Customer Reviews

A Saigon Party: and Other Vietnam War Short Stories

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I served in Vietnam in the rear with the beer and the gear for 13 1/2 months, 1966-1967. No better book has been written about that Saigon experience than Dell's "A Saigon Party." If a reader is curious about what kind of tour of duty most had who served in the military during the American war in the beautiful country of South Vietnam, Dell's fine book is the place to start. "A Saigon Party" is a book of great wit and compassion, and Dell is brave, resourceful, and successful in her use of the many voices of the Vietnam War. Dell gives Robert Olen Butler's Vietnamese voices in "A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain" a run for their money. I am now a librarian who spent much time in libraries in Vietnam (both for the books and the air conditioning) so I especially enjoyed Dell's story "The Library Card." I also loved the Ken and Barbie stories and wish there was a entire book of them. The "CIA Wife" story is a great story and very funny. The CIA deservedly gets rough and witty treatment. For those of you still wondering why we lost our war in SE Asia, these stories provide the reasons.

Sincerely, David A. Willson, author of REMF Diary, The REMF Returns and In the Army Now.

Miss Dell is a born story-teller, and her stories are like none of the others ever written about regarding the complexity, intrigue, and follies of the Vietnam war. The satire is true and biting, but it is high-time someone such as Dell presents this point of view with the candor that bears all the little known facts about how many Americans and Vietnamese operated during the war that has not been written about. Dell's stories are fast, and the points made are cleverly designed to make you ponder and go back to read them gain and again. "Yep, that's the way it really was, how I always felt like---that's how ol' Mister Charles got over on us Americans and South Vietnamese during the war," I often mused, half-offended that the naked truth was now being written by a witty little blonde whose brother had been killed in Nam, and she had the courage to go see for herself what the war was really all about. The book is a bellringer of truth about the men and women caught up in the drama of war in the exotic world of Asia; as is complex as a tropical night with the moon simmering over the wind-bending jungles and bright gaudy lights of Saigon, while her real life characters just tell it like it was, and leaves you yearning for more stories as the last page is turned. Dell's stories flow in polished cadences of witt, terror, evil, passion, shame, and the sly intellect of the mysterious Eastern way of thinking. The politicans and generals of our side might have been thinking a little different if Dell's compelling views of the way it really was had been written about before the United States involvement in the war. Marvelous storytelling, and laced with unexpected complexities, make this a must read for any person wanting a book that they can disappear for days into and emerge with a much differnet view of the way things were in Nam as presented by the news media and other writers of the era. "A Saigon Party," is an important and literary excellent book that is not to be ignored. Sincerely, Franklin D. Rast, author, "Don's Nam," and "Ghosts In The Wire."

I didn't quite know what to expect when I bought this book; I've only begun reading books by female Viet Nam vets since publishing my collection, and this is the first fiction other than my own that I've encountered. What I found, to my surprise and a delight, kept me entertained throughout its quick reading.

These are humorous tales, irreverent to a fault, bound to offend someone, be it the Red Cross, the USO, or the military establishment--hell, especially the military establishment. Some of them are real whoppers, spun with panache--I especially loved Dell's depiction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail (by now, she's probably right). As is always the case with good satire, the humor here is fueled with a crisp anger.

If you are interested in a different slant on the Viet Nam conflict from someone who's been there, a writer with a Mark Twain puckishness, this is definitely your book.

Susan Kramer O'Neill, author
Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Viet Nam

If Dorothy Parker had been in Vietnam during the war, she would have written a collection of short stories similar to "A Saigon Party." Diana Dell's witty book should be read by everyone who loves great satire.

A Saigon Party, by Diana J. Dell

Don't let the ease of reading fool you...Saigon Party...isn't conventional or simple....

Diana Dell lost far more than most of us who served in Vietnam...a beloved brother. But she doesn't dwell on the pain she must have experienced but rather, very much like Kurt Vonnegut in

Catch 22, she turns her experiences in the waning days of a war into an eloquent, funny, satiric, and irreverent look at the ticket-punchers, the Saigon warriors, and other assorted lounge lizards. Good thing she doesn't mention real names or else lots of the old boyos hanging around the local legion hall might have some redder than usual faces.

Saigon Party boasts the same imagination, humanity, and gleeful appreciation of the absurd found in Vonnegut.

The characters and dialog give Saigon Party a unique poignancy--and humor.

...a most entertaining read, filled with privates, generals, CIA-men, donut dollies, and even ordinary folks caught up in the insanity common to all war zones...

What a great read!

Diana Dell is a lady Art Buchwald of the Vietnam War. She pokes great fun at the inanities and stupidity of things from daily life in the rear areas of the Vietnam war zone -- including her personal adventures and misadventures in it. Her accounts from AFVN Saigon Radio TV [a la the movie 'Good Morning Vietnam'] bring back my days doing news at the station with clarity and humor]. She is as authentic as they come -- and certainly Diana knew a bit about AFVN radio from her days there as a volunteer deejay for the USO -->(...)

A Saigon Party is a fine read, best spread out over a week to give you time to recover from the laughing at the pain of it all. Laughing at pain -- yes -- much like the MASH TV show. Only Diana is better -- after all, she's not writing fiction.
Bob Morecook, then Spec5 US Army
AFVN News Saigon 72/73

If Dorothy Parker had been in Vietnam during the war, she would have written a collection of short stories similar to "A Saigon Party." Dell's witty book should be read by everyone who loves great satire. Sincerely, Maryann Hurley

Great stories! Since I'm a huge fan of over-the-top fiction, I especially enjoyed "A Pedicab Driver Peddles Through History," "The Vietnamese Rock Star Interview on AFVN" and "Dan Quayle's Double."

This was a whole lot different than any other book I have read about The Vietnam War experience. This is a view that most of us veterans never got to see while we were in in-country. I found it to be funny, sad, and at times making me angry. Certainly, the author knows how to pull at all the emotional strings when telling her stories. This is a great read for anyone.

Diana Dell is an amazing story teller! I find my self getting lost in her memories so easily. This book isnt your typical "Vietnam" book where all that is talked about is the destruction of young boys lifes and the damage that was done to so many different people. All though these thing definately happened, Diana took a different approach to writing about "The Nam". I Love the way that most of the stories that are told are done so thru humor. This is a side of Vietnam that most people have no idea about. A lot of good memories have come from Vietnam and the author wants the reader to know of them as well. Take a look at this amazing piece of work. It's a great book and one that will raise many questions in the readers mind. This book will give you an opportunity to start questioning why this "War" really did happen. Who was behind it and why was everyone "back home" kept in the dark about what really went on? I definately recommend this book and also look forward to reading it again in the future.