A Short History of Laos: The Land in Between (A Short History of Asia series) [Paperback]

Grant Evans (Author), Milton Osborne (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1864489979 | ISBN-13: 978-1864489972 | Publication Date: May 1, 2003

This comprehensive and vivid history of Laos is an ideal introduction for tourists, business travelers, and students. Informative and portable, it chronicles the history of Laos from ancient times, when the dynastic states of the region waxed and waned, to the turmoil of the Vietnam War and independence from France. This guide investigates these key events under a new light and presents serious challenges to the conventional views about Laos’s intriguing history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I cannot welcome this series warmly enough. It is sure to be a winner—and much needed." -- Bill Bryson, author of In a Sunburned Country and A Walk in the Woods

About the Author

Grant Evans is an anthropologist and professor at the University of Hong Kong. He is the author of Laos: Culture and Society and The Politics of Ritual and Remembrance: Laos Since 1975. He lives in Hong Kong. Milton Osborne, PhD, is the author of Southeast Asia: An Introductory History and The Mekong: Turbulent Past, Uncertain Future.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1864489979
• ISBN-13: 978-1864489972
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #722,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > History > Asia > Laos

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, insightful, culturally-sensitive, May 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Short History of Laos: The Land in Between (A Short History of Asia series) (Paperback)

For a newcomer to Laos, Dr. Evans's volume would seem an excellent introduction to its history, politics and culture. For someone like myself, who had his own intense introduction to Laos in the late 60s and looks forward to a return, the book is an insightful refresher and update. It has helped me put my own experience in context and rethink the Laos I once thought I knew. This short history is thoughtful, well-written, and largely devoid of moral judgments.

The subtitle "The Land in Between" sums up an unfortunate reality -- for much of its history Laos has been caught between more powerful neighbors and sometimes their even more powerful patrons. But Evans does not stop with such a facile explanation of the Laos that has emerged. I particularly appreciate his continuing emphasis on the deep and enduring cultural roots of the peoples who inhabit Laos -- and the interplay among them.

With so many Western writers and readers still caught up in the battles that we fought in Laos in the 60s and 70s, Evans's book is a refreshing reminder that Laos merits attention -- indeed fascination -- in its own right.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Useful Background for Laos, August 4, 2008

By 

Lawrence Seale (Olympia, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Short History of Laos: The Land in Between (A Short History of Asia series) (Paperback)

As someone who is contemplating a work assignment in Laos, this book provides needed background on the cultural and political environment likely to be encountered. In addition to the coverage of people and events, I would have appreciated more elaboration on the typical lifestyles of lowland and upland people of Laos and how that has evolved recently. This was an interesting read, but it felt a bit disjointed at times and the writing does not measure up to the skill of better-known modern historians such as David McCollough and Walter Isaacson.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A quick history of Laos., July 4, 2009

By 

B. Hoyt (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Short History of Laos: The Land in Between (A Short History of Asia series) (Paperback)

A well written account how it all happened and how and why Laos was the catalyst for the America Viet Nam War.