Customer Reviews

Understanding Vietnam

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The author explores the cultural values of the Vietnamese and traces the transitions in thinking which took place over the past several decades: from the introduction of Western ideas and values under the French, to the various Vietnamese responses and reactions to Western thinking, the humiliating aspects of colonialism, and the subsequent struggle for independence. I have read other histories of Vietnam, but none has so clearly described the underlying cultural dynamics which drove the events. I feel like I understand for the first time what the Vietnam war was all about, from the perspective of the Vietnamese themselves; the conflict between North and South Vietnam over the nature of the nation and society which would emerge from independence.

The best part of the book for me was the extensive use of excerpts from Vietnamese literature and editorial pieces to illustrate Vietnamese thought. This gave life to the concepts he was describing, it gave me a first hand account by letting me hear from the Vietnamese people themselves.

The author's overall thesis, relating societal changes to the oriental concept of yin and yang --a continually adjusted balance between structure and feeling, duty and compassion -- is clearly delineated throughout the story (yes, it really reads like a story), and is quite compelling. By all means, read this book!

I bought my first copy of this book in 1994 in Hanoi from a book stall outside the Museum of History. I read that copy at least three times, and I've since bought about five more for friends visiting or working in Vietnam. It helped me enormously to enjoy my time working there, and to appreciate and understand my Vietnamese colleagues. The author is one of those tremendously gifted and committed people who has spent decades learning and thinking about Vietnam as experienced by Vietnamese. Some might criticize the approach as too simplistic - as if the life of a nation and culture could be so easily explicated through the history of its literature! - but for me it was immediate, insightful, and engaging. Like Fitzgerald's much earlier "Fire in the Lake", it is one of the very few books on Vietnam that addresses issues raised by the American war (Jamieson first went to Vietnam for the USG during the early "advisor" phase) through a serious exploration of the Vietnamese perspective.

During my time in Hanoi, Jamieson's office was just down the street - I wish I had gone in, as I often thought of doing, and said thanks for the great book.

This book's focus on contemporary Vietnamese literary sources through the years makes it absolutely unique in the field. Its blend of straight history narrative and multiple-voice literature excerpts fleshes out Vietnamese society in a way that was sorely needed in the field. To those well-read in Asian studies: this book can almost be seen as a Vietnam analog to Patricia Ebrey's book "Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook," which is a collection of contemporary Chinese sources through history.

The history is instructive and concise, with little excess prose. Jamieson writes in an eminently readable style, and focuses on the most interesting events in order to keep the reader from being bored. He does a pretty good job of giving both Northern and Southern Vietnamese viewpoints, although he does focus a little more than would be preferable on South Vietnam, especially in the later parts of the book. The twentieth century chapters do a better job than almost any book on the market in focusing on the Vietnamese, rather than on the multi-decade war in which they fought.

My only complaint is that the extended yin/yang analogy used to explain societal trends was not very helpful. On the whole, though, I'm really impressed.

This is a somewhat difficult book to understand, although it turns out to be a gem.

The author sets out to demonstrate that Vietnamese society, history, and culture from 1700 to 1990 revolve around the yin and yang system. While harmony derives from a balance between these two elements, an imbalance on the other hand results in revolution and war. The forces, which have been pulling the Vietnamese community apart since 1920, came to a head-on battle in 1945-50.

During the 1954-1975 war, the northern yang being stronger and more refined than the southern one led to a northern invasion and collapse of South Vietnam. The hegemony and repression of the north, however, caused a violent reaction of the southern yin during the post 1975 years: exodus of hundreds of thousands of boat people, and refusal of farmers to participate in the collectivization of the agriculture causing a decrease in productivity. Those who could not escape survived by peddling their belongings at flea markets, which over a period of time grew into a vibrant capitalistic system thanks in part to the money sent home by relatives abroad, especially in the U.S. A decade later, the southern economy rebounded while the northern counterpart floundered. This led to a reversal of the dogmatic northern policy and implementation of the "doi moi" policy in 1985.

The author also suggests that happiness and prosperity cannot come to Vietnam unless true freedom and basic human rights are respected.

The American Library Association has voted "Understanding Vietnam" the 1994 Outstanding Academic Book.

I think this book is amazing! Jamieson accuately protrays Vietnam and Vietnamese culture through the eyes and views of the Vietnamese in a way never before written by a Westerner. He is articulate of the moods and feelings faceing the Vietnamese, well educated in the arts and literature of Vietnam, understands the importance to the core family structure, and scholarly in his research of what it means to be Vietnamese. I highly recommend this book if you want to understand the Vietnamese people who live in Vietnam, in the US, or anywhere...

The author freely admits this book is a result of his doctoral thesis in anthropology. It is not an easy read. I recommend making a list of Vietnamese terms and Jamieson's explanations, then using that as a bookmark. Slogging through the first 50 pages is tough. You have to be determined to read this book. I was. I wanted some insight into why I fought there. The book does shed some light on this. I drew my own conclusions from this work from what Jamieson did not say. Vietnam has been a country that was never really culturally united. It has been a country that has always struggled for identity. The French colonial system seemed to shine as a beacon for all that was wrong with Western imperialism. The U.S. venture into Vietnam brought a corruption of wealth and a disruption of economic processes which were exacerbated by the sudden withdrawal. Jamieson depends heavily on the printed word for his analysis. I'm not sure how valid that is, but it is revealing. The three star rating is for readability: maybe playing the Rocky soundtrack would help encourage one to keep going.
I would give it four stars for understanding. Meanwhile, I think I need some other perspectives to fill in the understanding presented in Understanding Vietnam.

I grew up with a lot of second generation Vietnamese and had a relatively significant amount of exposure to the culture. After reading this book I can look back and understand a lot of things better. For example I knew that Viet people are tremendously loyal to thier parents but after reading this book I have a much better understanding of why.
I thought the way he used Yin and Yang to explain things throughout the book was very neat. I think my one complaint is that it does get a little confusing in a couple of places, especially the section covering the 1950's. But I get the empression that the 1950's were a just a confusing time in Vietnam and the rest of the book is great. Much of it does read like a novel.

The literature on Vietnam is generally devoid of the Vietnamese perspective. This book tries to fix that generally with success. It traces Vietnamese history from two thousand years ago till the period of Western colonialization and then goes on to discuss the American war in detail. The debacle of the Vietnam war stems very much from a lack of understanding of how Vietnam itself. American foreign policy makers viewed it as a global war against the spread of communism. Yet, in Vietnamese perspective, the Americans were just another episode in their struggle to determine their own destiny. The main shortcoming of the book is its attempt to fit everything into "Ying" and "Yang", which is limiting and frankly somewhat comical.

When I was a student back in UCLA in '06, this was the textbook for the class. It is exceptional in explaining the thoughts and feelings of the Vietnamese people, their rationale, and the reasoning for war (North vs South). I received a broader understanding of the culture and the land. Don't judge this book by its horrible looking cover.

This is an excellent book which not only details the history of Vietnam but also shows how the people have developed to where they are today.

What makes the Vietnamese the people what they are? Why are the people from the North of the country so different to those of the South (political differences aside)? What is the lasting legacy of colonialism on this proud and strong people?

All these questions are answered as well a detailed historical journey from the earliest settlement of Vietnam through its many wars to the present day.

This book is a must for those who want to understand what makes Vietnam tick.

Highly recommended