Sparring with Charlie

by Christopher Hunt

When Christopher Hunt set off in search of Vietnam's notorious Ho Chi Minh Trail, he hardly expected to end up on a rickety, Russian-made motorcycle navigating 5,000 kilometers of paths rarely traveled by tourists and on roads missing from maps.

Hunt left the United States expecting to explore the 1,700-kilometer highway that was once the supply route for the North Vietnamese Army.  He soon found himself roaming the Vietnamese countryside in need of help and direction. In the process, he found that being an American in Vietnam conjured constant reminders of the past and encountered a country and a people poised precariously between the ancient and the modern.

With adventure, wit, and an eye for the absurd, Christopher Hunt goes beyond the newspaper headlines and myths about Vietnam to capture the color and complexity of Vietnam today.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Asia, War

289 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Kathy]

It took me awhile to get into this book....mainly because it took the author several chapters to actually begin his trip! Once he hit the road, I tuned into it. The author decides to ride a motorcycle down the Ho Chi Minh Trail from Hanoi to Saigon only to discover that there is no one main trail but a maddening number of side paths, some unconnected to others, some crossing the border into Laos. The "sparring with Charlie" in the title refers to his numerous encounters with Vietnamese police and government officials who, for the most part, attempt to restrict his travels. In the course of his travels, Christopher Hunt sees with his own eyes a clear picture of the destruction of a country by two political entities, the desperation of its people and how slow it is to recover. The book is well written and Mr. Hunt's admiration for the resilience of the Vietnamese people is clear. It was also interesting to hear his impressions as someone who was not even alive when the war took place.

[Ian]

Written by a fat headed American narcissist who hates Vietnam, Laos and their people. What a horrible tosspot.

[Pat Loughery]

Just not that interesting. Too bad; I love motorcycle travel books.

[Gord MacPherson]

As I love history, with a keen interest in the Vietnam/American war I was expecting to love this book. Instead the authors American exceptionalism attitude turned me off repeatedly. I don’t give up and kept going to the end, hoping the author would redeem himself. He did not. Having been to Vietnam, I could relate to many of his observations and while he acknowledges the wrongs the US did to the Vietnamese, he was condescending when discussing his interactions with Vietnamese veterans. I can only imagine the reception a former NVA or Viet Kong veteran would receive if they entered an American Legion. I found the story ponderous and unfulfilling in achieving what its title implied. Too bad, it had the makings of a good book.

[Jane Routley]

A good travel book but I was mildly irritated by this entitled Yanks determination to face off against the Vietnamese military in peacetime. I suspect they have better things to do than entertain your desire for thrills dude!

[Jean Matthews]

Vietnam - Round the World reading challenge

[Amy Kitchell]

This book is about a journalist who goes to Vietnam in 1996 and travels the Ho Chi Minh Trail by moped. It’s an interesting concept, but the author just doesn’t follow through with an exciting read. I listened to this on CD in my car so it was something to pass the time away while driving; however, if I had been reading this in an actually book, I probably wouldn’t have been able to finish it. There was just no motivation for the reader to turn the page and find out what would happen next. Extremely pedestrian.

[Eric]

Hunt has produced a somewhat ersatz travelog of life along the Ho Chi Minh trail of Vietnam, and gives up a glimpse into the after-war years of that country. His journey on a Russian motorcycle through parts of the country that typically are not seen by tourists makes for very interesting vignettes and some level of trepidation. A very interesting, and even at times delightful, story of possible healing.

[Christine Prevost]

I love travelogues! Having been to Vietnam, a lot of the book brought back memories of my own travels. Chris was there longer and had many more encounters with Vietnamese people than I did. I liked some of his insights into the people and the political system. Wish I had read this before I went. I also think he should not have skipped Dalat at the end. It was a real treat!

[Susan]

Vietnam may have won the war but devastation and poverty still reign in a country still stepping on land mines, living with jungles flattened by agent orange and people scrapping by with missing limbs and no jobs. This is one seriously screwed up area of the world. I can only ask why were we fighting this war? Money and lives were lost to "stop the spread of Communism?"

[Northman 737]

This book was pretty good. Usually this kind of book is written by people who are painfully PC and only bring up the good parts of the culture and the places. This guy said a few things that genuinely surprised me. I feel that this book gave me exactly what I was hoping for when I picked it up.

[Brent Stratton]

It starts out interesting but just kind of rambles on without really any point, plot or stories interesting enough to go into much detail. I stopped reading about 2/3 of the way through so maybe it gets better at the end but would have to have been amazing to make the middle worth it.

[Anna]

Don't read it as a guide to Vietnam or the people there. If you wanta fairly entertaining book about going on a motorcycle trip in a "strange" country, then this is a good enough book.

[Nancy]

OK read about traveling the length of Vietnam on motorbike. Colorful and interesting characters. Read it for future travel plans - don't go out of your way to find this!

[David Newhall]

Newby style comical travel book. An attempt to follow the Ho Chi Minh trail on a clapped out Russian motorcycle.

[Kettie]

Got about halfway through and found I didn't care if he finished his journey or not so I moved on to other books.

[David Dutcher]

Listened to this one on CD. Interesting account of a motorcycle ride through Vietnam in 1994. Written in the style of Dashiel Hammet.

[Garret]

Listened to the audio book. Maybe I missed something, but it didn't seem like that adventurous of a trip.

[amy]

A fast read. A bit outdated now though...

[Lisa]

An amazing story of a county in limbo.