AcomprehensiveguidetounderstandingVietnam’slongandtumultuoushistoryABriefHistoryofVietnamexplorestheturbulenthistoryofalandthathasrisenfromtheashesofwartobecomethenewestAsiantigereconomy.Thisbookexpertlyexaminesthehistoryofapeopleandanationwithancientrootswhichonlytookitscurrentshapeinthe19thcenturyunderFrenchcolonialrule,anditscurrentnamein1945.Beforethat,Vietnamwasknownbymanynames,undermanyrulers.LocatedinthegeographiccenterofSoutheastAsia,thecountrywecall“Vietnam“wasruledbyChina,thenbyaseriesofVietnameseemperors,andbytheFrench.Adevastating,decades-longconflictforindependenceensued,endingwiththeconclusionoftheVietnamWarin1975.Keytopicsdiscussedinthisfascinatingbookinclude:China’sancientconquestofVietnamandthemillennia-longstruggleoftheVietnameseforindependencefromtheirpowerfulneighbortothenorthThereignoftheNguyendynasty,thelastdynastytoruleVietnam,withitscapitalattheancientcityofHue,todayaUNESCOWorldHeritageSiteThestoryofHoChiMinh,educatedinFrance,whoattendedtheTreatyofVersaillestoadvocateforindependenceandbecameVietnam’sfirstpresidentaftertheFrenchweredefeatedThecountry’smiraculousemergencefromthreedecadesofwarandhowithasembarkedonthepathtobecomingoneoftheworld’sfastest-growingeconomiestodayJournalistBillHayton’saccessibleprosemakesABriefHistoryofVietnamanessentialstudyofacomplexcultureattheheartofSoutheastAsia--andtherootsofitscurrenteconomicdynamism.
