The Story of Viet Nam: From Prehistory to the Present

This is a very concise but comprehensive book about the whole story of Vietnam from the founding until modern day. Without much analysis, it lays out the facts of events of how Vietnam was established. The Ly dynasty set the foundation of the traditions of Vietnam, but was quickly overtaken by China. This was a theme in Vietnam having such a strong neighbor that influenced Vietnam militarily and culturally. France made Vietnam a colony to keep up with Portugal and Spain's colonization fervor during the 1500's. France was very repressive and fomented revolution movements. Ho Chi Minh traveled the world and learned about communism in France and China. As French power waned after WWII and especially after the defeat at Dien Bien Phu, the US stepped into the vacuum and became Ho's enemy. The war escalated under Lyndon B. Johnson and led to many deaths on both sides. After the Tet Offensive, the US public did not support the war at home and Nixon used Vietnamization to try to pull our troops back. Saigon quickly fell and Vietnam turned communist. Economically, they suffered from 1975-1985 and after a war with Cambodia to rid the neighbor of the disastrous Khmer Rouge, they have been allowing more economic freedom to turn the country around.
It was an easy read and read fast. It was a good summary of the whole history.
It is meant to be an introductory, supplementary text for high school students and undergraduates.
I could assign it to my students as a quick read to get them to know the facts about the history of Vietnam.
It refreshed my memory about what I knew about Vietnam and taught me a little bit more about the older history.
It is a quick read and it is easy for students to understand.

This is a history of Viet Nam in chronological order. It is short and very easy to read without an excess of dates and names. This short book by Shelton Woods gives an overview of the area beginning with creation myths, many maps, pictures and events in chronological order, ending with the society in modern Vietnam. I guess you can surmise that this short book packs much information into eighty-three pages and I find it very appealing as a beginning to understand the society and country of Vietnam.
I especially enjoy the creation myths and the environmental/geographical impact upon this long s-curved country. It is very southerly but there is a big difference between the north, middle and southern portions of Vietnam. This is due, in part, to climate, geography and its proximity to China and Cambodia. As one who loved through (what we call-the Vietnam War), it was significant to learn a wider view of this country at that time. I guess the amazing part to me was how much impacted modern Saigon (and the larger country) is with industrialization and the Western influence. It is important that the people of Vietnam have a high standard of living but it is sad to realize this comes at a price.

As part of the Key Issues in Asian Studies series, The Story of Vietnam from Prehistory to Present by Shelton Woods, is presented in a succinct, reader friendly volume. Even for those readers unfamiliar with much of the more than 2,000 year history of Vietnam, Woods’ style and language is informing and interesting. It is not only appropriate for teaching professionals, but also would be suitable to use as a text in the secondary classroom and portions could even be extracted to be used for some upper-middle school classes as well. I find it an amazing undertaking to put together the history of a nation which spans thousands of years into one book let alone a volume of less than 100 pages. It did however address the need of providing some foundamental background to the culture and past of the Vietnamese and how Communism entered into the country and was able to take hold in many places which is often over-looked during discussions of Viet Nam . The author also provides some insight into Ho Chi Minh as a person prior to the Americans entering into the Viet Nam War. The book brings the reader all the way up into the present day with a brief explanation of the reasons why the Communist party has opened up.

The Story of Vietnam: From Prehistory to the Present by Shelton Woods provides the reader with a basic overview of Vietnamese dynasties, wars, and culture. Although the book did create a basic overview, it did leave me with several questions about the main ideological differences between the different religions and America's lack of involvement in the Cambodian genocide.
I plan on teaching a unit on the novel First They Killed my Father by Loung Ung. This text would be helpful to explain Vietnam's position and overview on the Khmer Rouge and the genocide of the Cambodian people. I am not a history buff and had many misconceptions about Vietnam, which were probably from the negative press about the Vietnam/ American War. After reading this text, I realized that Vietnam was an unfortunately small country that had been thrust several wars one after another. I am sure that the excerpts from this text could be used to share both Vietnamese and American views with my students.

The Story of Vietnam by Dr. Shelton Woods covers the history of Vietnam and its people from the country's beginnings around 5,000 years ago up until about 2011. Given the span of time Woods covers and the brief page length (it is only 83 pages) the book is very much a survey of important events in Vietnamese history, making it a good starting point for learning about the country. Consequently, I would definitely recommend this book to other teachers looking to learn more about Vietnam.
While he does not state it directly, Dr. Woods' explanation of Vietnamese history seems to revolve around two major themes - colonialism and independence. The story of Vietnam as told by Woods is very much one of other peoples attempting to exert political and economic dominance over Vietnam and, in response, Vietnam struggling to gain self-governance. As a US history teacher, I was most struck by these themes because in teaching about US involvement in Vietnam, I have always simply assumed the French had been in Vietnam for centuries and have largely ignored Chinese influences. But France's involvement spanned less than a century while China was in and out of Vietnam for thousands of years! I've also overlooked the ability to connect Vietnam's many fights for independence to America's own struggle. I will definitely need to change my teaching now.
While the brevity of The Story of Vietnam makes it an easy read, it can be frustrating at times (I wanted to know more!). And, even though the book isn't intended to be an in-depth study of Vietnam, Woods' explanation and analysis of events is generally detailed enough to provide a solid base of understanding. The timeline he includes in the front of the book is especially useful. That said, Chapter 8, about the conflicts between Vietnam and the Cambodian Khmer Rouge, seemed to need a bit more explanation. For example, why did the US not support Vietnam's intervention in Cambodia and instead back the Khmer Rouge while the Khmer Rouge was massacring not only their own society but also infringing on Vietnam? I understand we were bitter about losing the Vietnam War, but the we intentionally backed a genocidal Cambodia leaves me with a lot of questions.

A compact yet highly resourceful collection of historical facts, icons, and images that takes you through the tumultuous events of time in a strong and poignant culture. It is an excellent foundation of study for those interesting in traveling and investigating the gem of Vietnam.
The compact and thorough review of struggle and continued strength of her people, this captivates the myths and the legacy of an unforgettable story.

A compact yet highly resourceful collection of historical facts, icons, and images that takes you through the tumultuous events of time in a strong and poignant culture. It is an excellent foundation of study for those interesting in traveling and investigating the gem of Vietnam. After reading the detailed explanation of significant events and dramatics that have made Vietnam a place to notice.
The compact and thorough review of struggle and continued strength of her people, this captivates the myths and the legacy of an unforgettable story.

Shelton Woods delivers a very engaging rundown of the history of Vietnam. His chapters are short, yet still filled with easily digestible information and it never becomes tiresome or too dense. For a broad survey of a nation's history, this book reads surprisingly like a story and Woods constantly returned to his overarching theme of just how relentless the Vietnamese people are. Upon finishing these 83 pages, you will most likely agree with the author. Often viewed only as antagonists, this book paints a far more comprehensive view of the Vietnamese people and you cannot help but respect their constant struggle to maintain their sovereignty.
Then again, this book is only intended as an overview. I wish there was more about French imperialism and Ho's influence in Vietnam as his health deteriorated, but this book left you wanting more. Luckily, Woods lists countless books he referenced in his bibliography at the end of the book. Check them out if you want to move beyond just a superficial understanding of Vietnamese history.