Saigon: A History - Softcover

"offers a detailed, affectionate history of the city from its birth as a minor coastal trading post in the late 15th century, through various conquests and re-conquests by warlords and foreign powers, to its present status as a global city"--Reference & Research Book News; "Engaging history"--Ronald B. Frankum, Jr., Ph.D., Chair, Department of History, Millersville University of Pennsylvania; "In an exquisitely drawn chronicle, Dr. Nghia Vo outlines Saigon's beginning from a humble village in a muddy swamp, to one of Asia's premier cities. Vo captivates the reader by weaving Saigon's turbulent growth within the bloody history of South Vietnam. At times poignant, Vo writes with passion about his home, lamenting its devastation at the hands of the Communist's, while proud of Saigon's amazing resilience. Required reading for anyone seeking to understand the South Vietnamese, their plight, and their incredible resurgence after the war."--George J. Veith, author of Code Name Bright Light: The Untold Story of U.S. POW Rescue Efforts during the Vietnam War, and Black April: The Fall of South Vietnam, 1973-75.

Throughout its 300-year modern history, Saigon has remained the unknown city of the Mekong Delta. This historical text examines the development of the city from 1698 to 2010, from the years as a Khmer village in the swampy and lush lands of the delta through its evolution into a huge, industrialized city. The book examines in detail the numerous political and cutltural transitions through the hands of the Chams, Khmers, Vietnamese, Chinese, French, Japanese, Americans, nationalists and communists. By way of Saigon's story, the story of the South Vietnamese is also told.