Such a Lovely Little War: Saigon 1961-63

Such a Lovely Little War: Saigon 1961-63, by Marcelino Truong, 272 pages.
The author tells of the time when he was young (from 4-6 years old) and living in Vietnam. His mother was French and his father was a Vietnamese diplomat, who served during these two years, as a translator for South Vietnamese President Ngo Dihn Diem.
The violence in Saigon, as the war grew into something broader and more all-encompassing, is shown as Truong remembers, he and his brother were excited when they saw two A1 Skyraiders bomb the Presidential Palace as part of an aborted coup. Both boys giggle when their firghtened mother curses as they're hiding under the table during the resulting anti-aircraft barrage.
The boys look on in wonder as soldiers, tanks, and helicopters fill the city. Their older sister is less impressed, and their mother is frantic with worry. Just before Diem falls in a successful coup, Truong senior takes a posting in England. A well-illustrated and interesting memoir.