Reddit mentions of The Quiet American (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

For Vietnam - The Quiet American, Graham Greene.

Written about Vietnam during the 50s its amazing how much it puts you in the 'mood' for the people and the experience there.

I started reading it on the plane to Ho Chi Minh City, and he mentions the women walking by in white silk trousers (paraphrasing - I don't have the book here), as soon I was off the plane I was greeted by women in white silk trousers who were in charge of the airport taxi line. Never seen them before, or outside of Vietnam.

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again."

You sit on the river in Hoi An, watching the light fade with the heat; sipping laroue beer. Taking your time with a cigarette. For those 3-4 minutes the street lanterns begin to fill your vision and everything is washed in a gentle red that seems like it has come from a place that was decades ago, the noise from the other tourists fade and the above passage is the most true thing you've ever read.

edit: amazon link
http://www.amazon.com/American-Penguin-Classics-Deluxe-Edition/dp/0143039024/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375175596&sr=8-1&keywords=the+quiet+american

Interested in Vietnamese foreign policy pre-Vietnam War? You're gonna want America's War In Vietnam by Addington - the relevant chapters are 1-4. Most notable is the fact that Vietnam has a history spanning millenia of guerrilla warfare against invaders (usually the Chinese).

Graham Greene wrote a great story about American agents in Vietnam in the 50's called The Quiet American, which is definitely worth a read. It's all allegorical, and serves as a brutal foreshadowing of what was to come in the next decade.

Hearts and Minds, while dropping more anti-war anvils than a cartoon bomber, interviews individual Vietnamese civilians and provides an incredibly rare look into their lives and culture. It provides a voice on every side of the conflict - from the Vietnamese people, to Vietnamese businessmen and politicians, to U.S. Generals and policy makers (including an interview with Westmoreland!), to bomber pilots and POW's and the families of dead soldiers. Absolutely incredible movie, if a college-level professor doesn't make you watch this as part of your class he should be fired. WARNING: it is not for the faint of heart, and includes disturbing sexual scenes, hopelessly depressing interviews with widows and families of the dead (from both sides), and a rage-inducing interview with Westmoreland.

The Quiet American - Graham Greene
Amazon link http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-American-Penguin-Classics-Deluxe/dp/0143039024/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289938913&sr=8-1

Well, to get you in the mood for Vietnam, a few suggestions:

• Chickenhawk
  
  
• The Quiet American
  
  
• The Sympathizer
  
  
• In Pharaoh's Army
  
  Buy them second hand and pass them on when you're done with them