MILITARY

Add more heft to your TBR pile with these gripping fiction and nonfiction books.

14 of the Best Books on the Vietnam War

The best Vietnam War books from Tim O’Brien, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and others offer new insights and perspectives into the conflict that you probably never got from history class.

The Quest to Break America’s Most Mysterious Code—And Find $60 Million in Buried Treasure

For the past century, the quest to break the Beale Ciphers has attracted the military, computer scientists, and conspiracy theorists. All have failed.

Two Vietnam War veterans at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

11 Ways to Support Vietnam War Veterans

The number of living Vietnam Veterans is quickly dwindling. Now’s the time to show them you care.

One of many protests against the Vietnam War in the late 1960s.

10 Significant Vietnam War Protests

The deeply unpopular war led to the biggest and most consequential protest movement in U.S. history. Here are the key events and reactions.

Jane Fonda (left) and Nguyễn Thị Bình (right).

7 Women Who Played Key Roles in the Vietnam War

From Vietcong diplomats to American anti-war activists, these women made their mark on one of the 20th century’s most controversial conflicts.

An American Huey helicopter sprays Agent Orange over Vietnam.

Agent Orange: Its Toxic History in the Vietnam War

In a mission code-named Operation Ranch Hand, the U.S. military unleashed millions of gallons of the toxic defoliant during the Vietnam War—and some descendants of Vietnam veterans say they’re still paying the price.

Helicopters on a resupply mission during the Vietnam War.

6 Ways Aircraft Changed the Course of the Vietnam War

Aviation played a huge role in how the Vietnam War rolled out—after all, there’s a reason the conflict is also known as “The Helicopter War.”

U.S. Marines preparing to evacuate American and Vietnamese civilians during the fall of Saigon.

9 Key Moments From the Vietnam War

From the Gulf of Tonkin Incident to the Tet Offensive to the Fall of Saigon, we go over some of the most significant battles of the Vietnam War.

8 Gripping Facts About the Vietnam War Draft

Dive into the history of the draft during the Vietnam War, including its origins, how long it lasted, and how some young Boomers successfully managed to dodge it.

15 Memorable Slang Terms From the Vietnam War

Military slang grew by leaps and bounds during the Vietnam War. Here are some terms worth knowing.

10 Questions About the Vietnam War, Answered

The Vietnam War was a highly controversial conflict. We break down some of the most common questions about the war, from why the U.S. entered the conflict to who ultimately won.

The Nintendo 64 defined many people’s childhoods.

12 Surprising Facts About 1990s Video Games

For some people, video games were a pleasant way to pass the time in the 1990s. For others, they were a cultural crisis.

The 10 States Most Likely to Survive an Alien Invasion

Did your state make the list of state most likely to endure an extraterrestrial encounter?

7 Historical Figures You Probably Didn’t Know Were Spies

What do Julia Child, Paul Revere, and Harriet Tubman all have in common? Each played a crucial role in the clandestine world of espionage and intelligence.

Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, and Marvin Gaye all wrote songs about the Vietnam War.

17 Songs About the Vietnam War

From a now-regretted counter-counterculture anthem to an oft-misunderstood ’80s hit to the song that allegedly got its singer followed by the CIA.

10 Times Animals Changed History

History is teeming with unlikely heroes—these ones just happen to have feathers and fur.

Where Did the Expression ‘Gung Ho’ Come From?

We get this byword for enthusiasm from an officer in the Marines named Evans Fordyce Carlson.

The Berlin Wall was a symbol of the Cold War from 1961 to 1989.

11 Chilling Facts About the Cold War

The U.S. and USSR employed spies, quelled internal dissent, made allies abroad, and stockpiled nuclear weapons in this proxy war.

Civil War medical officers including Jonathan Letterman, a surgeon who pioneered the ambulance-to-ER transport of wounded patients during the Civil War.

5 Medical Innovations from the Civil War

Civil War surgeons learned fast. Here are a few of the MacGyver-like medical solutions that have had a lasting impact.

15 Things You Might Not Know About Robert Altman

The seven-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind M*A*S*H and Gosford Park, who would have turned 100 this year, changed how we watch—and hear—movies. He also tattooed Harry S. Truman’s dog.

Eugene Bullard, the World’s First Black Fighter Pilot

Eugene Bullard survived some of the deadliest battles in history and became the world’s first Black fighter pilot—all before the age of 30.

Why Do We Call the Country “the Boonies”?

We have the military to thank.

The Reason Unmanned Aircraft are Called “Drones”

It has a little something to do with bees—a fact you can drop around the watercooler the next time your coworker says they spotted a mysterious drone in the sky.

Are the flags flying for Memorial Day or Veterans Day? Sometimes, it's tough to say.

What’s the Difference Between Memorial Day and Veterans Day?

Both Memorial Day and Veterans Day are meant to celebrate military veterans, but there's one important distinction you should remember.