Culture and Customs of Vietnam

(Paperback)

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Description

Vietnam is increasingly opening up to the West, and society is in flux between tradition and modernity, and capitalism and socialism. Americans have distanced themselves from the Vietnam War now, and Culture and Customs of Vietnam fills a need to learn about the country, which has also evolved. Readers will find that this is the only general book on Vietnamese culture in English written by specialists. McLeod and Nguyen, historians specializing in Vietnam engagingly show the various forces of Vietnamese culture in narrative chapters on the land, people, and language; history and institutions; thought and religion; literature; art and architecture; cuisine; family, marriage, gender, and youth culture; festivals and leisure activities, and performing arts. Culture and Customs of Vietnam is a comprehensive, one-stop source, providing the most useful and intriguing information for students and general readers. Some of the highlights include the discussion of the Chinese influence in writing, thought, and religion; eating habits; the changing family; and water puppetry. A chronology, glossary, and numerous photos complement the text.

Reviews

this book includes virtually everything that a student looking for information on Vietnam is likely to need. * VOYA *
Finding postwar material is not always easy as our nation is still uncertain about uncovering wounds we'd rather forget, but we find this book to be an essential part of a high school's collection on South East Asia. * Blanche Woolls & David Loertscher (GaleGroup.com) *
[C]oncise and excellent guide to Vietnamese culture, both past and present.this work is a valuable and unique contribution to popular Vietnamese studies. * American Reference Books Annual *

Author Bio

MARK W. MCLEOD is Associate Professor of History at the University of Delaware./e He is the author of The Vietnamese Response to French Intervention, 1862-1874 (Praeger, 1991). NGUYEN THI DIEU, born in Vietnam, is Associate Professor of History at Temple University. She is the author of The Mekong River and the Struggle for Indochina: Water, War, and Peace (Praeger, 1999).