Top Selected Products and Reviews
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1.
- In Stock.
List Price: $35.00 Price: $23.79 You Save: $11.21 (32%) "This is a very good book about Vietnam's history" - By Lawrence D. Ink (Beltsville, MD USA)
This is a very good book about Vietnam's history, focusing on the 19th and 20th centuries. Goscha explains well the various factions that formed in Vietnam during the early 20th century to gain independence from France. He also writes extensively about the relationship between Vietnam and China, which was trying to form a unified government after the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911. After WWII there is much information about the period between when Ho Chi Minh declared independence for Vietnam in 1945 and the actual achievement of a unified, independent Vietnam thirty years later--something Ho did not live to see.
There is a major factual error on page 203. Goscha writes that Roosevelt was at the Potsdam Conference in July, 1945. Actually, Roosevelt died in April of that year. Truman was the American representative.(24) -
2.
- In Stock.
List Price: $24.00 Price: $19.16 You Save: $4.84 (20%) "A good start - but hardly comprehensive" - By trainreader (Montclair, N.J.)
Stanley Karnow's "Vietnam: A History," provides a decent overview of the history of this country -- dominated for so long by China and then France -- as well as the Vietnam War, and the quagmire that the U.S. involvement became. One reason for Karnow's unique perspective is his involvement as a reporter before, during and after the war, and his incredible access to some of the principles, including North Vietnamese. For someone like me, who was woefully ignorant about this embarassing but fascinating part of our history, I learned quite a bit about Vietnam in general, and the war in particular. And yet, I still feel like I know so little about it.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the book is the first chapter in which Karnow discusses the impact of the war over future foreign policy, and presents diverse opinions of military specialists who ... full review(162) -
3.
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List Price: $45.00 Price: $35.39 You Save: $9.61 (21%) "Roaring good book" - By Hande Z (Singapore)
This 246-page book is clear, comprehensive, and yet concise. In short, it is a wonder as far as history books go. The authors set out the narrative of their account in the context of the fact that 'Vietnam emerged as a southern extension of the great civilization of China for 1,000 years, and then went on its own way for a millennium, evolving into a distinct, cultivated and powerful East-Southeast Asian hybrid whose human and technological resources eventually led to all its neighbours to the south'.
After a thousand years of encountering its northern giant neighbour, the Vietnamese language 'is peppered with Chinese imports'. It's imperial court and Buddhist and Confucian roots are also clearly imports from China. These were accumulated gradually and peacefully, but the Ming invasion (described in chapter 7) sought to impose Chinese culture and methods by coercion. The 20-year Chinese incursion finally ended through the ... full review(5) -
4.
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Price: $18.95 "A country too much known by its wars, but less by its long, rich, complex, and sometimes glorious history. Read with pleasure." - By Vietreader (Falls Church, Virginia)
BOOK REVIEW (GEORGE NGUYEN CAO DUC from Lycee Jean Jacques Rousseau Alumni Association; English version will appear following article in French)
NOTE DE LECTURE Par G.N.C.D. JJR 65
VIETNAM HISTORY - Stories retold for a new generation -
2012 Createspace, LLC - South Carolina ISBN-10: 1468186337 (paperback)
Ne sont pas très nombreux les livres sur le Vietnam dont le but annoncé est de transmettre le savoir sur l'histoire du Vietnam aux enfants de l'auteur ou des auteurs, «stories retold for a new generation », au sein de la diaspora vietnamienne. Et c'est le cas du présent livre, rédigé à plusieurs mains. Livre ou compilation d'articles? La question est clairement résolue, une fois le livre abordé. Soyons explicites immédiatement : il ne s'agit pas ici d'un livre d'histoire au sens normal du terme. Les auteurs ne sont d'ailleurs pas des historiens, mais des médecins. Dans le monde anglo-saxon par rapport ... full review(6) -
5.
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List Price: $18.00 Price: $12.51 You Save: $5.49 (31%) "One of the Best, Absolutely Best Books I've ever read" - By o dubhthaigh (north rustico, pei, canada)
This book will live with you forever. My interest in this came from a Viet Namese friend who emigrated here with her family in the 90's. Thuy suggestion to read this book intrigued me, and from the first pages I understood thoroughly what she meant by the urgency in her suggestion.
This is a tale of a family desperate to leave the oppression and disillusionment that followed the North Viet Namese victory in the long struggle to be free from outside colonists. What ensued was a nightmare of epic proportions. It is only now that Saigon's influence is returning to open the country up to the possibility of getting on with life in any kind of hopeful manner.
However, as this tale recounts, this is a nearly "Killing Fields" Viet Nam. The perils and tragedies that this family suffers in order to gain their freedom will break your heart, inspire ... full review(220) -
6.
- In Stock.
List Price: $22.00 Price: $6.98 You Save: $15.02 (68%) "Only half way through and I see where this is going" - By G. Warnock (Gainesville, Fl United States)
Excellent writing and depiction of facts supported by endless footnotes (placed in a separate section so as not to interfere with reading), this book is fascinating with its simple, yet simultaneously complex explanation of immediate post WW2 events in French Indochina. There were many instances during the evolution of the circumstance that the French or Americans could have said 'No' and turned away, but they didn't. The book is maddening at times because we learned exactly the same lessons as the French and had we paid attention, would not (hopefully) become embroiled in tbis war.
Many, many times I found myself thinking incredulously 'We did what?' I just finished reading about (then) Vice-President Nixon's visit to Hanoi in 1953. Ominous words and passages from Ho Chi Mhin, and other world leaders lead you down a path of sad inevitability. Over 700 pages of me thinking 'wake up America!' but when ... full review(283) -
7.
- In Stock.
List Price: $49.99 Price: $40.74 You Save: $9.25 (19%) "I strongly recommend this book to all people who want to understand ..." - By john nguyen
As a Vietnamese American, Ph.D in Science, who retired as a Cancer Researcher at several US Research Institutes and Universities, I spent my professional life looking at very complex problems such as the abnormal biology of cancer cells. Vietnam’s History is my non bread winning activity occupying most of my non-cancer related mental activity.
Dr Keth Taylor ‘s book A History of the Vietnamese was a first book on the subject that provided, certainly to me, a coherent rationale explaining the two millennium evolutionary process ending with an entity known as the country of Vietnam inhabited by the Vietnamese of today.
Dr Taylor’s theory was the creation of post 1975 Vietnam, a country spanning over 2000 km long with 90 millions inhabitants was almost accidental depending on the action of a few leaders who motivated the very heterogeneous ... full review(16) -
8.
"A good start - but hardly comprehensive" - By trainreader (Montclair, N.J.)
Stanley Karnow's "Vietnam: A History," provides a decent overview of the history of this country -- dominated for so long by China and then France -- as well as the Vietnam War, and the quagmire that the U.S. involvement became. One reason for Karnow's unique perspective is his involvement as a reporter before, during and after the war, and his incredible access to some of the principles, including North Vietnamese. For someone like me, who was woefully ignorant about this embarassing but fascinating part of our history, I learned quite a bit about Vietnam in general, and the war in particular. And yet, I still feel like I know so little about it.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the book is the first chapter in which Karnow discusses the impact of the war over future foreign policy, and presents diverse opinions of military specialists who ... full review(162) -
9.
- In Stock.
Price: $14.95 "Garrison tells it like it was" - By P. R. Brumlik
No frills and no exaggerations, Garrison tells it like it was. Unfortunately, by the end of the war, the helicopter pilot casualty rate approached 30%. Even more unfortunate, the Veterans Administration fought tooth and nail to exclude diseases such as prostate cancer and diabetes from Agent Orange exposure. It is very easy to say "Thank you for your service," it is much more difficult to serve in the face of a hostile homecoming and then watch the country become embroiled in the same kind of wars.(715) -
10.
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List Price: $25.95 Price: $19.11 You Save: $6.84 (26%) "Semper Cool: One Marine's Fond Memories of Vietnam" - By Larry McCartney (Black Mountain, North Carolina)
Not for the faint of heart, Semper Cool: One Marine's Fond Memories of Vietnam is probably the single best book yet to come out of the Vietnam War. Unlike, many others, Semper Cool: One Marine's Fond Memories of Vietnam doesn't address that much maligned war from the perspective of the officers or senior noncommissioned officers who served, mostly in career enhancing support roles, it lets the reader into the mind of the American teenagers who fought that war--the men who served in the trenches doing the killing and dying. With all it's rough language, the type of language someone would expect in the highly intense atmosphere of a combat zone, Semper Cool: One Marine's Fond Memories of Vietnam speaks of what it feels like to live through a year long combat tour, to endure numerous horrific experiences to include the violent loss of close friends ... full review(534) -
11.
"Make sure you take the right approach" - By Christopher Slater
The following review is from my blog:
Summary
Those first few days at a new school can always be tough. You don't know where to go, what to do, and you are dependant on the advice given to you by others. Now imagine that your school is in the jungles of Southeast Asia, your school bus is a Huey, and those that can't keep up with the learning curve are maimed or killed. That is the life of the cherries, or newcomers to Vietnam. John Kowalski, affectionately referred to as Polack, finds himself in this toughest of all learning situations when he is shipped off for his one year tour in Vietnam in 1970. Will he survive long enough to go from being a cherry to an old-timer? What a difference a year can make.
The Bad
This is not a traditional novel! Traditional novels follow ... full review(275) -
12.
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List Price: $27.95 Price: $20.91 You Save: $7.04 (25%) "A book that moved me deeply." - By Pamela Mccorduck (New York, New York)
This hybrid novel/memoir moved me deeply. It explores with depth and sensitivity what heroism might mean; who writes history; what happens when you're accidentally on the wrong side of a bad war; whose narrative will prevail. No American can read this with comfort, but our discomfort is well earned.(37) -
13.
- In Stock.
Price: $10.99 "Secret History" - By Aalize*
The Vietnam War is a conflict that dominated America's history in the 19th century and the origin of the war can be traced back to the 1940’s from the struggle between the communists and their colonial powers the French. This book has covered in detail every subject regarding Vietnam War right from President Kennedy’s time to President Lyndon and President Nixon’s time and how each of them was involved in the Vietnam War process. Although, this is a good read of Vietnam war history.(3)