Vietnam War

There are many websites that have information on the Vietnam War. Here are some we recommend that will help you with your search for causes, timeline, major battles, protests, effects of this war and primary sources such as stories and photographs.

General websites

HistoryNet

HistoryNet.com comes to you from the largest publisher of historical magazines. It contains features, photo galleries and thousands of articles. Explore the tabs at the top of the page to examine various sources on the Vietnam War.

• Select Topics and click on Vietnam War or any of the related material from the drop down menu.
• The tab Magazines has a link to Vietnam Magazine. You will be introduced to a range of featured posts, videos, personalities, weapons used and military records etc on the Vietnam War.

Tips: Websites that have .org or .net in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the organisation’s mission and values are.

Encyclopaedia Britannica

Britannica is a global digital media company that promotes knowledge and learning. Their online encyclopedia is professionally managed by editors, media producers, content experts and scholars etc.

• A simple keyword search 'Vietnam War' should bring up a range of information for you to choose from.
• The link Vietnam War is a good place to start.
• The page has a handy contents list on the left if you need to jump to a topic of interest.
• Scroll down the page and browse Additional Media. You will find images, videos and audio to help you expand your knowledge of this topic.

Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.

YouTube

This video sharing website allows individuals and organisations to upload videos and make them available to people around the world.

• You can search content using various keywords like 'Vietnam War', 'anti Vietnam War' or 'Vietnam battles' to look for information.
• We recommend videos from a reliable organisations such as Khan Academy, BBC or Ted Talks etc.
• Documentaries, especially by History Channel are another good source of information.

Tips: YouTube allows people to comment on videos so you might come across different opinions. What’s important is to take what is positive and constructive from these comments.

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is one of the oldest national broadcasting organisations. Their global network covers television, radio and online services.

• Enter 'Vietnam War' in the search box.
• Explore the link How photographs told the story of the Vietnam War. Photographs are a good primary source of information.
• Listen to the recording Vietnam War: The Cu Chi Tunnels about a Vietnam veteran who built, lived and fought in a network of underground tunnels during the war.

Tips: Interviews and photographs are a good primary sources of information. However we must remember that they can be disturbing as they are based on sensitive issues such as wars. We advise you to discuss your reactions with your teachers or mature members of your family.

New Zealand websites

New Zealand joined this war to reflect its strong alliance with the United States and Australia. Even though our involvement in the war was modest, it caused a strong anti-war movement across the country. Here are some websites that will help with the New Zealand perspective.

VietnamWar.govt.nz

The VietnamWar website is run by the Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage to record New Zealand's record and stories of the war. It has many primary sources such as interviews with veterans, photos, letters and diaries.

• You can research this topic by checking out the tabs NZ's Vietnam War and Resources at the top of the page.
• Don't forget to explore Key Links and Categories at the end of the page to explore Vietnam Veterans Roll, Key Battles and Memories.
• You can also use the search box at the top of the page. Try words like 'Protests' to find anti-war articles, interviews and photos.

Tips: We like sites that are from government or other reputable organisations, because we can trust the information. You can sometimes tell these sites by their web address – they might have .govt or .edu in their address – or by looking at their About this project or Contact pages.

NZHistory

NZHistory is a great website for information about New Zealand Aotearoa. If we go all the way down the page we can see that the website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.

• You can search this website using the search box at the top of the page.
• Or scroll down the page to New Zealand at war and find Vietnam War under the heading Post Second World War.
• This page has a handy list of contents on the right hand side to guide through the events of this war and New Zealand's participation.
• Make use of the Links and Related to Vietnam War section found at the end of the page, to expand your knowledge of this topic.

Tips: 'How to site this page' found at the foot of this page is a good way of acknowledging the source of this information. You can use this in your bibliography if you need to list the websites you have used to research this topic.

NZONSCREEN

NZ On Screen showcases New Zealand television, film and music videos. Funded by NZ On Air, all the content here is free to view.

• Use 'Vietnam War' as a search term to bring up related material.
• The Shadow of Vietnam and Vietnam - My Father's War are examples of some of the documentaries you will find here.

Tips: Most reliable websites offer an About us link on the site. This link tells you more about the mission statement and values of an organisation or company.

EPIC resources

EPIC is a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics. It’s put together especially for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions like this.

History in Context

This database offers a wide range of articles from various sources, images, videos, primary sources etc on the Vietnam War.

• Typing in keywords 'Vietnam War' will bring up a menu of related material for you to select from.
• This is an excellent place to get the most information on related topics like the Tet Offensive, My Lai Vietnam or anti Vietnam war protests.

Tips: These databases are updated regularly so information here is up to date. Check out Tools, On this Page and Related Subjects. These features will make your searching easy and focused.

Britannica School

Encyclopaedia Britannica School has three levels to choose from. Its information comes from selected websites, multimedia, and magazine sources.

• Use 'Vietnam War' as a search term to bring up related material such as this article called Vietnam War.

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Books

There have been many books written on the Vietnam War. Check out your local public or school library to see what they have.

Some recommended titles are:

• Vietnam War by Kathlyn Gay and Martin Gay.
• New Zealand's Vietnam War : a history of combat, commitment and controversy by Ian McGibbon.
• 50 things you should know about the Vietnam War by Chris McNab.
  
• Dreaming the enemy by David Metzenthen.
• Who protested against the Vietnam War? by Richard Spilsbury ; consultant Jessica Elkind.

SCIS no: 1875436