Vietnam - The Fall of Saigon and the Aftermath
This is a nicely-done collection of oral histories from a wide-ranging number of people:
http://www.amazon.com/Tears-Before-R...0647320&sr=8-1
Quote:
Harrowing, heartrending and bitter by turns, these recollections by 75 eyewitnesses form a tragic epic of a country in the throes of violent death. Soldiers and civilians, both American and South Vietnamese, tell what it was like in the spring of 1975 as Hanoi carried out its final, successful offensive against the Republic of Vietnam. Generals, ambassadors, CIA officials, pilots, Marines, politicians, doctors, seamen, flight attendants, journalists and ordinary citizens describe the growing chaos, demoralization and panic as the collapse gained momentum. Survivors recall the chilling helicopter airlift from the U.S. embassy roof in Saigon with raw emotions, the Americans still brooding painfully over the abandonment of their South Vietnamese allies. In an Aftermath section, several former boat people relate in hair-raising detail their encounters with Thai pirates. A moving collection of painful memories
Catching up and slowing down - my reading list
Not in order of priority.
'The Watchers: The Rise of America's Surveillance State' by Shane Harris, Pub. Penguin Press 2010. A surprisingly good read, aided clearly by getting insiders to talk, notably John Poindexter in particular and Jeff Jonas.
'Islamic Radicalism and Multicultural Politics: The British Experience' by Tahir Abbas, Pub. Routledge 2011. The first two chapters From the historical to the contemporary and Islamic political radicalisation: origins and destinations provide an excellent, thorough guide to the issues globally.
'Agent Zigzag: The True Wartime Story of Eddie Chapman, Lover, Betrayer, Hero, Spy' by Ben Macintyre. An amazing true story of Eddie Chapman, a British petty criminal who became an double-agent for both England and Germany in WW2 and so full of adventure, puzzles and more it is as if it's a novel.
Started and a rare venture for me into the 'big' Vietnam War: 'Grab Their Belts: The Viet Cong's Big Unit War Against the US 1965-1966' by Warren Wilkins. Pub. NIP 2011. So far impressive, particularly the explanation of how the VC and NVA became so skilled.
Pending, again different as I keep away from economists: 'Radical, Religious and Violent: The New Economics of Terrorism' by Eli Berman, Pub. MIT Press 2009. Update when read.