Vietnam: A New History (v)

from Christopher Goscha and Vietnamese studies

“Rethinking Vietnam” has 1 more block quotation than the introduction and first and second chapters of Vietnam: a New History combined. That fourth chapter sets as many quotations apart from the author’s running text as in the second and third chapters together, or through the following fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth;

the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth; the eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh; the eleventh and twelfth; or the twelfth and thirteenth. In the twelfth chapter, “Cultural Change in the Long Twentieth Century,” 4 block quotes approach but do not equal the 5 of the fourth.

Christopher Goscha runs text from sources in his own paragraphs throughout his history. When he turns first here to thinking and later to culture, he emphasizes the others speaking in their day. Good man.

“Vietnam is not on the European continent, but the Asian [one].”

“Every day when we talked about the affairs of our country, he singled out for bitter reproach the wicked conduct of the monarchs, the enemies of the people.”

“Drop stupid practices.”

“The day that this race understands that its historical ambitions can, thanks to us, come to fruition in ways that it never before imagined [. . .]”

“[. . .] within the French Indochinese Union our supremacy is the logical consequence, the very nature of things.”

This was the fifth Viet Nam letter of 6 so far addressing Vietnam: A New History by Christopher Goscha. The first went out April 16, 2022, the second on May 18, 2022, the third on June 20, 2022, and the fourth on August 20, 2022.

Then the sixth posted on November 27, 2022.

Viet Nam letters respects the property of others under paragraph 107 of United States Code Title 17. If we asked for permission it wouldn’t be criticism. We explain our fair use at length in the letter of September 12, 2022.

The colophon of these Viet Nam letters, directly above, shows the janitor speaking with poet David A. Willson on a Veterans Day.