Author Description

Hung, educator and journalist, examines the economic background to the conflicts in Vietnam which arose in the second half of the twentieth century. In the early years of the Second World War, Indochina experienced an upturn in its economy, creating a powerful class of Vietnamese entrepreneurs and administrators who were courted by both the French and the Japanese in the course of the war. When the events of the war isolated Vietnam, and its economy was decimated, the result was widening gaps between social groups, unrest, and even famine, despite the best efforts of the Vietnamese to improve conditions. By August 1945, the economic situation, and the policies of the French and Japanese, left Vietnam vulnerable to revolution. Distributed by ISBS. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)