A comprehensive guide to understanding Vietnam's long and tumultuous
history
A Brief History of Vietnam explores the turbulent history of a land
that has risen from the ashes of war to become the newest Asian tiger
economy. This book expertly examines the history of a people and a
nation with ancient roots which only took its current shape in the 19th
century under French colonial rule, and its current name in 1945.
Before that, Vietnam was known by many names, under many rulers. Located
in the geographic center of Southeast Asia, the country we call
"Vietnam" was ruled by China, then by a series of Vietnamese emperors,
and by the French. A devastating, decades-long conflict for independence
ensued, ending with the conclusion of the Vietnam War in 1975. Key
topics discussed in this fascinating book include:
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China's ancient conquest of Vietnam and the millennia-long struggle of
the Vietnamese for independence from their powerful neighbor to the
north
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The reign of the Nguyen dynasty, the last dynasty to rule Vietnam,
with its capital at the ancient city of Hue, today a UNESCO World
Heritage Site
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The story of Ho Chi Minh, educated in France, who attended the Treaty
of Versailles to advocate for independence and became Vietnam's first
president after the French were defeated
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The country's miraculous emergence from three decades of war and how
it has embarked on the path to becoming one of the world's
fastest-growing economies today
Journalist Bill Hayton's accessible prose makes A Brief History of
Vietnam an essential study of a complex culture at the heart of
Southeast Asia--and the roots of its current economic dynamism.
