Editorial Review

Red Pine (a.k.a. Bill Porter) offers a new perspective on the Chinese classic Taoteching. A competent translator and interpreter of Chinese religion, he renders his work with an eye for detail and a spiritualism cultivated during years of Zen monastery living. It's odd that many read translations of Chinese classics as bare-bones texts, whereas no Chinese would tackle such obscurity in the absence of a helping hand from previous pundits. Fortunately, it is no longer necessary to rely on mystical insight in order to understand the Taoteching. Instead, we can look to the 12 or so commentators that Red Pine resurrects from Chinese history. With its clarity and scholarly range, this version of the Taoteching works as both a readable text and a valuable resource of Taoist interpretation. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

'untying our tangles. . .softening our light . . .'
The only language in which the Taoteching could have been written is Classical Chinese, a medium seemingly open enough to accomodate any translation without losing anything at all.But we should keep in mind, as the good book here says,". . . the Tao in words is not the real Tao . . ." We could say that Classical Chinese could not really, in our day and age, be served up in literal translation, and we can be grateful to Red Pine, once again, that in this fabulous rendering, he does not begin with the words, but rather with the Tao.
Finally! A Tao Te Ching with the appropriate commentaries
In Asia, sacred texts like the Tao Te Ching are read with reference to the commentaries of its key historical luminaries. Only in the west is it read by itself, with no guidance. Finally, we have a TTC with key commentaries. Plus, the author has here given a translation that may come as close as possible to expressing the Chinese in English. It is concise, even pithy.
Indispensible
For those interested in the Tao Te Ching, the red pine translation is indispensible. Though there's little way to check the historical or translational accuracy in the provided sources to each stanza, they remain an invaluble insight to the meaning of each, significantly helping to aid your understanding, and come to a conclusion on your own.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. General    3. History    4. Philosophy    5. Spirituality - General    6. Taoism    7. ASIA    8. History / Asia   

Reviews (5)

Superb documentation of a Chinese working woman
This riveting book details an area of Chinese life seldom touched by written records. The remarkable friendship between Ida Pruitt and Ning Lao Toai-Toai has led to this very readable, and beautifully textured description of Ning Lao Toai-Toai's life in the late 19th and early 20th century. I found it both an enjoyable read and a valuable source of information about my research related to Chinese family life.

A Slice of Life
Ning Lao Ta'i-ta'i. _The Autobiography of a Chinese Working Woman. Translated and Transcribed by Ida Pruitt. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1967. I Really Liked this book!
I had to read this book for a core class in college and I thought that I would have hated it.Actually, I really liked it.It told of a Chinese working woman's life.It even gives the reader an insight into her lifestyle and her struggles during this tumuluous time in history.The story even touches on the japanese invasion.I didn't think this biography would be interesting but it was.I would recommended this book to anyone.It is a light read and it is very interesting. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1867-    2. Asia - China    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. China    6. Historical - General    7. Ning, Lao Tai-tai,    8. Ning, Lao T°ai-t°ai,    9. Social life and customs    10. Working class women    11. Biography: general   

Reviews (1)

One of best books on Laos 1945 to 1975
While all the Americans were riding around Laos in airplanes, Colonel Cross, the British Military Attach� to Laos from 1972 to 1976, walked every where from border to border, village to village, through government and communist areas, and knew most every one on all sides. He understood Laos and its politics like few other foreigners or Laotians.Knowing John Cross personally, in Laos, was an honor.His book, First In, Last Out is interesting, true, and worth it's price. Colonel Cross offers a different perspective than that found in books written on behalf of the United States CIA and State Department. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1945-1975    2. Biography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Cross, J. P    5. General    6. Great Britain    7. History    8. History - Military / War    9. Laos    10. Military - General    11. Military History - Korea Conflict    12. Soldiers    13. Vietnam   

Reviews (18)

The Hmong, the Americans and secret wars
This is a documentary about unsung heros who paid a deal price working for the Americans from the 40s and on. They were being hired to stop communism working with the French in the 40-50s. As the tide of North Vietnamese infiltration into South Vietnam turned, Vang Pao, a former French colonial officier was put in charge of covert operations working for CIA in the little known secret war in Laos. The book went into details on how much sacrifice the Hmong people made to please Americans.
the truth? not really...
this book has some truth...but woopti doo... anyone can research...but until you were actually there...you'll never know.
Engaging

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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Asia - Southeast Asia    3. Government policy    4. History    5. History - Military / War    6. History: World    7. Hmong (Asian people)    8. Laos    9. Military - Vietnam War    10. Wars    11. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    12. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    13. Second World War, 1939-1945    14. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (8)

Every American should read this book
The Ravenswould be an eye opener to virtually 99% of Americans who knew nothing about the secret war in Laos. The pilots who flew as FACS ,volunteered for a program that was called "the Steve Canyon Program". With it, the turned in all their identityof being a USAF pilot , and together with the CIA they directed with an extrememly high level of bravado and skill,other USAF air assetssuch as F-4's, T-28, f-105and other A/C to bomb targets on the Ho Chi Minh trail and othe rplaces where the NVA were infiltrating into Laos ,bringing tons of supplies to reinforce their agression. They also bombed and destroyed sites whenever they could also. THey were not the garden vairiety of USAF officers and wereshunned by the REMFS' and suits that may have visited Long Thien (sp) their mainsecret base,generally referrred to as "Alternate" in an attempt to thro off the enemy that is was their primary base.They flew with"Hmong" backseaters and trained other Hmong to fly T-28, one of whom had flowmany 1000's of missions before hewas shot downand killed, and became a national hero. THe Hmong , were a fearless bunch , unlike the regular Lsaotians , who often ran at the mere sight of the enemy. The Ravens in their secret war accomplishedan awful lot ofgood when you consider thatthe tonnage of bombs dropped elsewhere were often inneffective ( mostlybecasue of the very restrictive ROE rather than pilots who couldn;t do the job). THe Ravens flewsometines200 hours a month and I am sure some did more. It was common for them to be in the air 6-7 hours a day directing fire upon targets. They flew there small O-1's into fire ranging from small arms to large AAA, and many of them died but they did the job that has to be donewith valor. Air America also had some of the most gutsy pilots flying rescue missions as well, often going in to rescue a Ravenwhen the USAFchoppers begged off because ofenemy fire.
Unconventional Warriors in Exotic Lands
"The Ravens" is a fast-reading, fascinating, pedal-to-the-metal account of the young airforce pilots who were forward air controllers in Laos assisting the Hmong army that fought on the side of the United States. The Ravens flew tinny obsolete planes in a war that never really happened if one is to believe the official histories. There were about one hundred of them during the course of the war and they were a bold, brave, and wildly individualistic group. A goodly number came home in pieces or in body bags.
Fascinating Look Into What "Never Happened"
Hard to put this book down.Who were these mysterious folks who wore cut-off jeans, cowboy hats, and sunglasses?A very interesting documentary about this secret operation.If a pilot was shot down they were to take shellfish poison and commit suicide, because officially, they didn't exist.What country is the most-bombed per capita in history of the world?Vietnam?No, Laos.There are frequent insights and descriptions into the personalities of this small group of daring people who took part in this widely unknown conflict and series of secret missions.It lasted 10 years.Military terminology, procedures, strategies, and informalities (the way things got done), are explained well in this book.The personalities, internal politics and military strategies within Laos of the U.S. military and political bureaucracy, and Viet Minh, are broken down in an easy-to-read and free-flowing way, that makes it interesting and enjoyable for the reader.Some battles were examined that most of the American public is still not aware of today. Read more

Subjects:  1. Aerial operations, American    2. Campaigns    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Laos    6. Military - Vietnam War    7. Military History (General)    8. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    9. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    10. Non-Classifiable   

Editorial Review

When John Halliday arrived at Thailand's Nakhon Phanom Air Base in 1970, he thought the next year would bore him out of his skull. He believed his mission in the Vietnam War would be to fly cargo around Thailand. What could be easier? A couple of nights later, Halliday found himself dodging dozens of anti-aircraft shells in an aging cargo plane over the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Read more

Reviews (66)

An Exciting Book!
A marvelous book!
THE VERY BEST YET
At 8o, a WWII vet and pilot I have read of hundreds of book about the wars, flying and history in general. To me, J.T. Halliday's "Flying into Midnight" is one of the best yet. His writing style is refreshingly different and very interesting.

What Blather!
Having served in the same squadron at NKP as the author's, only a year earlier than his experience, I found this book almost laughable in it's exaggerations and inaccuracies.The Candlestick mission, by and large, was one of minimal hazards or risk, nothing of the "flying through flak" type of experience the author tries to make us believe he experienced.Furthermore, he begs for sympathy with his portrait of life at NKP being fraught with hardships and deprivation.In fact, for those of us who served "in country" in Vietnam, life at NKP was truly "country club living."The author also seems to believe that the key to good writing is good dialogue...the shame in that is that his dialogue is completely lacking in realism.There are very very few things in this book which jibed with my experience and I'm surprised that it made it into print.
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Subjects:  1. Aerial operations, American    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Campaigns    6. General    7. Laos    8. Military    9. Military - Aviation    10. Military - Vietnam War    11. Military History - Vietnam Conflict    12. Military Personal Narratives    13. Personal narratives, American    14. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    15. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    16. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (6)

anyone who is anyone must read this book
this is a seldom told and largely unknown aspect of the vietnam war. an amazing story of fighting the NVA to a virtual standstill with meager supplies and masterful tactics. a must read for anyone who thinks they know anything about the war in southeast asia.

A Page Out Of History
I served as Chief of Security for Air America in Thailand and Vietnam from 1967-1975. I enjoyed "Mule's" book very much. For those who shared Jim Parker's experiences you will relive old memories. For those who could not be there you will find the details fascinating. I would encourage you to read this one.

Covert Ops:The Cia's Secret War in Laos
An exceptional account of our secret war in Loas, pulling no punches in detailing both the bravery of many men as well as the stupidity of others.All of this woven in with a warm picture of the author's family life.In reading the book one concludes that it is an honest and straight forward account of the way our war in Loas was fought, without trying to make heros of the men who were truely the heros, nor overly critizing those who were more of a hinderance than help.In short, a clear, concise and well written account. Highly Recommeded by this reader. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. History - Military / War    3. History: American    4. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    5. History / Southeast Asia   

Reviews (5)

Not Captivating
Before picking up this book I had just finished Requiem by Horst Faas and Tim Page, The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam, A Bright Shining Lieby Neil Sheehan (all of which I loved), A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo, and Street Without Joy by Bernard Fall. I have to say that Richard Pyle is not in the same league (except maybe with Caputo).A dramatic, tragic story, but it just wasn't captivating in Pyle's hands.Also, he seemed to be stretching to create a book out of this story.Would have been better as an article in Atlantic Monthly rather than a complete book.

Lost Over Loas: A True Story of Tragedy, Mystery, and Friend
I throughly enjoyed this book.I love history and this book gave a good insight into the press of Saigon including their risks and misfortunes.I enjoyed reading about the relationships developed at a personal level between the press core and the military.I would highly recommend this book.

Explores and explains the psyche of the war photojournalist
For those of us born too late to be part of the generation that was, in the words of Richard Pyle, "educated, molded, and aged by the Vietnam experience," our second-hand knowledge of this war has been limited largely to the negative: the horrors of the battlefield, the mental anguish of the young soldiers being asked to sacrifice their lives for goals that were far from clear, and the deeply divisive debates over the agony of continued warfare vs. the humiliation of abandoning the cause. Yet this book is about journalists who VOLUNTEERED to go into the jungle. What would make an otherwise sane person want to do this? As Pyle explores the lives and deaths of the four killed photojournalists, various answers to this question surface, making the journalist's motives comprehensible even to outsiders such as myself--the lure of the exotic setting, the sense of regret that one might have felt if excluded from the most important event of the decade, and the sense of obligation to "compel the world to see Vietnam," to see it "through a camera lens that illuminated, explained, told truths of what the war looked like and how it felt to be there." As for coping with the drawbacks of death and dismemberment, there was always denial. As Richard writes: "It was part of the war correspondent psyche to recognize the possibility of the worst, but to worry or even think much about that was to invite oneself to look for work in another field"; and "there was a sense among members of the Saigon media that journalists who reached celebrity status through repeated stellar performance could become exempt from ordinary danger, passing into a realm of immunity where the worst simply could not happen to them--as if North Vietnamese gunners tracking a helicopter would receive a last-second order: 'Don't shoot. That's Larry Burrows up there.'"Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. Aviation - History    3. Death    4. History    5. History - General History    6. Journalism    7. Journalistic Writing    8. Laos    9. Military    10. Military - Vietnam War    11. Military History - Vietnam Conflict    12. Press coverage    13. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    14. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    15. War photographers   

Reviews (5)

Save your money
This is the worst book on Viet Nam I have read. I didn't even finish it I was so tired of the whinning and crying along with the all for me and to hell with you attitude. Reminded me of a very spoiled baby. I will give him a point for showing up at the party. If you want to read excellant books about helicopters in Viet Nam read the following. All are great. Chicken Hawk by Robert Mason, Sea Wolves and U.S. Navy Seawolves by Daniel Kelly. Taking Fire by Ron Kelly, and Low Level Hell by Mills. I stuck with the helicopters rather than all aircraft types because the list would be too long, but there are many exciting aviation books out there to read without wasting time on a bad one. There is one on the Kingsman Helicopters in action but I can't remember the title but well worth reading.I have over 47 books on Viet Nam and have read many more,so am familiar with most of the styles of writing offered in war books. This one just don't cut it.

rayjoy@ipa.net
Tom writes it as it was. No holds barred. I had many an experience of thesupposedly allies(the arvn) running and leaving the Americans to fightalone. To all the helicopter pilots I take my hat off.If it hadn't been forthem many more of our young men would have died over there. Roadrunner6 out

I was there and Tom tells it like it was.
One of the battles will forever be a part of me. I was there and flew a huey into Laos many times. This book is most accurate! Black Widow 25 ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aerial operations, American    2. Biography    3. Helicopter pilots    4. History - Military / War    5. History: American    6. Marshall, Tom    7. Military - United States    8. Military - Vietnam War    9. Personal narratives, American    10. United States    11. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    12. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    13. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    14. History / Military / Vietnam War    15. Vietnam    16. Laos    17. Ho Chi Minh Trail   

Reviews (1)

Comprehensive, insightful, culturally-sensitive
For a newcomer to Laos, Dr. Evans's volume would seem an excellent introduction to its history, politics and culture.For someone like myself, who had his own intense introduction to Laos in the late 60s and looks forward to a return, the book is an insightful refresher and update.It has helped me put my own experience in context and rethink the Laos I once thought I knew.This short history is thoughtful, well-written, and largely devoid of moral judgments. Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - Southeast    3. Asia - Southeast Asia    4. Civilization    5. General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    9. History: World    10. Indo-China - History    11. Laos    12. Asian / Middle Eastern history    13. Asian studies    14. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    15. Travel / Asia / Southeast   

Subjects:  1. History & Surveys - Ancient & Classical    2. History & Surveys - General    3. Metaphysics    4. Philosophers, Ancient    5. Philosophy   

Reviews (4)

UNFORGETABLESTORY FROM THE HEART
An amazing disclosure of the real facts of the American secret war in Laos. Dr.Charles "Jiggs" Weldon died recently. He,no doubt, deserves a prayer of gratitude from all of us for the gift of his compelling memoir.

A must-read for all Lao under 60
I laughed, I cried, and came out wiser from reading "Tragedy in Paradise". I only wish there were another Doc Weldon out there, somewhere, who would write the sequence to the plight of the Lao people in Laos, be they Lao Loum, Lao Theung, or Lao Soung.

A legendary man's perspective of a failed and forgotten war.
Doc Weldon is one of the truly heroic and most-beloved figures of the war years in Laos. He once again serves all Americans well by recording the events of his time and reminding us what it means to be an American. Great things can be accomplished even in pursuit of a lost cause. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1920-    2. Biography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. History / Southeast Asia    5. Laos    6. Physicians    7. Politics and government    8. United States    9. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    10. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    11. Weldon, Charles,    12. History    13. Indochina    14. Physicians' writings, American    15. Southeast Asia    16. Weldon, Charles   

Reviews (8)

Travelogue & mystery novel all in one; couldn't put it down
Upon reading Christopher Kremmer's book, one feels that he has thoroughly researched his information - as is apparent through the numerous interviews he reports throughout - but without sacrificing the novelistic beauty of his writing to a dry academic account.Kremmer is in Laos ostensibly searching for the fate of the last Lao King, who was spirited away by the Communists after the Lao Revolution and whose fate has never been made public.Although this search is the coil around which the book revolves, his many other experiences are bright and brilliant.An Australian, Kremmer's style is low-key and without much of the typical arrogance that might be ascribed to Westerners in developing countries.His conversations with Lao people in the present are seamlessly interwoven with depictions of complex Lao history. A love story
Here is a book written by a US journalist based in Vietnam suddenly obsessed by the disappearance of the royal family during the last revolution. It's a sweet little book that suffers for the journalist's attempt to write using more adjectives and longer sentences and for its meandering narrative. Having said this it does make for a pleasant read on the way to a visit of Laos, for example, and as mentioned in one of the other reviews, it is often the side comments that offer the most interesting colour to one's view of Laos.

Tangentially interesting, but meandering and pointless
Who cares if the king of Laos died 23 years ago or 21 years ago?I was hoping to learn more about the country, history, and people, but this was the wrong book.This guy goes on a crusade that never gripped me; the minor details he mentions in passing were much more interesting than his quest.There must be more interesting books about Laos than this. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1975-    2. 20th Century Description And Travel    3. Asia - Southeast    4. Asia - Southeast Asia    5. Description and travel    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Indo-China - History    10. Kremmer, Christopher    11. Laos    12. Politics and government    13. Travel    14. Cultural studies    15. Journeys    16. Travel writing   

Subjects:  1. Campaigns    2. History    3. History - General History    4. Laos    5. Military - Vietnam War    6. Military History (General)    7. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    8. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975   

Reviews (9)

Been there, done that.GREAT READ!
I flew in the same squadron and on the same ship as one of the Navy pilots George and his fellow warriors risked their lives to rescue.It happened on our first day of combat in 1968 and we were all overwhelmed by seeing their dedication to getting him out over three long days.It was like a bad dream.Now, 37 years later, I get to read a gripping, first-person account of this rescue mission and others like it. I am awed and humbled by reading this book.This is the "real deal" folks!No laser-guided, standoff weapons here.Be warned, you will lose sleep for a few nights as you turn these pages well past the time normal people go to bed.

SO OTHERS MIGHT LIVE
I am humbled and appreciate the sacrifice of these men who flew the sandys and jollys made during the secret war in Laos in the 60's.These men put their lives on the line every time they went out to rescue downed fliers in Laos.I first learned about the rescue mission of the A-1 from Stephen Count's book "Flight of the Intruder." And I am glad that someone who actually flew these planes wrote an account of their experiences in these strike and rescue missions.
Recognition for an important mission
While I was aware that the A-1 Skyraider participated in rescues of downed pilots, I had never read of the use of the A-1 indepth until I read "Cheating Death".Since the A-1 was an old, piston-engine aircraft, it is often overlooked, especially when compared to the F-4, F-105 and B-52 and other jets.George Marrett gives long overdue recognition to the crucial role played by the A-1 and the rescue forces in what is often an overlooked, yet important, role during the Vietnam War. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aerial operations, American    2. Asia - Southeast Asia    3. History    4. History - General History    5. Laos    6. Military    7. Military - Aviation    8. Military - Vietnam War    9. Search and rescue operations    10. Vietnam    11. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    12. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    13. Marrett, George J   

Editorial Review

In Read more

Reviews (13)

The Laos war from an american perspective
Shooting at the Moon is a book covering the US military war in Laos. Though some information is passed upon the war in Vietnam or Cambodia, the details are few and only mentioned when having an impact on the Laos war. Good descriptions are made on all the main characters involved and the war is covered both on the washington perspective and on the agents on the field. Only the effects on the civilian population is missing. A short summary is done on what happened after the war, on the further destinies on the peoples involved, on Laos and the refugees in Thailand. No real mention is done about the royalist puppet government of the US, other than a futile attempt to forbid US to do massive bombing flights. There is barely any mention on US activities apart from the military, such as factfinding, espionage and interrogation techniques.
The most amazing war story that's never been told
Warner's history of the Laotian conflict from 1960-1975 is an amazing story of a secret war run by secret agents working for a secret agency. The Secret War in Laos
While the Vietnam war was played out on your television screens a related war in neighboring Laos took place outside the line of vision of most Americans. It was a different kind of war. In Vietnam hundreds of thousands of American soldiers tried to hold ground and kill the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops. In Laos, a few American civilians working mostly for the CIA helped the Hmong hill people fight a guerilla war against the North Vietnamese. The ragtag forces of the Hmong kept three top-notch North Vietnamese divisions tied down in Laos for more than a decade.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Laos    5. Military    6. Military - Vietnam War    7. Politics and government    8. Secret service    9. United States    10. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    11. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    12. Asian / Middle Eastern history    13. History / Military / Vietnam War    14. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    15. USA    16. Vietnam   

Reviews (3)

the nightmare, the dream
"War in the Blood" is my favorite Asia book of recent years. It is still the definitive work on Southeast Asia's HIV/AIDS epidemic; but it is also a beautifully wrought travel memoir, written by a compassionate & intelligent observer. I have recommended it to many people interested in Burma. It also would be a fine clear-eyed introduction to contemporary Southeast Asian culture in all of its contradictions and surprises. "War in the Blood" is by no means a depressing work of epidemiology; rather it is a call to action, and in that sense, a ray of hope.

Rambling Combination of Facts on HIV and Southeast Asia
I was genuinely disappointed by this book given the interesting subjectmatter and the review posted on Amazon.Beyrer often loses his focus,shifting from discussing the AID epidemic to devoting entire paragraphs toan examination of Thai architecture and the temples of Chiang Mai.Iapplaud his effort to try to interweave cultural themes, but unfortunatelythis book reads like a travel guide loosely tied together. While there aresome good insights and facts, it seems Beyrer's editors provided him poorguidance to focus his writing.

Excellent overview of culture, politics, and HIV in SE Asia
Beyrer combines an incredible amount factual information in a very readable account of the march of HIV through SE Asia. He does best with his coverage of Thailand and Burma, the countries he knows most. He does a fine job of weaving strands of epidemiology, medicine, politics, and culture together. The book goes beyond the often one-dimensional accounts of HIV in the region and with bradth, a credible grasp of facts, and a sympathetic, personal point of view. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. AIDS (Disease)    2. Asia - Southeast Asia    3. Asia, Southeastern    4. Diseases - AIDS & HIV    5. Epidemiology    6. History    7. Political aspects    8. Sex customs    9. Sociology    10. Sociology - General    11. Southeast Asia    12. AIDS: social aspects    13. Cambodia    14. China    15. Cultural studies    16. Epidemiology & medical statistics    17. HIV / AIDS    18. Health systems & services    19. Laos    20. Malaysia    21. Myanmar (Burma)    22. Social Science / Sociology / General    23. South East Asia    24. Thailand    25. Vietnam   

Reviews (2)

A good book, but more academic than I was hoping for.
This book is bascially a mid-upper division college text on the development of Modern Laos from the 1800's to the present.A fine book on the recent history of Laos, the author strives to be fair and evenhanded inplacing responsibility for the various troubles plaguing the country. However, I would have liked more general background on the country,especially the history that predated European contact.Only the historynecessary to explain some modern interactions is present from that period.More maps and figures would have been nice as well. Only four maps and nofigures are present, and the author refers to many locations that aren'tlisted explictly on the maps.The type is set rather close as well, makingfor a bit of a strain in reading.That said, the information was well laidout and seemed very well researched.I learned a great deal about thedevelopment of modern Laos.

The definitive modern history
Martin Stuart-Fox has produced a concise, comprehensive account of Lao history, with emphasis on the revolutionary and post-revolutionary eras. Stuart-Fox is arguably the leading English-language expert on the history of Laos, and this work proves it; his book is meticulously researched and skillfully written. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - Southeast Asia    3. History    4. History - General History    5. Laos    6. Science/Mathematics    7. World - General    8. Asian / Middle Eastern history    9. History / World    10. Laos--History   

Editorial Review

Conceived as the companion volume to David Boaz's Read more

Reviews (10)

The Nature of Liberty
This book does not claim to be complete and openly admits that the heritage of liberty is much larger, deeper, and fuller than any one book could possibly hope to contain. This book is a brief--if you can call it such--summary of libertarian thought; it is a collection of writings containing ideas that have strongly influenced the evolution of politics. This is an excellent resource for finding essential thoughts on liberty and gathering names of many great thinkers to pursue in your future academic endeavors.

Useful, but maybe a tad overambitious
This collection of libertarian literature is a good first look at the wondrous world of anti-statist thought. It seems particularly apt for college students and other young people, yearning for meaningful ideas through the maze of collectivist propaganda.
Why I'm a Libertarian
This book is excellent for anyone who has interest in learning more about the Libertarian Party. The book is also great for mainstream libertarians who are serious about politics.