Best Vietnam Memoirs (2026): 5 Memoirs Compared

Boots on the ground, and the best vietnam memoirs tell it straight. We compared five memoirs by vietnam fit, publisher and length, using only what each Amazon listing states. Every figure below comes from the listings, not from our own reading.

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The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	Drafted!	9.8/10	Buy
2	Vietnam-Perkasie	9.7/10	Buy
3	Taking Fire!	9.7/10	Buy
4	God's Young Lunatics	9.7/10	Buy
5	Vietnam: There & Back	9.6/10	Buy

1

Drafted!

Morgan Miller·9.8/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A vietnam memoir, 343 pages, published December 19, 2023.

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Pros

• 343 pages; 2023 edition
• Air cavalry
• Vietnam memoir

Cons

• Sales claims in the description are the publisher's
• 343 pages; long
• Self-published

2

Vietnam-Perkasie

W.D. Ehrhart·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A vietnam memoir, 328 pages, published June 9, 1995.

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Pros

• 328 pages; U Mass Press
• 1995 edition; second
• Combat marine

Cons

• 1995; older
• 328 pages; long
• Marine; narrow

3

Taking Fire!

David L. Porter·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A vietnam memoir, 182 pages, published February 28, 2020.

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Pros

• 182 pages; McFarland
• 2020 edition
• Aerial scout

Cons

• 182 pages; short
• 2020; newer
• Scout; narrow

4

God's Young Lunatics

Bob J Garcia·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A vietnam memoir, 258 pages, published March 5, 2026.

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Pros

• 258 pages; 2026 edition
• Helicopter combat
• Vietnam memoir

Cons

• 2026; very new
• Self-published
• PTSD; heavy

5

Vietnam: There & Back

Jim "Doc" Purtell·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A vietnam memoir, published March 4, 2018.

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Pros

• 2018 edition; Hellgate
• Combat medic
• Vietnam memoir

Cons

• 2018; older
• Pages not stated
• Medic; narrow

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More picks to compare

• Pathfinder: First In, Last OutSuits readers wanting Richard Burns, memoir.Check on Amazon
• Remembering VietnamSuits readers wanting Warren Robinson, memoir.Check on Amazon
• Finding Me: A Vietnam MemoirSuits readers wanting James O'Brien, memoir.Check on Amazon

Compare the picks

Specs as published on each listing, collected 17 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs vietnam fit, publisher, value and reading guidance. No reading ages are stated here. How we pick explains the weights.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best vietnam memoirs

Branch

Branches run from marines to air cavalry. Browse history biography books for more.

Length

Page counts run from 182 (Porter) to 343 (Miller). Our vietnam historical fiction list covers more.

Era

Publications run from 1995 (Ehrhart) to 2026 (Garcia).

Before you buy

• Check the branch.
• Compare the 182 to 343 page counts.
• Sales claims in the descriptions are the publisher’s; treat as marketing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is about helicopters?

Drafted! and God’s Young Lunatics.

Which is about marines?

Vietnam-Perkasie.

Which is the longest?

Drafted!, at 343 pages.

Which is the shortest?

Taking Fire!, at 182 pages.

Still deciding? Our top pickDrafted!

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Related lists

See every history biography list and all nonfiction lists.

More lists: vietnam historical fiction, war memoirs and WWII memoirs.