Embers of WarEmbers of War
Score Modern
What it's about
Fredrik Logevall tells the story of how France fought and lost its war to hold on to Vietnam between 1945 and 1954, ending in the siege of Dien Bien Phu, and how the United States, step by step, took France's place and set itself on the path to its own war.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize for history. It's a masterful, readable history.
You'll love it if you liked
The Best and the Brightest
Dispatches
The SympathizerGood to know
It's long and detailed about diplomacy and battles.
By the numbers
- Readers97 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics63 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it doesn't have enough readers yet for us to rank it alongside the Must-Read 50 pool. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic
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Quick answers
Is Embers of War worth reading?
It won the Pulitzer Prize for history. Its Must-Read Score is 82.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Embers of War about?
Fredrik Logevall tells the story of how France fought and lost its war to hold on to Vietnam between 1945 and 1954, ending in the siege of Dien Bien Phu, and how the United States, step by step, took France's place and set itself on the path to its own war.
How long does it take to read Embers of War?
About 22 hours (864 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Embers of War won?
Pulitzer Prize (History) winner (2013).
What should I read after Embers of War?
If you liked it, try The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam, Dispatches by Michael Herr or The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen.