jjares reviewed History of Vietnam: A Captivating Guide to Vietnamese History on + 3275 more book reviews
This is an eye-opening story about the diversity of the Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese have a long history and have had more interactions with Europeans than I ever suspected. This book does not do an in-depth study of the Vietnam War (and I did not expect it to) but explained the attitudes, beliefs, main events, and results of major conflicts.
Confucianism and Buddism were conflicting observances in Vietnam; Taoism, Catholicism, and Hindu religions also played a part in Vietnam's history. Another fascinating aspect of this book is the use of war elephants in war during the 1200s. These beasts must have been awesome and terrifying during conflicts (especially if only one side had these elephants).
One thing I didn't think the book explained enough was about 'Austronesian peoples.' I found out that they are 'Austronesian-speaking peoples, ... a large group of various peoples in Taiwan (collectively known as Taiwanese indigenous peoples), Island Southeast Asia, Micronesia, coastal New Guinea, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar, that speak the Austronesian languages.' (taken from thereaderwiki.com)
The best part of this book, however, was the fantastic explanation of the players (and events) in the emergence of Vietnam in the 19th and 20th centuries. This is an excellent explanation of why things went sideways in Vietnam after World War II. I felt the last 4 chapters were compelling reading; they explained so many things very well.
Confucianism and Buddism were conflicting observances in Vietnam; Taoism, Catholicism, and Hindu religions also played a part in Vietnam's history. Another fascinating aspect of this book is the use of war elephants in war during the 1200s. These beasts must have been awesome and terrifying during conflicts (especially if only one side had these elephants).
One thing I didn't think the book explained enough was about 'Austronesian peoples.' I found out that they are 'Austronesian-speaking peoples, ... a large group of various peoples in Taiwan (collectively known as Taiwanese indigenous peoples), Island Southeast Asia, Micronesia, coastal New Guinea, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar, that speak the Austronesian languages.' (taken from thereaderwiki.com)
The best part of this book, however, was the fantastic explanation of the players (and events) in the emergence of Vietnam in the 19th and 20th centuries. This is an excellent explanation of why things went sideways in Vietnam after World War II. I felt the last 4 chapters were compelling reading; they explained so many things very well.
