Customer Reviews

Kingdom in the Morning Mist: Mayrena in the Highlands of Vietnam

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A fascinating and little-known story of the Frenchman Charles Mayrena, who enters Vietnam in the French colonial period and proclaims himself 'king' of the Sedang Tribe in central Vietnam. It's the old story of the westerner trying to make his fortune in an Asian culture, the n'er-do-well bum who gets caught up in the fantasies of his own self-styled importance. Of particular interest is the timing of the publication of this book in comparison to the publication of "Bright Shining Lie." Hickey's book came first, but should have gotten as much attention as "Lie." Hickey is a noted and much published ethnologist. Here he spins a tale of which movies are made, as the adventurer Mayrena gets deeper and deeper into political trouble in a hostile environment, and ends up dying of a suspicious snake-bite in Indonesia. It's all true. A very good read for the serious Vietnam history collector.