I recently read the novel Up Country by Nelson Demille and thoroughly recommend it for someone interested in visiting Vietnam. It's a story about an ex US soldier going back to Vietnam and revisiting the places he frequented during his two tours of duty there. After reading it I had a long list of all the must see places and must dos. It's not by any means a guide book but does give an interesting perspective on some of the well known tourist sights.

Another book to consider reading before going is The Sacred Willow by Duong Van Mai Elliott. It is the story of four generations of her vietnamese family. I have the hardback version and it is 474 pages long. My friend and traveling partner read it and recommended it to me. I'm only on page 182 and have found it tough to keep my interest for very long due to so much history; however I do find it interesting. From the comments from my friend, the more you get into it, the more interesting it becomes.

Many of her male family members, including her great-grandfather, passed the rigorous imperial exams and he eventually became a mandarin. From having read about the Temple of Literature, I can appreciate her family's dedication to education and I know I will benefit more once I visit.

It's a thick book but I vow to finish it before we leave mid-April.

For a serious look at modern Vietnam, I highly recommend Shadows and Wind. On Amazon and widely sold by street booksellers in Vn:


http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Wind-V...833&sr=8-1

Heartily agree with baysidegirl about Demille's book. We have a list of all the "war" books and brought them all home from the library, but this was the one that we were able to enjoy reading and helped us look forward to our trip.

If you're going on to Cambodia, read When Elephants Fight by Vannary Imam. This, too, is an enjoyable read and gives you some background on the different political realms.

I am reading "Catfish and Mandela" about a Vietnamese American young man who returns to Vietnam. So far it is very interesting.
My boyfriend enjoyed Paradise of the Blind, a well regarded novel about Vietnam.
thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

I am reading "The Girl in the Picture" by Denise Chong. About Kim Phuc - the victim of the Napalm Bomb.

Graham Greene's "The Quiet American" is one of the most intriguing novels I've ever read. Set during the period of French colonial rule prior to the Vietnam War.

Has anyone seen the movie "Journey from the Fall" yet? I watched it and enjoyed learning about experiences we don't hear about in the US education system - just one of many I'm afraid. The movie is an interesting story of a Vietnamese family (South VN soldier) and their plight after the fall of South Vn in 1975. It's a compilation of many Vietnamese ture life stories during the "Fall". After watching the movie, I mentioned a few items to some of my VN American friends here in the US and realized that the movie gave me a new perspective on the stories they told of how they arrived in the US and the friends and family they left behind. It was released in 2007 and is available at Blockbuster if you're interested.

type to you later....

I also really enjoyed Up Country -- in fact couldn't put it down. Would recommend it as it's an easy way to digest some history.

I enjoyed 'When Heaven and Earth Changed Places' by Le Ly Hayslip about the author's experiences growing up during the Vietnam (American) War. In some ways is similar to 'The Girl in the Picture' as both books deal with girls growing up in a war zone - highly recommended.

I would also recommend 'When the War was Over' by Elizabeth Becker as a modern history of Cambodia.

just to 2nd the thought about "Catfish and Mandela" -- though clearly the writer's first work and somewhat uneven texture, when it's good it's beautiful in a subtle and moving way. i'm going to the areas he bicycled through so i found reading the book great preparation.