was a huge inspiration for novelist Graham Greene, leading him to live in and write about Vietnam.

“The Quiet American”, by Graham Greene

Graham Greene ’s renowned 1955 novel is often considered, by foreigners at least, to be the preeminent Vietnam book; a love triangle surface story that prophetically showcases the post-WWII dynamics of the country and how it faced challenges from both French colonialists and “quiet” American interlopers. Concise and beautifully written, the lead British journalist’s narrative voice was highly autobiographical. Greene lived in Saigon for years and was said to have written most of the book at the still-standing Hotel Continental.

“Paradise of the Blind”, by Duong Thu Huong

The post-war struggle among the Vietnamese wasn’t simply a case of peace among communism, and corruption ran rampant. That’s charted in a loose trilogy by the controversial author Duong Thu Huong, whose books were banned for decades and she was jailed for years. Paradise of the Blind (1988) is her most famous, showcasing the country’s communism through the perspective of three Viet women as they balance corruption against their own subservient roles. While far from an outright appeal to capitalism, it nonetheless does shine a light on the foolishness of conflicts over belief systems.

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“The Sympathizer”, by Viet Thanh Nguyen

We’re cheating a bit here, since The Sympathizer (2015) is in fact, somewhat about the war, opening as it does with the Fall of Saigon and tracing its protagonist’s arc through his escape to the US and beyond. But the Pulitzer Prize -winning novel is so evocative, so full of insight and intrigue, that it’s impossible not to include. And while the war sets the backdrop, it’s the main character’s double-agent machinations that really make up the bulk of the book, like a beautiful hybrid of John le Carré and Ralph Ellison.

“Catfish and Mandala”, by Andrew X. Pham

The struggle of the “Viet Kieu” – those young Vietnamese who escaped with their parents during the war and started returning in the 1990s to an ethnic home they found unfamiliar – is charted in this endearing travelogue. Pham grew up as a refugee in California and returned to his home country to travel its length by bicycle. In Catfish and Mandala (1999), his journalistic experiences of being treated like an outsider are intercut with vague recollections of early life during the war. Raw and enlightening, it paved the way for numerous other Viet Kieus to share their cross-cultural insights.

“Eating Viet Nam: Dispatches from a Blue Plastic Table”, by Graham Holliday

We’re getting into non-fiction territory here, with possibly the best exploration of Vietnam’s fascinating culinary culture, featuring arguably the best street food in the world. Holliday moved here in the early 2000s, long before many a foodie foreigner discovered its thrills, and was immediately taken by its culinary world. He journeyed north to south in search of everything fresh and delicious, documenting his travels in a blog. His online dispatches were soon discovered and collected by none other than Anthony Bourdain, who also provides an engaging introduction to Eating Viet Nam (2015).

“Ticket to Childhood”, by Nguyen Nhat Anh

Ticket to Childhood (2014) was a sensation when it was initially released in Vietnam, and it makes sense, considering half the country is under 35. Framed from the perspective of an eight-year-old and written in a simplistic style that anyone in that age group can understand, it recalls French classic The Little Prince (1943). With an endearing contrast between the innocence of youth and the often-illogical world of adults, its instant-classic status cemented the idea that Vietnam had come far from being defined solely by the war.

“Vietnam: Rising Dragon”, by Bill Hayton

Vietnam: Rising Dragon (2010) is a rarity; the first book to present a political, economic and cultural modern history of the country in a comprehensible style. Hayton’s years as a BBC reporter means he brings an easy-to-absorb journalistic approach to the book, delving deep into the country, outlining Vietnam’s clear-cut ambitions to be the next major Asian powerhouse. Fascinating and eye-opening, this should be the first port-of-call for cultural history geeks.

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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 2024-06-03 / 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.

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Vietnam Travel Magic

These books illustrate my hiking trips and motorcycle adventures throughout Vietnam to inspire your wanderlust. They combine on-the-road photography with a running narrative to recount the adventure in a click-through visual storyline. They offer an insight into my zeal for international backpacking, from accepting exotic cultures and eating new dishes to overnight bus rides and being comfortably lost.

Pro Tip: If you are planning a trip to SE Asia, I highly recommend touring Vietnam by combining overnight buses and day-rental motorcycles. The road traffic can be bat-shit-crazy for long distances, but shorter day tours by motorbike are a rewarding way to see the country. From mountain caves and rocky beaches to crowded markets and bizarre food, Vietnam is an exotic land waiting to be explored.

Vietnam Travel Magic #1: Wandering Hanoi

In this first volume, I will be flying into the capital city of Hanoi to explore the historic Old Quarter, which seamlessly mingles the new and old. It has everything imaginable, from knock-off North Face gear and gourmet coffee shops to hundreds of temples and legendary talking turtles. We will navigate twisting streets through chaotic scooter traffic to discover exciting markets filled with bizarre goods, sample some of the local food delicacies and laugh with the locals. Inspired? Purchase the 50-page eBook from Amazon! Extract: I wandered down a few crooked streets until I stumbled upon a cheap hostel. Eager to explore a new culture, I locked my duffel and went out to discover the capital city. Chaos – that’s what I found, as scooter horns filled my mind with a migraine-inducing symphony of beep, beep, beeping. Despite the ‘bat-shit-crazy’ traffic, I also found tranquility by the lakeshore for a beautiful sunset to balance my first day in Hanoi.

Amazon Reviewer Wrote: “The author is a free spirit in search of tranquility and peace which is reflected in his photo books. The photos are crisp, clear, and reveal not only the tourist sites but also the local peoples in their native element.” – Teri Halstead

“ I really enjoyed this eBook. The photos are gorgeous and the text is lively–you feel as if the author is taking you along on his journey! He makes the city and the sites seem accessible, and his enthusiasm and enjoyment are contagious. I have definitely added a visit to Vietnam, and to Hanoi, to my bucket list .” – Amazon Customer

Vietnam Travel Magic #2: Touring Sapa Mountains

I continued down the valley road until I reached a police checkpoint where I was flagged to the side of the road. The officer asked for my ID, and when I showed him my USA driver’s license he went ballistic; threatening me with arrest for not having an international DL. Nothing justifies police extortion, but if you’re a foreigner cycling in Vietnam, you should accept the fact that when you are stopped by the police—they will take your money. Curious? Download a FREE 15-page eBook Preview!

In this second volume, I will be taking an overnight bus up into the northern mountains of Sapa and visiting the local Hmong Hilltribes with their intricately designed fabrics.  Next, I will attempt to summit 3,143m Mt. Fansipan; only to reluctantly retreat as the rain turned to numbing sleet.  Finally, I will tour the countryside by motorcycle, smiling through a crooked police checkpoint, and remembering that its much better to be happy than right. Inspired? Purchase the 50-page eBook from Amazon!

Smashwords Reviewer Wrote: “What an engaging opportunity to join Scott David Plumlee on his journey through the Sapa Mountains in Vietnam.  Helpful advice and humor are interwoven with beautiful snapshots of the trip.  Written in that genuine Plumlee voice.”  – Joseph Bengston

Vietnam Travel Magic #3: Kayaking Halong Bay

Intoxicated by her French accent and eager for the adventure, we sailed out through the majestic Halong Bay. Our brightly-painted boat passed hundreds of vertical limestone karst islands that were dotted with greenery, wherever plants could cling to life. Such an awe-inspiring sight that it made me feel like Peter Pan, flying with Tinker Bell to Neverland, where I could join the Lost Boys to fight pirates and refuse to grow up! Curious? Download a FREE 15-page eBook Preview!

I begin the third volume by taking an overnight bus down to Cat Ba Island for a fun night of billiards, beers, and karaoke with a new French friend.  Next, we take a lazy day to discover some pristine beaches and have philosophical conversations about Don Ruiz’s book: The Four Agreements .  Finally, we will take a boat tour through the awe-inspiring Halong Bay, go kayaking through karst passages, and climb up to an overlook on Monkey Island. Inspired? Purchase the 50-page eBook from Amazon!

Amazon Reviewer Wrote: “A fun, easy to follow account of one of the many overseas adventures by the author. The e-book definitely moved my desire to travel to SE Asia one or two notches, and his description of the kayak trip makes it a must do for me.” – Gibran Suleiman

“A bit of helpful philosophy mixed in a fantastic narrative and photos of Halong Bay in Vietnam.  Scott David Plumlee describes his experience in typical fashion, making me wish I could join him for a beer on the beach.”  – Joseph Bengston

Vietnam Travel Magic #4: Caving Phong Nha

“Hey, did you hear about the dyslexic rock star that accidentally sold his soul to Santa?” Seth laughed and replied “Do you know why Santa is so happy?” “Um, because he’s got a dozen flying reindeer” I answered. “No, ‘cause he knows where all the naughty girls live.” We proceeded to sing the song and it just got funnier and funnier: “He’s making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty and nice – Santa Claus is coming to town.”  Curious? Download a FREE 15-page eBook Preview!

In this fourth volume, I will be going to Phong Nha National Park to discover its legendary caves with a hilarious new American friend, who loves to share jokes.  Seth and I will tour the countryside on his motorcycle, go zip-lining into the muddy depths of the Dark Cave, and be awe-struck by the stunning interior of Paradise Cavern.  Next, we sail a dragon boat down the Son River into Phong Nha Cave and then visit an infamous pub that allows customers to decapitate their chicken of choice for dinner. Inspired? Purchase the 50-page eBook from Amazon!

Amazon Reviewer Wrote: “The photography was amazing as was the narrative!  Makes me want to travel there even more now.  It’s a fun account of the author’s many adventures around the globe.  Thank you David for bringing me closer to Vietnam and its incredible beauty.” – Noel Allen

“Reflections of Ambition. This lighthearted journey through Vietnam caves and countryside provokes the desire to appreciate the landscape and culture that surrounds us all.  The sense of adventure is evident; it draws you closer to your own dreams. Well done.”  – Dermot Conner

Vietnam Travel Magic #5: Forbidden City of Hue

Dripping with sweat in the mid-morning sun, Joe and Yui showed me the impressive gateway into the Imperial City.  They explained that it was built in the 17th century by the feudal Nguyen Dynasty emperors, and served as the national capital from 1802 to 1945.  Deep within these walls was the Forbidden Purple City where only the emperor, his concubines, and their servants could access; the punishment for trespassing was death. Curious? Download a FREE 15-page eBook Preview!

In this fifth volume, I will be discovering opulent royal palaces and riverside Buddhist pagodas while touring the ancient capital city of Hue.  When I arrived, I had the good fortune to meet two local college students, Joe and Yui, who were keen to guide me around the Forbidden Purple City.  Adding a personal perspective on modern Vietnamese culture, it reveals the surprising political opinions of my new friends, as well as my own reflections on their tyrannical history.  Inspired? Purchase the 50-page eBook from Amazon!

Amazon Reviewer Wrote: “Wanderlust! Scott’s series of ongoing travel pictographs and unique perspective keep on satisfying my senses of historic, social, cultural and culinary curiosities. Guaranteed to revive your wanderlust and provide a sane road map to your future travels!” – Ara Gregorian

“Inspiring – As with all of  Plumlee’s books, #5 is filled with stunning photos, rich history, and a personal account of the most amazing adventure. David has a true gift for sweeping you along on his travels – you can almost hear him talking to you along the way.” – Carys Jones

Vietnam Travel Magic #6: Full Throttle Danang

Escaping the sweltering the heat, I twisted the throttle of my motorcycle and zipped down the highway, letting the breeze dry my drenched shirt. The map showed one last detour before I started climbing into the mountains towards Danang.  I discovered a sheltered beach for a refreshing swim, stripped down and waded into the cool ocean water.  While swimming away from the shore, something brushed past my leg and I nearly screamed when the first shark fin crested the surface.  I felt a surge of adrenaline as the second fin circled on my right, but it was the third fin that snapped me into action… Curious? Download a FREE 15-page eBook Preview!

In this sixth chapter of the Vietnam Travel Magic series, I will be riding full-throttle down the tropical coastline to the bridge city of Danang.  This travel story is an action-packed saga with many obstacles along the way, from a shark encounter to nerve-wracking traffic and a fire-breathing dragon.  However, the adrenaline-juiced storyline takes a philosophical detour when I face my greatest challenge: to be a victim or a warrior.  A victim allows fears to dictate their destiny, while a warrior challenges those fears with logic; taking calculated risks to rise above the limitations of doubt. Inspired? Purchase the 50-page eBook from Amazon!

Amazon Reviewer Wrote: “ This was an amazing book. The pictures were stunning and the writing very thought-provoking. I will be looking into reading other books in this series. Mr. Plumlee gives one a whole different perspective on the culture and country of Vietnam. ” – Brakeman

“ Written with depth, humor and cultural sensitivity, enhanced with stunning photography, this latest installment made me sway on the back of his motorcycle and hyperventilate at shark fins breaking the ocean surface! ” – Carys Jones

Vietnam Travel Magic #7: Hoi An Pilgrimage

I entered a massive cavern, awash with majestic sunlight that filtered down through natural fissures in the ceiling. The faint whiff of incense smoke rose as birds swirled around the chamber; their echoing chirps mixed with the sound of monk’s chanting. Carved into the back wall was a colossal statue of Buddha, seated in a peaceful pose of deep meditation; inspiring me to take a moment and enjoy this sacred sanctuary. My mind began to relax as I allowed the sound of the Aum-chanting monks to wash over me like warm surf. I closed my eyes, focused on the sound, and slowly quieted the dialogue within my mind – until – I unknowingly slipped into meditation. Curious?  Download a FREE 15-page eBook Preview!

In this seventh episode of the Vietnam Travel Magic series, I will be taking an unexpected pilgrimage to a colorful lantern festival in Hoi An. This narrative chronicles my spiritual journey within at a Buddhist monastery; drifting through sublime caverns and slipping into a blissful meditation. This experience allowed me to push beyond my limits to discover my true potential and gain a deeper self-awareness. Next, I retired to the beach for a rainy day of endless backgammon games and then celebrated the full moon by floating candle-lit lanterns down the river. Inspired?  Purchase the 50-page eBook from Amazon!

Amazon Reviewers Wrote: “I enjoyed visiting this foreign land through the eyes of the photographer. His words opened up a new appreciation of the land and culture.  Although I have not traveled physically to these places I can travel there in my imagination.” – Janice

“ I love how David always brings the reader an inside look at things and places they may never have an opportunity to visit themselves. ” – cirious

Goodreads Reviewers Wrote: “This book has wonderful photographs of place I know I will not visit. Scott’s dialogue conveys his amazement as he travels up the east coast of Vietnam. I have read most of Scott’s books, and he does not disappoint.” – Gail H. Devoid

Vietnam Travel Magic #8: Delat Canyoneering

Intro Blurb text Curious? Download a FREE 15-page eBook Preview!

In this eighth volume, I will be … Inspired? Purchase the 50-page eBook from Amazon!

Amazon Reviewers Wrote: “….” – name

“….” – name

More Travel Magic

Lighting The Path

I developed this site to inspire you to go explore this big blue marble and discover the transformative magic of personal empowerment. Guiding your wanderlust, there are regional maps of the world that illustrate some Magical Places among the multitude of tourist traps. 

To help you succeed, I created Travel Advice pages divided into: 1) Before You Go : Basics, Documents, and Medical; 2) What To Take : Luggage, Clothing, and Technology; 3) On The Road : Immersion, Philosophy, and Books.

Lighting the path, the Travel Magic eBook series shares my personal experiences and takes you away to exciting locations; joining me to go cycling across New Zealand and backpacking throughout Vietnam.

I sell these adventure stories as digital eBooks exclusively on Amazon.  Click on any book cover image to visit my Amazon Author Page.

Travel | Wish You Were Here: Exploring Laos, Cambodia,…

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Travel | sizzling hot week expected to be on tap for the bay area, travel | wish you were here: exploring laos, cambodia, vietnam and more.

Now a group of longtime Brentwood friends are sharing their adventures from a recent trip to Laos. Read on for details, then find more travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/ .

Wish You Were Here

LAOS, CAMBODIA: Eight long-time friends from Brentwood — Scott and Linda Berridge, Scott and Kathy Dudek, Joe and Desiree Martinez and Henry and Colleen Torrez — journeyed to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in March with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT).

The trip, which included travel by every means imaginable, from trains to sampans, tuk tuks, remorks and even the back of an oxcart, hit all the big UNESCO World Heritage sites, Linda says, while also “delving in a little deeper, both educationally and culturally, to meet the people of these countries and get to enjoy their culture, food and traditions.

“We spent a somber day at the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields, crawled through the Cu Chi tunnels in Vietnam and had a crazy night on the back of scooters in Saigon, as we enjoyed a street food tour.” Other trip highlights included visiting the Temple of the Reclining Buddha and Grand Palace in Thailand and Angkor Wat in Cambodia — “absolutely breathtaking!”

In Laos, the group enjoyed a dinner hosted by a local family, visited the COPE Laos center for bombing victims, and stopped in a small village (pictured) on the Mekong River.

TRAVEL TIPS:  “Your credit card is good at restaurants and hotels, (but) the local shops all want local money. ATMs are easy to use. We switched currency in each country from bhat, kip, riel to dongs! Get a currency converter app for sure.”

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How Harris Faulkner Followed Her Father’s Footsteps to Vietnam

By Ethan Alter   on May. 24, 2024 - 3:52 PM

Even before she became a journalist, Harris Faulkner knew the world was bigger than her backyard. The self-described military brat grew up on Army bases at home and abroad following her father, Lieutenant Colonel Bobby Harris, as his military career took their family around the globe.

“We were world travelers because of the military,” the Fox News host tells TVNewser. “Before that, my mother had never left Texas and neither had my dad.”

But there was one country that remained a blank spot on Faulkner’s personal map until very recently—Vietnam. Only her father had spent time in the Southeast Asian nation, and it wasn’t a period of his life that he relished revisiting. Harris served three tours of duty during the Vietnam War, two as an Army combat pilot, and rarely talked about the experience with his daughter while she was growing up.

As a result, Faulkner says she never considered visiting Vietnam even after the country re-opened to American tourists in the 1990s. And even though many Vietnam veterans have ventured back in the decades since the war ended, her father never expressed interest in returning.

“My dad never went back, and I never talked with him about it,” Faulkner says. “Had he even given an inkling of wanting to go, we would have done it together.” (Harris died on Christmas Day in 2020.)

Now, Faulkner is making the trip for both of them via the new series, Footsteps of My Father. Streaming on Fox Nation ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, the three-part travelogue finds her retracing the path of Harris’ own soldier’s story through present day Vietnam. It’s a sequel of sorts to Faulkner’s 2019 book, 9 Rules of Engagement , in which her father finally opened up about his wartime experiences. Hearing those stories for the first time planted the idea of visiting Vietnam in her mind, but she still hesitated when Fox executives pitched the series three years after her dad’s passing.

“I thought it was going to hurt my heart,” she says now. “But I asked my dad’s younger brothers about it and they said, ‘You do it—and you do it in the name of your father.’” With their words in her ears and Harris’s military burial flag in her travel bag, she boarded a plane bound for Vietnam in late 2023.

Harris Faulkner and military historian Brian DeToy on the Saigon River. (Courtesy Fox Nation)

Going Upriver

Touching down in the sprawling metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City—formerly and still informally known as Saigon—Faulkner connected with military historian, Brian DeToy , who accompanied her for much of her journey. One of their first stops was the wide and winding Saigon River over which her father regularly flew high stakes combat missions.

At that time, the waters flowed through jungle, with North Vietnamese fighters hidden among the trees, aiming their guns at low-flying planes. Today, the Saigon River drifts peacefully by skyscrapers and marinas dotted with privately-owned vessels instead of military patrol boats. But Faulkner says she could still picture the terrain that her dad saw in her mind’s eye.

“The city’s not so big now that it can shake its past completely,” she notes. “When I was on the river, I looked around and remembered the stories he told me about there being Vietcong soldiers in the trees and following the river back to his base. They’ve chopped down some of those trees now, but being out there on that hot, steamy river it was easy to imagine. It blew my mind at what a survivor he was.”

Later destinations on Faulkner’s tour exposed her to the other side of the war. Visiting a section of the famous Củ Chi tunnels—where North Vietnamese forces carried out subterranean guerrilla campaigns—she came face-to-face with the harsh conditions that those soldiers experienced.

“Going to war doesn’t mean you aren’t human, and supporting our warriors doesn’t mean you don’t have a heart,” Faulkner says. “The heat and humidity down there is punishing, and there wasn’t enough food. It’s not that I feel for the Vietcong, but they had families and people they took into those tunnels. There were women who had babies in those tunnels. What was it like for our soldiers to face that humanity? It’s just heartbreaking all around.”

“I know my father wished he could have saved more people,” she continues. “But maybe the silver lining is that we left some things behind. We left who we are imprinted on the people of South Vietnam. And I know that because I’ve been among them.”

Watch a scene from Footsteps of My Father below: 

What’s Left Behind

While Faulkner’s journey through Vietnam largely followed in her father’s footsteps, she did venture down side paths to hear war stories from other veterans. In the third episode, she sits down with retired U.S. army specialist Matt Keenan  and former North Vietnamese solider To Nam , who have formed a strong friendship in the decades since they fought on opposite sides. Faulkner characterizes their seemingly unlikely, but entirely genuine bond as a “miracle,” one that signals the healing that’s taken place in the decades since the fighting ended.

At the same time, Faulkner found that many Vietnamese were as reluctant to discuss the war as her father once was, particularly among the younger generations who were otherwise excited to meet a visiting American.

“They wanted to take selfies with me,” she says, laughing. “They were very curious about our fashion and our music. They understood that I was there to cover the war, but that wasn’t their focus. There are very few military remnants still there—our footprint has pretty much been erased. So I can’t tell you what they know or don’t know about the war.”

Faulkner also recalls the mood of the trip shifting whenever they ventured further north. “My dad’s base was in Đông Hà, one of the most bombed-out places in the war,” she explains. “They had razed the whole base and erected an outdoor event space with a statue of Fidel Castro. We had officials with us in our vans, and they were trying to get us out of there because we were too close to the north and didn’t like that I had gone to where the statue was.”

Still, Faulkner ultimately ended her journey into the past with a sense of excitement for the future of the evolving relationship between Vietnam and the U.S., citing trade agreements and a mutual interest in combating drug trafficking. “We are working with Vietnamese law enforcement to try to stop the movement of fentanyl from China,” she notes. “That lets you know that you’re going to need friends in a different type of war to protect ourselves.”

And with Vietnam finally crossed off her travel bucket list, she’s already thinking of new countries to visit. “I’ve got other trips that I want to take with my daughters—Vietnam just set that part of me in bloom,” she says. “I’m like, ‘Now I’ve got to go everywhere!'”

Footsteps of My Father is currently streaming on Fox Nation

7 amazing cruise itineraries to book in 2024

I don't know about you, but each year, as the weather turns cold, I start daydreaming about getting out of Dodge — or, in my case, Pennsylvania. My mind wanders to cruises that will take me to places where the temperature is warmer, but I also take a hard look at the (exceptionally lengthy) list of places I'm longing to visit.

After digging through what's new for 2024, I've come up with a shortlist of sailings that I think are noteworthy. They range from a standard Bahamas voyage with a new twist and an extended Alaska sailing that includes a foray across the Arctic Circle to more far-flung destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Dream on, dear reader, and add these to your list of 2024 cruise itineraries.

Note: All prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, unless otherwise noted. Fares do not include taxes and fees.

For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Seabourn's 'Kimberley Expedition: Waterfalls and Wandjinas' itinerary

Last year, the Australia and New Zealand cruise region gained momentum following the pandemic shutdown. In 2024, the hardly populated Australia region of The Kimberley is gaining popularity. Luxury cruise brand Seabourn will be offering a series of six 10-night voyages between Broome and Darwin on expedition vessel Seabourn Pursuit during what will be early winter in the southern hemisphere.

The line's " Kimberley Expedition: Waterfalls and Wandjinas " will take passengers to places along the coast few passengers are able to visit to see the stunning teal waters and horizontal waterfalls of Talbot Bay, sample wines in the Hunter River Region and check out nature preserves in Wyndham.

Details: The first sailing, from Darwin to Broome, embarks on June 12. The final voyage, from Broome to Darwin, departs on Aug. 1. Prices start from $6,134 per person ($613 per person, per night), double occupancy, for the July 2 cruise. All accommodations are suites with balconies.

Celebrity's 'Best of Japan' and 'Vietnam and Thailand' cruises

The number of voyages in Asia was trending upward notably prior to 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic brought cruising in the region to an extended halt. And it's once again on the rise. Following that curve, Celebrity Cruises will be running new 11- to 13-night Asia sailings in 2024 on two ships — Celebrity Millennium and Celebrity Solstice — that bring stops in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand.

What's notable about the offerings is that they will aim to immerse passengers further into the destinations by including overnights in a total of 11 ports across all itineraries. That means more time to explore Hanoi's Old Quarter as the sun sets, indulge in nighttime gastronomy in Hong Kong, visit one of Bangkok's many markets, or learn why Osaka is known for street food.

Details: Celebrity Millennium's " Best of Japan " cruises run from early mid-March to early October. At press time, the least expensive fares — for a 12-night sailing — start from $1,330 per person ($111 per person, per night) for an inside cabin. It travels round-trip from Yokohama and visits Hiroshima, Pusan and other ports, including Osaka, where the ship will overnight.

Celerbrity Solstice's Vietnam and Thailand cruises kick off in mid-January and run through March. The ship will resume them again in the fall of 2024 and run through the winter season. Prices start from $1,255 per person ($105 per person, per night) for an inside cabin. The voyage sails from Hong Kong to Singapore with stops in Da Nang and Koh Samui, plus overnights in Hanoi and Bangkok.

SeaDream's 'Yachting the Adriatic & Greek Isles' sailing

Here's one to put on your radar if you're looking to book — but not necessarily sail — in 2024. It's a new Mediterranean itinerary that doesn't start up for nearly three more years, in 2026. The SeaDream routing brings stops at seven ports that are rarely visited by cruise passengers. During the seven-night voyages, there will be calls at Primosten, Croatia; Cesme, Turkey; Cetubal, Portugal; and Kythira, Kythnos, Syvota and Tinos, Greece — making these sailings unique and well-suited to anyone who loves the region but who's looking for new places to experience.

SeaDream's small ships, each of which carries just 112 people, are able to reach locales about which passengers on megaships can only fantasize. Couple that with excellent service, and you'll be visiting the Our Lady of Loretto statue in Primosten, touring the Cesme Castle and lounging on stunning Greek beaches from a home base that puts you squarely in the lap of luxury.

Details: An itinerary that includes three of the seven new ports is the 11-night " Yachting the Adriatic & Greek Isles " itinerary from Venice, Italy, to Athens, Greece, departing on Aug. 8, 2026, on SeaDream I. Prices start from $10,399 per person ($946 per person, per night) for a room with a porthole view.

Holland America's 'Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice' Legendary Voyage

Alaska is an absolute must for anyone who enjoys the vastness of untouched wilderness, the wildlife it houses and adventurous pursuits it provides. (Think whale-watching, hiking on glaciers and salmon fishing.) However, Holland America 's Westerdam is hosting a 28-day sailing that's anything but your standard cruise to the Last Frontier .

Passengers will visit the usual Alaska ports, such as Ketchikan, Sitka and Juneau, with scenic sailing through the Inside Passage, past Hubbard Glacier and to Glacier Bay. But they can also expect less-common stops at places like Nome, Kodiak, Anchorage (with an overnight) and Homer. Plus, about halfway through, this cruise crosses the Arctic Circle — a rite of passage for many travelers.

Details: Holland America's 28-day " Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice " cruise — one of the line's Legendary Voyages, known for longer durations and a unique mix of port calls — sails June 9-July 7, round-trip from Seattle. Inside cabins start from $5,299 per person (about $189 per person, per night).

Silversea's summertime French Polynesia cruises

Another consideration for future travel is Silversea Cruises , which is featuring its first full-summer season in French Polynesia in 2026. Silver Whisper will offer two immersive itineraries, including overnights, across 17 voyages between April and September.

Passengers can choose seven-night sailings that visit idyllic favorites like Tahiti, Moorea and Huahine and which also include overnights in Bora Bora. Or, they can cruise for twice as long by selecting a 14-night voyage that calls on the same ports as the seven-night option but with Fakarava, Nuku Hiva, Fatu Hiva, Atuona and Tahuata added.

Details: Silversea's seven-night voyages begin April 6, 2026, and start from $5,650 per person ($808 per person, per night) for an ocean-view cabin.

The line's 14-night sailings start on April 20, 2026. Fares start from $10,450 per person ($747 per person, per night) for ocean-view accommodations.

New Bermuda voyages on Carnival Venezia

Beginning in May of 2025, Carnival Cruise Line 's Carnival Venezia will sail a series of eight four- and five-night cruises to Bermuda from New York. These itineraries are notable because the line is aiming to increase its presence there but also because the style of the ship is new to even most of the brand's most dedicated passengers.

In 2022, Carnival announced its Costa by Carnival concept after revealing it would be transferring ships from its Costa sister brand to the Carnival fleet. Now, when travelers visit the Gibb's Hill Lighthouse or check out the island's renowned pink-sand beaches during a sailing on Carnival Venezia, they can enjoy both the Italian style of the ship and Carnival's fun atmosphere and high service standards.

Details: Voyages kick off on May 22, 2025. Prices start from $429 per person ($108 per person, per night) for an inside cabin on a four-night cruise departing Sept. 18, 2025.

Disney Cruise Line's Lighthouse Point itineraries

Disney Cruise Line 's new Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point , a private destination on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera, is set to open in June with a three-night preview sailing on June 6 aboard Disney Magic. Following the initial voyage, the line will run regular three- to seven-night voyages to Lighthouse Point on Disney Magic, Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream.

The island will feature a dedicated family beach and water play area, an arts and culture pavilion focused on Bahamian culture, 20 family cabanas, an adults-only beach and a selection of shore excursion options.

Details: Prices for itineraries that include Lighthouse Point start from $624 per person ($208 per person, per night) for a three-night cruise on Disney Magic. The cruise departs Nov. 5 and sails from Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Have cruise questions? TPG has answers:

• Banned items: What not to pack for a cruise
• Man overboard: Why do people fall off cruise ships?
• What is baked Alaska, and why is it paraded around cruise ships?
• What are the largest cruise ships in the world?
• What is a gentleman host on a cruise?
• What is the Jones Act and how does it affect cruise ships?
• What is a lido deck on a cruise ship?
• What's a cruise cabin guarantee and will it save you money?
• What's the difference between a cruise concierge and a butler?

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.