Ben Waber reviewed Embers of War by Fredrik Logevall
A Penetrating, Painful Deep Dive into Vietnam from WW2 to 1959
5 stars
Despite being an absolute tome, this is a page turner. Logevall meticulously chronicles Vietnam's journey from the end of WW2 to 1959, zooming into the decisions and actions that took Vietnam from a French colony to a divided, independent country that served as a geopolitical battleground. He goes back a bit earlier to follow Ho Chi Minh, detailing his fascinating individual journey, his many attempts at closer relations with the US, and his dogged pursuit of peaceful independence.
The book spends a lot of time following leaders with major roles in Vietnam during this period. Starting with FDR, US policy towards Vietnam at first seems enlightened, only to descend into madness under successive Presidents. France and Britain, meanwhile, start out with horrific, racist and murderous policies and don't let up. Japan's role here was fascinating, and while I knew about their strange occupation of Indochina during WW2 the details …
Despite being an absolute tome, this is a page turner. Logevall meticulously chronicles Vietnam's journey from the end of WW2 to 1959, zooming into the decisions and actions that took Vietnam from a French colony to a divided, independent country that served as a geopolitical battleground. He goes back a bit earlier to follow Ho Chi Minh, detailing his fascinating individual journey, his many attempts at closer relations with the US, and his dogged pursuit of peaceful independence.
The book spends a lot of time following leaders with major roles in Vietnam during this period. Starting with FDR, US policy towards Vietnam at first seems enlightened, only to descend into madness under successive Presidents. France and Britain, meanwhile, start out with horrific, racist and murderous policies and don't let up. Japan's role here was fascinating, and while I knew about their strange occupation of Indochina during WW2 the details here on how thousands of troops deserted to join the Vietnamese and fight against the French was surprising.
Sometimes there's a bit too much detail on the back and forth that happens in particular negotiations, but overall it's a singular work of scholarship that provides important insight into Vietnam and international politics. Highly recommend