A Brief History of Vietnam Colonialism, War and Renewal

<b>A comprehensive guide to understanding Vietnam's long and tumultuous history</b><br> <br> <i>A Brief History of Vietnam</i> 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.<br> <br> 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:<br> <ul> <li>China's ancient conquest of Vietnam and the millennia-long struggle of the Vietnamese for independence from their powerful neighbor to the north</li> <li>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</li> <li>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</li> <li>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</li> </ul> <br> Journalist Bill Hayton's accessible prose makes <i>A Brief History of Vietnam</i> an essential study of a complex culture at the heart of Southeast Asia--and the roots of its current economic dynamism.