First, this is the reason why my entire generation is confused. Blame it on Rudolph and that damn movie!

Okay, here is a continuation on the theme I started yesterday - in this entry I'll look at books I like for Korea, Vietnam and other major conflicts suffered in the 20th/21st century.

Korean War:

The Hunters by James Salter (Fic) - Salter had first hand experience as a pilot in Korea and it shows in every inch of this amazing novel. It shows a very different aspect of the war than what we are accustomed to (fighter pilots), but captures all the little insanities of a "conflict" as opposed to a "war". It is also a first class novel about flying and shows how amazing Salter was, right from the very beginning of his writing career.

Vietnam War:

The Things They Carried, Going After Cacciato, In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien (Fic) - O'Brien has made Vietnam and the effects of the war his home territory in the years since he came back from the fighting. Each of these books is brilliant in its own way, but Things is really the cornerstone by which so many other novels about grunts at war should be measured. I also have a copy of this book that I shelve with titles on writing - it is a perfect textbook for any would be author studying the craft.

Cambodia:

When the War Was Over by Elizabeth Becker (NF) - It took me forever to find a book about Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Revolution. Becker was one of the few reporters on the ground in 1973 and later went back after Pol Pot's death 25 years later. This book is the definitive story of what happened in Cambodia, and another example of the world's willingness to endure genocide.

Afghanistan:

The Hidden War by Artyom Borovik (NF) - This is one of the few books to be written about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and its impact on Soviet troops. Borovik was a Russian journalist who got up close and personal with the soldiers. His reports were groundbreaking in what they revealed about the true nature of the war and how badly it was going. He was killed in early 2000 in a suspicious airplane crash that has never been fully explained.

Rwanda:

We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families by Philip Gourevitich (NF) - the basis for the film Hotel Rwanda this book is a must read for anyone seeking to understand the genocide that the world allowed to take place in that African country. Gourevitich's reporting is meticulous and perfect as he follows the blood trail across the country and into history. He does not allow anyone any excuses and shows how easily lives could have been saved if only the world had listened...or worse yet, cared.

Rwanda/Sudan/Somalia:

Me Against My Brother by Scott Peterson (NF) - Peterson reported from each of the conflicts and was on the ground for much of the fighting. He is particularly fascinating when he writes about the events in Mogodishu that lead to the famous "black hawk down" incident and eventual US pullout. By all means, read Black Hawk Down, watch the amazing movie, but understand that it was only a moment in Somalian history. If you want to know why it happened, who those Somalis were, then read this book and see the full picture.

The Balkan Conflict:

Love Thy Neighbor: A Story of War by Peter Maass - (NF) Maass sought to understand just how neighbors could be compelled to so effectively and thoroughly turn on each other and engage in battles to the death over old outdated ideas of nationalism. He is at his best while covering Sarajevo, the snipers, the civilians and the destruction of a place that had once been home to a blended society. He also doesn't cut the UN a break, covering how little they did, and why they were so helpless. It's easy to say "those people don't know how to live together", but Maass shows how it all fell apart, and utters a warning for how it could happen someplace else.

Iraq:

Unembedded: Four Independent Photojounalists on the War in Iraq (NF) - Pictures of the civilians, the Iraqis, the ones who die in the tens of thousands that we hear nothing about - the ones who seems always to be lumped into the category of "insurgents". The pictures are amazing and this side of the story is long, long, long overdue.

It seems like there should be more fiction in there - hell, it seems like there should be more titles in there - but I'm working on it and always on the lookout for books that will provide some needed insight. I just received Come Back to Afghanistan and I'm looking forward to reading about one Afghanistan/American family's return after the Taliban were defeated.

It's good to make these lists, they show where I need to put some effort into my reading and what I still need to learn. Next year, hopefully, there will be a lot more to tell you about!

Tomorrow is Fantasy - and forgive me now - I loved The Lord of the Rings on the big screen but have never made it through the books and I am not such a huge fan of Narnia, so don't to read about the Inklings crowd much around here!