Veteran Narratives and the Collective Memory of the Vietnam War

This work looks at Vietnam War memoirs as a literary genre, examining 58 memoirs and oral histories published between 1967 and 2005 in order to explore how veterans’ narratives have affected film representations and the collective memory of the war. The narratives were selected because they were well-known best sellers or award winners, or because they were written by famous people, or because they were reviewed in major newspapers or referenced in scholarship. Of special interest is a beginning chapter delving into the backgrounds of all of the writers. The study examines how the memoirs depict Vietnamese people, describe combat, and deal with issues such as race, gender, and race, romantic relationships in the military. Discussion also touches on the political content of the narratives. A conclusion finds similar themes in Vietnam narratives and memoirs produced by veterans of other wars. Annotation ©2016 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)