This extraordinary memoir tells the story of one man's experience of the wars of Viet Nam from the time he was old enough to be aware of war in the 1940s until his departure for America 15 years after the collapse of South Viet Nam in 1975. Nguyen Cong Luan was born and raised in small villages near Ha Noi. He grew up knowing war at the hands of the Japanese, the French, and the Viet Minh. Living with wars of conquest, colonialism, and revolution led him finally to move south and take up the cause of the Republic of Viet Nam, exchanging a life of victimhood for one of a soldier. His stories of village life in the north are every bit as compelling as his stories of combat and the tragedies of war. This honest and impassioned account is filled with the everyday heroism of the common people of his generation.

A singular account of life in Viet Nam through a half century of war

About the Author

Nguyn Cong Lun was born in 1937 and grew up in northern Viet Nam. Following the 1954 Geneva Agreement, which divided the nation in two, he moved south and enrolled in the Republic of Viet Nam Military Academy, then served in the Army of the Republic of Viet Nam until 1975. Incarcerated for 6 years 7 months in communist prison camps, he immigrated to the United States in 1990. He was an associate editor of The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War.

Reviews

A dark and fascinating tale...illuminated by...honesty and integrity, which shine through on every page.

* VIETNAM MAGAZINE *

This is a first-rate book with perhaps a single downside: It is not a book for someone who has never read anything about Vietnam. It is, however, an essential read for those who seek to understand the complex tragedy of the wars of Vietnam.

* ARMY *

Long overdue, this memoir will be a worthy addition to any academic library interested in the tragedy of Vietnam. . . . Essential.

* Choice *

This book is of incredible value for anyone interested in Vietnam-its history, politics, and culture-and in the American involvement with Vietnam. It is also a meditation of a Vietnamese patriot on the substance of patriotism during a time of civil war in a context of international alliances. Amid the terrors and harsh imperatives of war, the author's is a rare voice of human decency.

* H-Net *

Nationalist in the Viet Nam Wars is a dark and fascinating tale. But it is illuminated by Nguyen's story of escape from Communist tyranny to the United States in 1990, and by his honesy and integrity, which shine through on every page.

* historynet.com *



Book Information
ISBN 9780253356871
Author Nguyen Cong Luan
Format Hardback
Page Count 616
Imprint Indiana University Press
Publisher Indiana University Press
Weight(grams) 930g