A very readable account of Vietnam's history from prehistoric times until the fall of Saigon.
Vietnam: Politics, Economics and Society
by Melanie Beresford
A good overview of the reunification period.
Dispatches
by Michael Herr
Takes a cold, hard look at the American War through the eyes of an American correspondent.
The Sorrow of War
by Bao Ninh
The war from the point of view of a North Vietnamese.
Vietnamerica
by Thomas Bass
Brings the American War home to America in a more poignant and personal form, following the fortunes of the children fathered by American soldiers in Vietnam.
The Quiet American
by Graham Greene
Set during the last days of French rule and probably the most famous Western work of fiction on Vietnam.
The Lover
by Marguerite Duras
Provides a French perspective on colonial life in Vietnam.
Hitchhiking in Vietnam
by Karen Muller
A travelogue detailing a woman's tumultuous seven-month journey through Vietnam.
Bright Shining Lie
by Neil Sheehan
Pulitzer prize winning account of the American war in Vietnam.