BITTER VICTORY

Shaplen, considered by many the dean of Far Eastern correspondents, has reported from that region for the New Yorker since 1962. This book is based on a six-week visit to Vietnam and Cambodia in 1984, during which he sought to find out "why and how the Vietnamese won the war, and why they have had so much trouble winning the peace." Having developed a wide network of friends in Southeast Asia throughout the war years, Shaplen was able to hold frank discussions on sensitive issues to a greater extent than other returning Western journalists. Subjects under consideration include the precarious social and economic conditions in Vietnam, the political dialogue between the Old Guard "ideologues" and the younger "pragmatists," and the edgy relationship between the Vietnamese and the Russians. The author was surprised to learn that most of the older veterans in Vietnam "had more respect and admiration for the manner in which the French fought than the Americans." In the final chapter Shaplen explains the seemingly inexplicable recent history of Cambodia/Kampuchea.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In 1984 journalist Shaplen, a Far East correspondent since World War II, was permitted to visit Vietnam and Cambodia for six weeks. The interviews he conducted with key leaders form the basis for this analysis of the current sociopolitical situation in both countries. According to Shaplen, North Vietnam's stunning triumphs over the French and the Americans have remained hollow victories, since "life for the average Vietnamese today is no better than it was three or four decades ago, and in some respects it is worse . . . The country is steeped in poverty and much of it lies in ruins." Excellent lengthy political analyses are presented, including a discussion of the Khmer Rouge, which will appeal primarily to historians and specialists. This nicely complements Brothers in Arms ( LJ 6/1/86), a more personal account by former Marine William Broyles, who also returned to Vietnam in 1984. Richard W. Grefrath, Univ. of Nevada Lib., Reno
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.