Setting the Stage

The Vietnam Experience #1

by Edward Doyle, Terrence Maitland, Stephen J. Weiss

Surveys the history of Vietnam from the earliest times to the end of the Vietnam War and examines the development of the country's revolutionary movement

Genres: History, Military Fiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this entire series at a used book sale, so there'll be a lot of these reviews. Setting the Stage covers everything from the dawn of history to the end of WW2, and does a great job putting the Vietnam War in the context of Vietnam's centuries-long struggle against foreign domination, both Chinese and French, and the ageless conflicts of the rural peasant over land and taxes. The evils of French colonialism are explored in detail; the topheavy and ineffective French colonial bureaucracy extracted every bit of wealth from the land, while a new class of Vietnamese interpreters and cultural agents made themselves wealthy through corrupt business dealings. However, the rise of the Nationalist and Communist movements in the 1930s only gets a few chapters, along with the biographies of major figures. Perhaps the next book has more detail.

[Robert Alexander Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐ A Solid Introduction to Vietnam

This book provides a clear overview of the early origins of the Vietnam conflict, showing how World War II and the Japanese occupation spurred revolutionary movements that continued when the French returned to Indochina. The explanation of these transitions is straightforward and helps the reader understand why resistance grew so quickly. Some topics are treated briefly, but the material is organized well and remains engaging throughout. The book works as an accessible starting point for anyone curious about how the conflict first took shape. It is not a deep analysis, yet it succeeds in sparking interest, and it is the book that first drew me into learning more about the Vietnam War.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of the Vietnam Experience series of books from the 1980s (25 volumes in all). The book focuses on the history of Vietnam from the dawn of history to the end of World War II, when Vietnam declared independence from the French, soon to be fought by the French. It is written in a fairly easy language and meant to be consumed by a mass audience. It is not a scholarly work that is difficult to get through. I actually learned a lot about Ho Chi Minh from this book that I did not always know. Among other things that he has not always a Communist, but mainly a patriot, converted to Communism.

One major takeaway from the book is that the French had a very different idea about what being a colonial power is than the British, who did a much better job of fostering the development of colonies rather than bleeding them for raw materials, leaving them worse off than when they came.

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Series

1 Setting the Stage
2 Passing the Torch
3 Raising the Stakes
4 America Takes Over
5 A Contagion of War
6 Nineteen-Sixty-Eight
7 Fighting for Time
8 Combat Photographer
9 Thunder from Above
10 A Nation Divided
11 South Vietnam on Trial
12 A Collision of Cultures
13 Tools of War
14 Rain of Fire
15 The False Peace
16 A War Remembered
17 Images of War
18 The Fall of the South
19 The North
20 The Aftermath
21 Flags into Battle
22 The Army at War
23 Pawns of War
24 Words of War
25 War in the Shadows

Got one of the highest recommendations by John Kenneth Galbraith

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Setting the Stage" covers everything up to the end of WW2, and does a good job putting the Vietnam War in the context of Vietnam's centuries-long struggle against foreign domination, both Chinese and French, and the ageless conflicts of the rural peasant over land and taxes. The problems with French colonialism are explored in detail. However, the rise of the Nationalist and Communist movements in the 1930s only gets a few chapters, along with the biographies of major figures. A pretty good book.

[John Maberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very helpful in learning the history of Vietnam and Southeast Asia when preparing to write my memoir, Waiting for Westmoreland. It covers up through WWII. Bear in mind that this is a Time-Life book, so it's not a college-level scholarly work but it is still informative. If your were going to be writing a scholarly work of your own, you might begin here for background and clues on where else to look for definitive information.

[Chris Doherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great historical background on Vietnam before the post WWII era.