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The Mekong: Turbulent Past, Uncertain Future
A "remarkable" history of the great river of Southeast Asia (Jill Ker Conway, author of The Road from Coorain).
The Mekong River runs over nearly three thousand miles, beginning in the mountains of Tibet and flowing through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam before emptying into the China Sea. Its waters are the lifeblood of Southeast Asia, and first begot civilization on the fertile banks of its delta region at Oc Eo nearly two millennia ago.
This is the story of the peoples and cultures of the great river, from these obscure beginnings to the emergence of today's independent nations. Drawing on research gathered over forty years, Milton Osborne traces the Mekong's dramatic history through the rise and fall of civilizations and the era of colonization and exploration. He details the struggle for liberation during a twentieth century in which Southeast Asia has seen almost constant conflict, including two world wars, the Indochina War, the Vietnam War, and its bloody aftermath--and explores the prospects for peace and prosperity as the region enters a new millennium.
Along the way, he brings to life those who witnessed and shaped events along the river, including Chou Ta-kuan, the thirteenth-century Chinese envoy who recorded the glory of Angkor Wat, the capital of the Khmer Empire; the Iberian mercenaries Blas Ruiz and Diego Veloso, whose involvement in the intrigues of Cambodia's royal family shook Southeast Asia's politics in the sixteenth century; and the revolutionaries led by Ho Chi Minh, whose campaigns to liberate Vietnam from the French and unify the nation under communism changed the course of history.
"[A] pathbreaking, ecologically informed chronicle . . . A pulsating journey through the heart of Southeast Asia." --Publishers Weekly
The Mekong River runs over nearly three thousand miles, beginning in the mountains of Tibet and flowing through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam before emptying into the China Sea. Its waters are the lifeblood of Southeast Asia, and first begot civilization on the fertile banks of its delta region at Oc Eo nearly two millennia ago.
This is the story of the peoples and cultures of the great river, from these obscure beginnings to the emergence of today's independent nations. Drawing on research gathered over forty years, Milton Osborne traces the Mekong's dramatic history through the rise and fall of civilizations and the era of colonization and exploration. He details the struggle for liberation during a twentieth century in which Southeast Asia has seen almost constant conflict, including two world wars, the Indochina War, the Vietnam War, and its bloody aftermath--and explores the prospects for peace and prosperity as the region enters a new millennium.
Along the way, he brings to life those who witnessed and shaped events along the river, including Chou Ta-kuan, the thirteenth-century Chinese envoy who recorded the glory of Angkor Wat, the capital of the Khmer Empire; the Iberian mercenaries Blas Ruiz and Diego Veloso, whose involvement in the intrigues of Cambodia's royal family shook Southeast Asia's politics in the sixteenth century; and the revolutionaries led by Ho Chi Minh, whose campaigns to liberate Vietnam from the French and unify the nation under communism changed the course of history.
"[A] pathbreaking, ecologically informed chronicle . . . A pulsating journey through the heart of Southeast Asia." --Publishers Weekly
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2000
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160 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 29, 2016
Saigon seemed the perfect place to finish this book on the Mekong River, as I've come into this country on the river from Cambodia. This is a major work by an Australian who spent a good part of his life working in the countries around the Mekong. He first came to this region in the late 1950s as a student and in the 60s worked in the Australian Consulate in Phnom Penh. In this book, the author traces the history of the region back to the "Pre-Angkor" era to the end of the 20th Century. However, he only gives a general background to the area's history before the French began their exploration of the region in the early 19th century. Much of the book centers on the French failed attempts to develop the river into a major waterway into China, allowing them to tap into the riches of the "Middle Kingdom." The Mekong rises high the mountains of Southern China, east of Tibet. In an era of European colonization, the French envied the British position in Hong Kong and hoped to gain some access to China via Indochina.
Although much investment was made into the Mekong as a major waterway, the falls on the river between Laos and Cambodia were too great to be overcome. In time, the French built a railroad around the falls, but river traffic was slow and unpredictable as the river would rise during the rainy season (and after the snow melt), flooding thousands of miles of land, only to drop so low during the dry season that only shallow draft boats could traverse the upper reaches of the river. It was noted that in the 19th Century it took more time to travel up the river into Laos on the Mekong than it did to travel from France to Vietnam.
In the 1930s, French rule of Indochina was showing signs of weakening, especially in the Mekong Delta where powerful Vietnamese families (mostly Catholic) controlled large plantations and who treated the rest of their own countrymen as brutally as the French. This brutality led to the organization of what would become the Vietcong. In World War Two, after the fall of France, the Vichy French government gave Japan free access to Indochina. The Japanese left the French in charge, as they had unrestricted movement of troops through the region. During this time, they built bases and airstrips that allowed them to make their attacks on the British and Dutch colonies to the south. Near the end of the war, the Japanese decided it would be better for them to dispose the French and allow the native populations to govern themselves. This set up the conflict that occurred after the war when France tried to reestablish its control of the region.
A boat hauling freight and produce on the Mekong
When the author first visited Vietnam in the late 1950s, he describes how he found the Vietnamese women in their "ao-dai" (a traditional dress pronounced ow-zai) as "grace itself." There are still women that wore such outfits who walked by the bench in the park that I sat on while finishing this book. Such beauty also forms the background of Graham Greene's novel, The Quiet American (which I also read while in Vietnam and of which Osborne refers to in his work). Interestingly, Osborne doesn't spend a lot of time discussing the American aspect of the Vietnam War (he allocates as much space for the French war). One battle that he does cover extensively is the Ap Pac, which occurred in the Mekong Delta in 1963, in which a much stronger and well equipped South Vietnamese army was routed by the Vietcong. The battle, according to Osborn, was a sign of what was to come. During the last half of the book, when he discusses the Mekong Region during the second half of the twentieth century, he includes numerous personal memories such as his friendship with a Cambodian Catholic priest who was killed by the Khmer Rouge and his visit to the "killing fields" in early 1980, a year after the horror had ended.
The book ends with a discussion of the impact a bridge over the Mekong in Vietnam will have on the region (the bridge at Can Tho is now completed and open), the problems of pollution and a discussion of development along the river (many of which had been proposed in the 50s and 60s and shelved due to the war, but are now being reconsidered.
Osborne is a man who obviously loves the region and has done much research. His book provides the background for why the French were involved in Indochina and the history of the region from the 19th through the late 20th Century. Because the book is dated, you will need to look elsewhere to discover what has happened in the region over the past two decades as Cambodia and Vietnam have liberalized their economies. Also, if you are more interested in the ancient history of the region, I suggest you look elsewhere such as Michael D. Coe's Angkor and the Khmer Civilization.
Although much investment was made into the Mekong as a major waterway, the falls on the river between Laos and Cambodia were too great to be overcome. In time, the French built a railroad around the falls, but river traffic was slow and unpredictable as the river would rise during the rainy season (and after the snow melt), flooding thousands of miles of land, only to drop so low during the dry season that only shallow draft boats could traverse the upper reaches of the river. It was noted that in the 19th Century it took more time to travel up the river into Laos on the Mekong than it did to travel from France to Vietnam.
In the 1930s, French rule of Indochina was showing signs of weakening, especially in the Mekong Delta where powerful Vietnamese families (mostly Catholic) controlled large plantations and who treated the rest of their own countrymen as brutally as the French. This brutality led to the organization of what would become the Vietcong. In World War Two, after the fall of France, the Vichy French government gave Japan free access to Indochina. The Japanese left the French in charge, as they had unrestricted movement of troops through the region. During this time, they built bases and airstrips that allowed them to make their attacks on the British and Dutch colonies to the south. Near the end of the war, the Japanese decided it would be better for them to dispose the French and allow the native populations to govern themselves. This set up the conflict that occurred after the war when France tried to reestablish its control of the region.
A boat hauling freight and produce on the Mekong
When the author first visited Vietnam in the late 1950s, he describes how he found the Vietnamese women in their "ao-dai" (a traditional dress pronounced ow-zai) as "grace itself." There are still women that wore such outfits who walked by the bench in the park that I sat on while finishing this book. Such beauty also forms the background of Graham Greene's novel, The Quiet American (which I also read while in Vietnam and of which Osborne refers to in his work). Interestingly, Osborne doesn't spend a lot of time discussing the American aspect of the Vietnam War (he allocates as much space for the French war). One battle that he does cover extensively is the Ap Pac, which occurred in the Mekong Delta in 1963, in which a much stronger and well equipped South Vietnamese army was routed by the Vietcong. The battle, according to Osborn, was a sign of what was to come. During the last half of the book, when he discusses the Mekong Region during the second half of the twentieth century, he includes numerous personal memories such as his friendship with a Cambodian Catholic priest who was killed by the Khmer Rouge and his visit to the "killing fields" in early 1980, a year after the horror had ended.
The book ends with a discussion of the impact a bridge over the Mekong in Vietnam will have on the region (the bridge at Can Tho is now completed and open), the problems of pollution and a discussion of development along the river (many of which had been proposed in the 50s and 60s and shelved due to the war, but are now being reconsidered.
Osborne is a man who obviously loves the region and has done much research. His book provides the background for why the French were involved in Indochina and the history of the region from the 19th through the late 20th Century. Because the book is dated, you will need to look elsewhere to discover what has happened in the region over the past two decades as Cambodia and Vietnam have liberalized their economies. Also, if you are more interested in the ancient history of the region, I suggest you look elsewhere such as Michael D. Coe's Angkor and the Khmer Civilization.
October 27, 2025
Excellent piece of history and geography.
January 11, 2025
Took me more than 2 years to finish this book, probably because I actually set foot to multiple locations that were mentioned in the book. To an extent, I used this book as a travel guide and it worked really well. Mekong is a singularly mesmerizing river, and I have watched a dozen of sunrise and sunset over it, eaten fish from it, and swam in its waters. I deeply worry for Mekong’s future as more and more large scale hydroelectric dams are built along its course.
March 8, 2024
The first time I ever saw the Mekong River was in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. After visiting the National Palace, I stood on its banks, looking across to the other side. A couple days later, while taking a bus to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, I went across the Mekong by ferry. After traveling up the east coast of Vietnam to Hue, I crossed over into Laos and again stood on the bank of the Mekong in Savannakhet. My travels took me up to Vientiane where I ate river fish and som tam on the north shore and then took another bus north to Luang Prabang. One evening, I climbed down into the river valley after dinner. As the sun set on the Mekong there, the whole valley filled with an intensely golden light which was like no sunset I had ever seen before. It was the golden color of those stupas all over Southeast Asia, but brighter and more vibrant. I later went back down south and crossed the Friendship Bridge spanning the Mekong, arriving in Nong Khai, Thailand. Over the years, I would have more encounters with this legendary river.
Milton Osborne’s The Mekong: Turbulent Past Uncertain Future is significantly less exciting than any travel adventures I have had in that region. The history presented here is interesting enough, but it gets a light treatment without too many details.
The Mekong begins in the mountains of Tibet, flows south through Yunnan Province in China, cuts through a corner of Myanmar, drops further south through Laos, forming the border along the northern and eastern edges of Thailand. From there it turns inland again into Laos, enters Cambodia, and flows towards the delta in Vietnam where it merges into the South China Sea. Osborne’s historical narrative begins with the Khmer Angkor Kingdom, mostly known now for its iconic Angkor Wat. Portuguese explorers arrived and the Spanish followed. Those colonial powers did not conquer the Khmers or the Annamese, but they did have a significant impact on their affairs. The colonialists left for a long time and the Siamese conquered the Khmers and Laos while the Chinese invaded Vietnam. When the French colonialists showed up, they were welcomes as liberators since they freed those people from the tyranny of the Siamese and the Chinese. The honeymoon period didn’t last though and the French colonialists turned out to be just as severe. Even worse, they exploited the land for raw materials in far more damaging ways than the other Asian conquerors had.
In the heart of this colonial atrocity, there is an interesting adventure story. A group of explorers had a vision of using the Mekong for transport with the intention of moving commercial goods between China and the Mekong Delta where ships could transport them over to Europe. Their intentions may have been less than noble, but they were the first people to map the Mekong River and the story of their explorations is an adventure that rivals the best travel narratives. This really is the best part of the book.
From there, Osborne writes about the French – Indochina War and the end of colonial rule, the American invasion of Vietnam, and the future of the river. This last section deals mostly with environmental concerns largely in relation to China’s ambition to build dams on the Mekong. This has caused controversy with the countries further downstream.
The writing in this book is simple and clear. The first half covering the pre-modern and colonial periods are the best. Osborne does not give highly detailed accounts of events and it is all too obvious that a lot more could have been written. Osborne acknowledges that colonialism was a gross injustice, but he doesn’t dwell on the atrocities to any great extent. He isn’t dismissing this ugly side of Southeast Asian history so much as minimizing it for the sake of brevity and accessibility. This might bother some readers. Another major omission from this book is that almost nothing is said about the kingdom of Siam or the modern nation of Thailand, a significant portion of which is on the southern and western shores of the Mekong. A lot of what is included also happens in the Cambodian areas adjacent to the Mekong, mostly the plain of Angkor and the Tonle Sap tributary river which not directly on the titular body of water.
The Mekong is an interesting read, but it has its limitations. It is, so far, the only book that I know of that treats the entire river as a subject of history. It’s the kind of book that makes good casual reading if you stumble across a copy somewhere, but it isn’t something I would recommend hunting down. Most of what Milton Osborne writes about can be found in other sources that go further in depth. The target audience for this book is probably the handful of intelligent travelers and expats who are interested in more than beach parties and prostitutes. But if you’ve been to the Mekong, it might be a good book to enhance the memories you have. Personally, I have no desire to remember the persistently annoying mosquitoes, but I am more than happy to remember eating those fish that can be bought in the restaurants along the shore. The Laos and Isan Thai people stuff those freshwater fish full of lemongrass and garlic, pack them in salt for a week, then grill them. You eat it with green chili seafood sauce, sticky rice, and papaya salad. Wash it down with a Beer Chang and have a great night with the Asian friends you will inevitably make while in this most gregarious part of the world.
Milton Osborne’s The Mekong: Turbulent Past Uncertain Future is significantly less exciting than any travel adventures I have had in that region. The history presented here is interesting enough, but it gets a light treatment without too many details.
The Mekong begins in the mountains of Tibet, flows south through Yunnan Province in China, cuts through a corner of Myanmar, drops further south through Laos, forming the border along the northern and eastern edges of Thailand. From there it turns inland again into Laos, enters Cambodia, and flows towards the delta in Vietnam where it merges into the South China Sea. Osborne’s historical narrative begins with the Khmer Angkor Kingdom, mostly known now for its iconic Angkor Wat. Portuguese explorers arrived and the Spanish followed. Those colonial powers did not conquer the Khmers or the Annamese, but they did have a significant impact on their affairs. The colonialists left for a long time and the Siamese conquered the Khmers and Laos while the Chinese invaded Vietnam. When the French colonialists showed up, they were welcomes as liberators since they freed those people from the tyranny of the Siamese and the Chinese. The honeymoon period didn’t last though and the French colonialists turned out to be just as severe. Even worse, they exploited the land for raw materials in far more damaging ways than the other Asian conquerors had.
In the heart of this colonial atrocity, there is an interesting adventure story. A group of explorers had a vision of using the Mekong for transport with the intention of moving commercial goods between China and the Mekong Delta where ships could transport them over to Europe. Their intentions may have been less than noble, but they were the first people to map the Mekong River and the story of their explorations is an adventure that rivals the best travel narratives. This really is the best part of the book.
From there, Osborne writes about the French – Indochina War and the end of colonial rule, the American invasion of Vietnam, and the future of the river. This last section deals mostly with environmental concerns largely in relation to China’s ambition to build dams on the Mekong. This has caused controversy with the countries further downstream.
The writing in this book is simple and clear. The first half covering the pre-modern and colonial periods are the best. Osborne does not give highly detailed accounts of events and it is all too obvious that a lot more could have been written. Osborne acknowledges that colonialism was a gross injustice, but he doesn’t dwell on the atrocities to any great extent. He isn’t dismissing this ugly side of Southeast Asian history so much as minimizing it for the sake of brevity and accessibility. This might bother some readers. Another major omission from this book is that almost nothing is said about the kingdom of Siam or the modern nation of Thailand, a significant portion of which is on the southern and western shores of the Mekong. A lot of what is included also happens in the Cambodian areas adjacent to the Mekong, mostly the plain of Angkor and the Tonle Sap tributary river which not directly on the titular body of water.
The Mekong is an interesting read, but it has its limitations. It is, so far, the only book that I know of that treats the entire river as a subject of history. It’s the kind of book that makes good casual reading if you stumble across a copy somewhere, but it isn’t something I would recommend hunting down. Most of what Milton Osborne writes about can be found in other sources that go further in depth. The target audience for this book is probably the handful of intelligent travelers and expats who are interested in more than beach parties and prostitutes. But if you’ve been to the Mekong, it might be a good book to enhance the memories you have. Personally, I have no desire to remember the persistently annoying mosquitoes, but I am more than happy to remember eating those fish that can be bought in the restaurants along the shore. The Laos and Isan Thai people stuff those freshwater fish full of lemongrass and garlic, pack them in salt for a week, then grill them. You eat it with green chili seafood sauce, sticky rice, and papaya salad. Wash it down with a Beer Chang and have a great night with the Asian friends you will inevitably make while in this most gregarious part of the world.
February 26, 2026
this book completely transformed my experience of travelling Laos along the Mekong. full of insights, history and interesting data is written in a way that really captivates. From the early french explorers to current issues and controversies, it follows the Mekong course and history, and a must read for anyone visiting this region or with interest in its history.
February 2, 2018
I can never find much good literature on the South East Asia region or history of the region, and once again this book whilst it does a decent job is didn’t excite me very much.
January 20, 2020
Lots of very interesting history that was previously unknown to me. Having lived along the Mekong in Thailand, it was fascinating to read about this incredible river.
February 23, 2024
Good clear history and information on the area. Recommend only for those with particular interest in the area.
December 4, 2024
About the history of the Mekong, so not a quick read. However, I learned a lot.
August 18, 2010
A popular account of some of the historical highlights of exploration and development along the Mekong, Milton Osborne's latest offering is as much travelogue as history. For the more recent material he draws on forty years personal involvement with Southeast Asia, focusing on development issues; for the earlier period he is most fascinated by the history of European exploration. The result is episodic and personal, but also readable and informative.
Osborne touches on the earlier history of the region, on settlement in the Mekong delta and the Angkor empire, but soon comes to the colonial period. Here his primary interest is in exploration rather than broader history: he devotes forty five pages to the 1866-68 Mekong Expedition (the subject of an earlier book River Road to China) and almost as much again to attempts to navigate the Mekong, especially the problems posed by the Khone Falls. He also touches on the symbolic role of the Mekong in French colonial consciousness.
The three chapters on the period of the First and Second Indochina wars don't cover much general history (and might not be that easy to follow for readers without any knowledge of the history of the Vietnam war). Instead they try to give a feel for what it was like to live in Saigon and Phnom Penh before, during, and after the fighting, and for the human tragedies involved. They also cover early dam proposals and the setting up of the Mekong Committee.
Part three looks at some of the ongoing controversies surrounding large development projects. Osborne sketches the dangers (known and potential) to the ecology of the river posed by Chinese dams on the Mekong itself and by Thai and Laotian dams on Mekong tributaries (oddly there is no mention of Vietnamese dams on the Se San). He also looks at the changes brought by the development of bridges and transport systems and growth in tourism. Will development along the Mekong be controlled by the local people on whom it has the greatest impact, or by national elites, large corporations, and multilaterals such as the Asian Development Bank?
Osborne touches on the earlier history of the region, on settlement in the Mekong delta and the Angkor empire, but soon comes to the colonial period. Here his primary interest is in exploration rather than broader history: he devotes forty five pages to the 1866-68 Mekong Expedition (the subject of an earlier book River Road to China) and almost as much again to attempts to navigate the Mekong, especially the problems posed by the Khone Falls. He also touches on the symbolic role of the Mekong in French colonial consciousness.
The three chapters on the period of the First and Second Indochina wars don't cover much general history (and might not be that easy to follow for readers without any knowledge of the history of the Vietnam war). Instead they try to give a feel for what it was like to live in Saigon and Phnom Penh before, during, and after the fighting, and for the human tragedies involved. They also cover early dam proposals and the setting up of the Mekong Committee.
Part three looks at some of the ongoing controversies surrounding large development projects. Osborne sketches the dangers (known and potential) to the ecology of the river posed by Chinese dams on the Mekong itself and by Thai and Laotian dams on Mekong tributaries (oddly there is no mention of Vietnamese dams on the Se San). He also looks at the changes brought by the development of bridges and transport systems and growth in tourism. Will development along the Mekong be controlled by the local people on whom it has the greatest impact, or by national elites, large corporations, and multilaterals such as the Asian Development Bank?
May 30, 2016
A wonderful book to read before my trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. It starts with the exploration of the river and trying to find trade route to China. The Khone Falls did them all in. The next section talks about the wars. This was difficult for me to digest. We human beings sure know how to murder each other. They even had a guillotine on wheels so that the beheading could be done on the spot. Finally, the construction of dams and the future of the Mekong. As Osborne states, "All is far from well with the mightiest river in Southeast Asia".
August 2, 2011
I am never sure if it's better to read about a place before or after you've visited. Reading this history of the Mekong and particularly Cambodia held my interest because I've been there and could picture the places he described. Fascinating to read about the French colonial explorers of the Mekong.
March 14, 2008
A really excellent history of a river -- which shows that rivers can have biographies, too. It also gave me a first insight to some places that I know little about (Laos, for example), which left me wanting more.
July 11, 2014
Nice overview of the history of the Mekong and issues facing it going forward. Written in 2000, so many of the 'proposals' and uncertainties have probably been resolved by now, but the history was still good to find out.
March 9, 2015
Just a history of colonial exploration and administration. Despite actual sensitivity to the people of the Mekong countries, the subject matter makes this a paltry work. You'll learn how stupid colonization is, but you won't really learn anything about Viet Nam, Cambodia, or Laos.
September 3, 2012
Great book about a part of the world and its history I knew nothing about. Great prep for trip to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, and hopefully still to come, Burma and Thailand.
September 13, 2012
nonfiction, read for a trip I will take this winter, lot on the early french explorers
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews