The successful struggle of Vietnam to establish its national identity against the attempted domination of the Chinese, the French, and then the Americans now allows, suggest editors Tran (history, U. of Toronto, Canada) and Reid (director, Asia Research Institute, National U. of Singapore), a more nuanced historical look at Vietnam as a confluence of cultures and peoples. Such is the task taken up by the ten papers they present, which explore the influences of different ethno-religious groups within Indochina and outside forces on the construction of Vietnamese identity. Examples of topics addressed include the impact of Chinese gunpowder technology in the region, French law and daughters inheritance rights in Vietnam, ethnic pluralities in the Mekong Delta, and the experiences of Vietnamese soldiers and workers in France during World War I. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Moving beyond past histories of Viet Nam that have focused on nationalist struggle, this volume brings together work by scholars who are re-examining centuries of Vietnamese history. Crossing borders and exploring ambiguities, the essays in Viet Nam: Borderless Histories draw on international archives and bring a range of inventive analytical approaches to the global, regional, national, and local narratives of Vietnamese history. Among the topics explored are the extraordinary diversity between north and south, lowland and highland, Viet and minority, and between colonial, Chinese, Southeast Asian, and dynastic influences. The result is an exciting new approach to Southeast Asias past that uncovers the complex and rich history of Viet Nam. “A wonderful introduction to the exciting work that a new generation of scholars is engaging in.”—Liam C. Kelley, International Journal of Asian Studies
