The Vietnam War from the Other Side: The Vietnamese Communists' Perspective

by Cheng Guan Ang

Existing studies of the Vietnam War have been written mostly from an American perspective, using western sources, and viewing the conflict through western eyes. This book, based on extensive original research, including Vietnamese, Chinese and former Soviet sources, presents a history of the war from the perspective of the Vietnamese communists. It charts relations with Moscow and Beijing, showing how the involvement of the two major communist powers changed over time, and how the Vietnamese, despite their huge dependence on the Chinese and the Soviets, were most definitely in charge of their own decision making. Overall, it provides an important corrective to the many one-sided studies of the war, and presents a very interesting new perspective.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2002

Reviews

[Jamie Bookboy Fitzpatrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

Provides a detailed account of the war and is thorough in its use of primary sources. Relies too heavily on the official history already compiled by the Vietnamese and does little to challenge any of it or make any new interesting or original arguments.

Relies overwhelmingly on accounts from party top brass and diplomats etc despite there obviously being millions of people the author could have interviewed.

I don’t disagree with anything put forward but it doesn’t really give us much to agree/disagree with. I suppose it is refreshing to have a view that is totally from the Communist side but it’s not really compelling piece at all.