Best Southeast Asia History Books
Here you will get Best Southeast Asia History Books For you.This is an up-to-date list of recommended books.
1. The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War
Author: by John "Chick" Donohue
William Morrow
English
272 pages
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER! Soon to be a major motion picture written and directed by Academy Award-winning director of Green Book, Peter Farrelly. Chickie takes us thousands of miles on a hilarious quest laced with sorrow, but never dull.
You will laugh and cry, but you will not be sorry that you read this rollicking story. Malachy McCourtA wildly entertaining, feel-good memoir of an Irish-American New Yorker and former U.S. Marine who embarked on a courageous, hare-brained scheme to deliver beer to his pals serving Vietnam in the late 1960s.
One night in 1967, twenty-six-year-old John Donohueknown as Chickwas out with friends, drinking in a New York City bar. The friends gathered there had lost loved ones in Vietnam. Now, they watched as anti-war protesters turned on the troops themselves. One neighborhood patriot came up with an inspiredsome would call it insaneidea.
Someone should sneak into Vietnam, track down their buddies there, give them messages of support from back home, and share a few laughs over a can of beer. It would be the Greatest Beer Run Ever. But who’d be crazy enough to do it?
2. The Jakarta Method: Washington's Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World
Author: by Vincent Bevins
English
352 pages
1541724003
The hidden story of the wanton slaughter – in Indonesia, Latin America, and around the world – backed by the United States.In 1965, the U.S. Government helped the Indonesian military kill approximately one million innocent civilians. This was one of the most important turning points of the twentieth century, eliminating the largest communist party outside China and the Soviet Union and inspiring copycat terror programs in faraway countries like Brazil and Chile.
But these events remain widely overlooked, precisely because the CIA’s secret interventions were so successful. In this bold and comprehensive new history, Vincent Bevins builds on his incisive reporting for the Washington Post, using recently declassified documents, archival research and eye-witness testimony collected across twelve countries to reveal a shocking legacy that spans the globe.
For decades, it’s been believed that parts of the developing world passed peacefully into the U.S. Led capitalist system. The Jakarta Method demonstrates that the brutal extermination of unarmed leftists was a fundamental part of Washington’s final triumph in the Cold War.
3. Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975
Author: by Sir Max Hastings
B071VJBRB6
Harper
October 16, 2018
An absorbing and definitive modern history of the Vietnam War from the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Secret War. Vietnam became the Western world’s most divisive modern conflict, precipitating a battlefield humiliation for France in 1954, then a vastly greater one for the United States in 1975.
Max Hastings has spent the past three years interviewing scores of participants on both sides, as well as researching a multitude of American and Vietnamese documents and memoirs, to create an epic narrative of an epic struggle. He portrays the set pieces of Dienbienphu, the 1968 Tet offensive, the air blitz of North Vietnam, and also much less familiar miniatures such as the bloodbath at Daido, where a US Marine battalion was almost wiped out, together with extraordinary recollections of Ho Chi Minh’s warriors.
Here are the vivid realities of strife amid jungle and paddies that killed two million people. Many writers treat the war as a US tragedy, yet Hastings sees it as overwhelmingly that of the Vietnamese people, of whom forty died for every American.
4. We Band of Angels: The Untold Story of the American Women Trapped on Bataan
Author: by Elizabeth Norman
English
384 pages
0812984846
In the fall of 1941, the Philippines was a gardenia-scented paradise for the American Army and Navy nurses stationed there. War was a distant rumor, life a routine of easy shifts and dinners under the stars. On December 8 all that changed, as Japanese bombs began raining down on American bases in Luzon, and this paradise became a fiery hell.
Caught in the raging battle, the nurses set up field hospitals in the jungles of Bataan and the tunnels of Corregidor, where they tended to the most devastating injuries of war, and suffered the terrors of shells and shrapnel. But the worst was yet to come.
After Bataan and Corregidor fell, the nurses were herded into internment camps where they would endure three years of fear, brutality, and starvation. Once liberated, they returned to an America that at first celebrated them, but later refused to honor their leaders with the medals they clearly deserved.
Here, in letters, diaries, and riveting firsthand accounts, is the story of what really happened during those dark days, woven together in a deeply affecting saga of women in war. Praise for We Band of Angels Gripping … A war story in which the main characters never kill one of the enemy, or even shoot at him, but are nevertheless heroes …
5. We Few: U.S. Special Forces in Vietnam
Author: by Nick Brokhausen
B07CMHKC5Q
April 3, 2018
English
A Green Beret’s gripping memoir of American Special Forces in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. In 1970, on his second tour to Vietnam, Nick Brokhausen served in Recon Team Habu, CCN. Officially, it was known as the Studies and Observations group.
In fact, this Special Forces squad, which Brokhausen calls an unwashed, profane, ribald, joyously alive fraternity, undertook some of the most dangerous and suicidal reconnaissance missions ever in the enemy-controlled territory of Cambodia and Laos. But they didn’t infiltrate the jungles alone.
They fought alongside the Montagnardsoppressed minorities from the mountain highlands, trained by the US military in guerilla tactics, armed, accustomed to the wild, and fully engaged in a war against the North Vietnamese. Together this small unit formed the backbone of ground reconnaissance in the Republic of Vietnam, racking up medals for valorbut at a terrible cost.
In colorful, military-jargon-laced prose leavened by gallows humor, Brokhausen pulls few punches describing what it was like to navigate remote jungle terrain under the constant threat of enemy fire. A smartly written, insider’s view of one rarely seen Vietnam War battleground.
6. You Don't Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War
Author: by Elizabeth Becker
English
320 pages
1541768205
The long-buried story of three extraordinary female journalists who permanently shattered the barriers to women covering war. Kate Webb, an Australian iconoclast, Catherine Leroy, a French daredevil photographer, and Frances FitzGerald, a blue-blood American intellectual, arrived in Vietnam with starkly different life experiences but one shared purpose: to report on the most consequential story of the decade.
At a time when women were considered unfit to be foreign reporters, Frankie, Catherine, and Kate challenged the rules imposed on them by the military, ignored the belittlement of their male peers, and ultimately altered the craft of war reportage for generations.
In You Don’t Belong Here, Elizabeth Becker uses these women’s work and lives to illuminate the Vietnam War from the 1965 American buildup, the expansion into Cambodia, and the American defeat and its aftermath. Arriving herself in the last years of the war, Becker writes as a historian and a witness of the times.
7. From Third World to First: The Singapore Story – 1965-2000
Author: by Lee Kuan Yew
Harper
English
752 pages
Few gave tiny Singapore much chance of survival when it was granted independence in 1965. How is it, then, that today the former British colonial trading post is a thriving Asian metropolis with not only the world’s number one airline, best airport, and busiest port of trade, but also the world’s fourthhighest per capita real income?
The story of that transformation is told here by Singapore’s charismatic, controversial founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. Rising from a legacy of divisive colonialism, the devastation of the Second World War, and general poverty and disorder following the withdrawal of foreign forces, Singapore now is hailed as a city of the future.
This miraculous history is dramatically recounted by the man who not only lived through it all but who fearlessly forged ahead and brought about most of these changes. Delving deep into his own meticulous notes, as well as previously unpublished government papers and official records, Lee details the extraordinary efforts it took for an island citystate in Southeast Asia to survive at that time.
8. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (P.S.)
Author: by Loung Ung
English
238 pages
0060856262
From a childhood survivor of the Camdodian genocide under the regime of Pol Pot, this is a riveting narrative of war crimes and desperate actions, the unnerving strength of a small girl and her family, and their triumph of spirit.
One of seven children of a high-ranking government official, Loung Ung lived a privileged life in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh until the age of five. Then, in April 1975, Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge army stormed into the city, forcing Ung’s family to flee and, eventually, to disperse.
Loung was trained as a child soldier in a work camp for orphans, her siblings were sent to labor camps, and those who survived the horrors would not be reunited until the Khmer Rouge was destroyed. Harrowing yet hopeful, Loung’s powerful story is an unforgettable account of a family shaken and shattered, yet miraculously sustained by courage and love in the face of unspeakable brutality.
9. The Pentagon Papers: The Secret History of the Vietnam War
Author: by Neil Sheehan
English
848 pages
1631582925
The WikiLeaks of its day (Time) is as relevant today in the time of Trump as it was a in the time of Richard Nixon. The most significant leaks of classified material in American history. Washington PostNot Fake News! The basis for the 2018 film The Post by Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg, The Pentagon Papers are a series of articles, documents, and studies examining the Johnson Administration’s lies to the public about the extent of US involvement in the Vietnam War, bringing to light shocking conclusions about America’s true role in the conflict.
Published by The New York Times in 1971, The Pentagon Papers riveted an already deeply divided nation with startling and disturbing revelations about the United States’ involvement in Vietnam. Their release demonstrated that our government had systematically lied to both the public and to Congress.
They remain relevant today as a reminder of the importance of a free press and all First Amendment rights. This incomparable, 848-page volume includes:The Truman and Eisenhower Years: 1945-1960 by Fox ButterfieldOrigins of the Insurgency in South Vietnam by Fox ButterfieldThe Kennedy Years: 1961-1963 by Hedrick SmithThe Overthrow of Ngo Dinh Diem: May-November, 1963 by Hedrick SmithThe Covert War and Tonkin Gulf: February-August, 1964 by Neil SheehanThe Consensus to Bomb North Vietnam: August, 1964-February, 1965 by Neil SheehanThe Launching of the Ground War: March-July, 1965 by Neil SheehanThe Buildup: July, 1965-September, 1966 by Fox ButterfieldSecretary McNamara’s Disenchantment: October, 1966-May, 1967 by Hedrick SmithThe Tet Offensive and the Turnaround by E.W.
10. The Vietnam War: The Definitive Illustrated History
Author: by DK
DK
English
360 pages
The Vietnam War remains one of the most heroic and heartbreaking events in history. This definitive guide charts the unforgettable story of the world’s first televised war. Created in association with the Smithsonian Institution, this authoritative guide chronicles America’s fight against Communism in southeast Asia during the 1960s and 1970s, and comprehensively explores the people, politics, events, and lasting effects of the Vietnam War.
Hundreds of insightful images and a compelling narrative combine to chronicle this catastrophic conflict. From 1955, the communist government of North Vietnam waged war against South Vietnam and its main ally, the USA. Over the course of two decades of hostility and warfare, the number of casualties reached an incomprehensible three million people.
Detailed descriptions of every episode, including Operation Passage to Freedom and the evacuation of the American embassy in Saigon, tell the stories in iconic photographs and eyewitness accounts. Discover the real people behind the conflict, with gripping biographies of key figures, including Henry Kissinger, General Thieu, President Nixon, and Pol Pot.
11. Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II
Author: by Vicki Croke
English
368 pages
0812981650
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOKThe remarkable story of James Howard Billy Williams, whose uncanny rapport with the world’s largest land animals transformed him from a carefree young man into the charismatic war hero known as Elephant BillIn 1920, Billy Williams came to colonial Burma as a forest man for a British teak company.
Mesmerized by the intelligence and character of the great animals who hauled logs through the jungle, he became a gifted elephant wallah. In Elephant Company, Vicki Constantine Croke chronicles Williams’s growing love for elephants as the animals provide him lessons in courage, trust, and gratitude.
Elephant Company is also a tale of war and daring. When Japanese forces invaded Burma in 1942, Williams joined the elite British Force 136 and operated behind enemy lines. His war elephants carried supplies, helped build bridges, and transported the sick and elderly over treacherous mountain terrain.
As the occupying authorities put a price on his head, Williams and his elephants faced their most perilous test. Elephant Company, cornered by the enemy, attempted a desperate escape: a risky trek over the mountainous border to India, with a bedraggled group of refugees in tow.
12. Saving Bravo: The Greatest Rescue Mission in Navy SEAL History
Author: by Stephan Talty
Mariner Books
English
336 pages
The untold story of the most important rescue mission not just of the Vietnam War, but the entire Cold War: one American aviator, who knew our most important secrets, crashed behind enemy lines and risked capture by both the North Vietnamese and the Soviets.
One Navy SEAL and his Vietnamese partner had to sneak past them all to save him. At the height of the Vietnam War, few American airmen are more valuable than Lt. Colonel Gene Hambleton. His memory is filled with highly classified information that the Soviets and North Vietnamese badly want.
When Hambleton is shot down in the midst of North Vietnam’s Easter Offensive, US forces place the entire war on hold to save a single man hiding amongst 30,000 enemy troops and tanks. Airborne rescue missions fail, killing eleven Americans. Finally, Navy SEAL Thomas Norris and his Vietnamese guide, Nguyen Van Kiet, volunteer to go after him on foot.
Gliding past hundreds of enemy soldiers, it takes them days to reach Hambleton, who, guided toward his rescuers via improvised radio code, is barely alive, deeply malnourished, and hallucinating after eleven days on the run. In this deeply-researched, untold story, award-winning author Stephan Talty describes the extraordinary mission that led Hambleton to safety.
13. The Disappearing Act: The Impossible Case of MH370
Author: by Florence de Changy
B07ZPLVQ9T
Mudlark (February 4, 2021)
February 4, 2021
People often say that non-fiction books read like fast-moving thrillers, but this one genuinely does This is a splendid book and highly recommended.’ Daily Mail A remarkable piece of investigative journalism into one of the most pervasive and troubling mysteries of recent memory.
01:20am, 8 March 2014. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, carrying 239 passengers, disappeared into the night, never to be seen or heard from again. The incident was inexplicable. In a world defined by advanced technology and interconnectedness, how could an entire aircraft become untraceable? Had the flight been subject to a perfect hijack?
Perhaps the pilots lost control? And if the plane did crash, where was the wreckage? Writing for Le Monde in the days and months after the plane’s disappearance, journalist Florence de Changy closely documented the chaotic international investigation that followed, uncovering more questions than answers.
Riddled with inconsistencies, contradictions and a lack of basic communication between authorities, the mystery surrounding flight MH370 only deepened. Now, de Changy offers her own explanation. Drawing together countless eyewitness testimonies, press releases, independent investigative reports and expert opinion, The Disappearing Act offers an eloquent and deeply unnerving narrative of what happened to the missing aircraft.
14. Dispatches
Author: by Michael Herr
Vintage
English
272 pages
“The best book to have been written about the Vietnam War” (The New York Times Book Review); an instant classic straight from the front lines. From its terrifying opening pages to its final eloquent words, Dispatches makes us see, in unforgettable and unflinching detail, the chaos and fervor of the war and the surreal insanity of life in that singular combat zone.
Michael Herr’s unsparing, unorthodox retellings of the day-to-day events in Vietnam take on the force of poetry, rendering clarity from one of the most incomprehensible and nightmarish events of our time. Dispatches is among the most blistering and compassionate accounts of war in our literature.
15. Secret Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines with the Elite Warriors of SOG
Author: by John L. Plaster
Simon & Schuster
English
432 pages
Major John L.Plaster recalls his remarkable covert activities as a member of a special operations team during the Vietnam War in a comprehensive, informative, and often excitingaccount of an important part of the overall Vietnam tragedy (The New York Times).
Before there were Navy SEALs, there was SOG. Short for Studies and Operations Group, it was a secret operations force in Vietnam, the most highly decorated unit in the war. Although their chief mission was disrupting the main North Vietnamese supply route into South Vietnam, SOG commandos also rescued downed helicopter pilots and fellow soldiers, and infiltrated deep into Laos and Cambodia to identify bombing targets, conduct ambushes, mine roads, and capture North Vietnamese soldiers for intelligence purposes.
Always outnumbered, they matched wits in the most dangerous environments with an unrelenting foe that hunted them with trackers and dogs. Ten entire teams disappeared and another fourteen were annihilated. This is the dramatic, page-turning true story of that team’s dedication, sacrifice, and constant fight for survival.
16. Thai Street Food: Authentic Recipes, Vibrant Traditions [A Cookbook]
Author: by David Thompson
Ten Speed Press
English
372 pages
Thai Street Food transports readers straight into the bustling heart of Thailand’s colorful street stalls and markets-from the predawn rounds of monks fanning out along the aisles to the made-to-order stalls ablaze in neon and jammed with hungry locals after dark.
Featuring nearly 100 authentic dishes plus lavish photography accompanying every recipe, this stunning cookbook is the definitive guide to Thailand’s culinary street culture. The recipes, such as Steamed Fish with Chilli and Lime Sauce, Pork Satay, Roast Duck and Egg Noodle Soup, and Sweet Banana Roti illuminate the beguiling world of food so integral to the Thais.
Scholar and chef David Thompson lives with a singular passion for Thailand’s customs, culture, and people. Although he claims It’s all about the food, this ambitious work shares his insights into the rhythms and nuances of Thai daily life along with a fascinating history of its richly diverse street cuisine.
This cookbook is a tempting, inspiring, and authoritative account of Thai street food, the vibrant culinary mosaic rich with community.
