Vietnam's Year of the Rat


Book Description

Vietnam's Year of the Rat explores the lunar New Year 1960 and the dynamic relationship between two competing groups vying for control in the Republic of Vietnam. One group, led by United States Ambassador Elbridge Durbrow, worked toward directing Vietnam towards an American-style democracy that focused on forcing reforms within the Saigon government. The other group, headed by Republic of Vietnam President Ngo Đinh Diệm, attempted to navigate the demands of Durbrow and the State Department and to confront internal opposition and an emerging external threat while trying to further the goals of the Republic. The result was a series of failed opportunities by both sides to resolve the differences of the two complementary, if conflicting, strategies. Vietnam's Year of the Rat offers an alternative to the now standard historiography for this period of the study in the Vietnam War by providing a Vietnamese viewpoint into the story of that long and tragic war.




Tunnel Rat in Vietnam


Book Description

In 1965, soon after the first US combat troops had arrived in Vietnam, it was realized that in some areas the Viet Cong had developed vast tunnel complexes in which to hide from the enemy. It was long known that such complexes existed, but it was not realized just how extensive they were in some areas, how important they were to the Viet Cong, and how difficult it was to detect and neutralize them. At first infantrymen volunteered to enter the tunnels armed with only pistols and flashlights – the 'tunnel runners' were born, known to the Australians as 'tunnel ferrets'. Starting as an ad hoc force of infantrymen, combat engineers and chemical troops, it was not long before units were 'formalized' as 'tunnel exploration personnel' and 4–6-man 'tunnel exploitation and denial teams' were created. They came to be known simply as 'tunnel rats' with the unofficial motto Non Gratum Anus Rodentum – 'Not Worth a Rat's Ass'. This title will be based on the personal accounts of those who served in this unique role and will describe the specialist training and equipment, not to mention the tactics and combat experiences, of those who fought an underground war against the Viet Cong in Vietnam.




Year of the Rat


Book Description

In this sequel to Year of the Dog, Pacy has another big year in store for her. The Year of the Dog was a very lucky year: she met her best friend Melody and discovered her true talents. However, the Year of the Rat brings big changes: Pacy must deal with Melody moving to California, find the courage to forge on with her dream of becoming a writer and illustrator, and learn to face some of her own flaws. Pacy encounters prejudice, struggles with acceptance, and must find the beauty in change. Based on the author's childhood adventures, Year of the Rat, features the whimsical black and white illustrations and the hilarious and touching anecdotes that helped Year of the Dog earn rave reviews and satisfied readers.




Decoding Ancient Chinese Vs. Vietnamese Zodiacs


Book Description

Ancient Chinese zodiac's origin was still unknown to this day. Beside the emperor Jade legend for children, we do not know much about it. It was told that the Chinese zodiac was spread from China to other Asian countries, therefore many zodiac variations exist today. Was there any reason why the Rabbit sign was replaced by the Cat sign, the Pig became the Boar? the Sheep could be the Goat and vice versa? Why was the majestic Dragon belittled to the same level of all other earthly animals? Were these zodiac animals chosen randomly? Did their position in the zodiac have a meaning at all? And finally did the original inventor(s) of the Chinese zodiac ever intend to leave a coded message for his/their fellow humans? You will be surprised that the new evidence will show that they did. The message embedded in the ancient Chinese zodiac was so artfully scripted that no one could unmask it until this day. How could it be? the zodiac was so old and how could it be hidden for thousands of years? It turns out that it is a common phenomenon after all. The Egyptian hieroglyphs were finally decoded just a century ago when a French scholar named Jean-François Champollion discovered the Rosetta stone that contained three translations of a same text written in Egyptian hieroglyphs and deciphered it successfully. Of course the Chinese zodiac does not contain hundreds of scripted symbols but its twelve symbols remain elusive to this day. No one knows the true story, only a children oriented legend exists. As a matter of fact, for the Chinese zodiac, more than a puzzle, not only you will have to put all the pieces into their original places in order to see the actual image but you will have also to find the right filter in order to see the hidden the path of the inventor's thinking and this hidden path will lead you to the final place where the true message is revealed. When you can read the message then everything will become clear and the message will even surprise you more: it contains an amazingly the first declaration of freedom for mankind - an universal value that we all cherish today. Last but not least, the message will also reveal who were truly its inventors. All in all, this extraordinarily coded message is finally revealed for the first time. So how was it secretly embedded in the zodiac? The book will explain it all.All the Chinese ideograms of the zodiac signs, at first look, do not resemble anything, let alone the animals they stand for. Most Chinese scholars said that the ideograms represent the calendar hours, months and years therefore they did not have any etymological bearing with the animals themselves, but rather an astronomical meaning. Unfortunately the etymology for these ideograms do not reveal anything meaningful. Now if we take a deep look into the drawing of these ideograms, especially their equivalent in other ancient scripts of the Chinese writing system (Traditional, Bronze, Seal, Liushutong, Oracle bones) then compare them with the animals they represent, you will be surprised that they actually mean something totally relevant. Finally you will see the mystery behind the drawing of these ideograms. Moreover they will you what original animals they stood for.




The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt


Book Description

"Tells the darkly humorous story of the French colonial state's failed efforts to impose its vision of modernity upon the colonial city of Hanoi, Vietnam. This book offers a case study in the history of imperialism, highlighting the racialized economic inequalities of empire, colonization as a form of modernization, and industrial capitalism's creation of a radical power differential between "the West and the rest." On a deeper level, The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt will engage the contradictions unique to the French Third Republic's colonial "civilizing mission," the development of Vietnamese resistance to French rule, the history of disease, and aspects of environmental history"--




Vietnam


Book Description

Now in its 7th edition, Vietnam: An American Ordeal continues to provide a thorough account of the failed American effort to create a viable, non-Communist state in Southern Vietnam. Unlike most general histories of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, which are either conventional diplomatic or military histories, this volume synthesizes the perspectives to explore both dimensions of the struggle in greater depth, elucidating more of the complexities of the U.S.-Vietnam entanglement. It explains why Americans tried so hard for so long to stop the spread of Communism into Indochina and why they failed. In this new edition, George Donelson Moss expands and refines key moments of the Vietnam War and its aftermath, including the strategic and diplomatic background for United States’ involvement in Indochina during World War II; how the French, with British and American support, regained control in southern Vietnam, Saigon, and the vicinity, in the fall, 1945; the account for the formation of SEATO; and the account of the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979. The text has also been revised and updated to align with recently published monographic literature on the time period. The accessible writing will enable students to gain a solid understanding of how and why the United States went to war against The Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and why it lost the long, bitter conflict. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of American history, the history of foreign relations, and the Vietnam War itself.




Vietnam


Book Description

In the late 1980s, most of the world still associated Vietnam with resistance and war, hardship, refugees, and a mismanaged planned economy. During the 1990s, by contrast, major countries began to see Vietnam as both a potential partner and a strategically significant actor—particularly in the competition between the United States and an emerging China—and international investors began to see Vietnam as a land of opportunity.




Chinese Astrology


Book Description

Draws on the archetypes of the 12 signs of the ancient Eastern zodiac to offer insight into astrologically influenced personalities, providing coverage of such related topics as how a birth element shapes one's destiny, Chinese love signs and the qualities of one's Chinese birth-hour "companion."




Kontum


Book Description

In the spring of 1972, North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam in what became known as the Easter Offensive. Almost all of the American forces had already withdrawn from Vietnam except for a small group of American advisers to the South Vietnamese armed forces. The 23rd ARVN Infantry Division and its American advisers were sent to defend the provincial capital of Kontum in the Central Highlands. They were surrounded and attacked by three enemy divisions with heavy artillery and tanks but, with the help of air power, managed to successfully defend Kontum and prevent South Vietnam from being cut in half and defeated. Although much has been written about the Vietnam War, little of it addresses either the Easter Offensive or the Battle of Kontum. In Kontum: The Battle to Save South Vietnam, Thomas P. McKenna fills this gap, offering the only in-depth account available of this violent engagement. McKenna, a U.S. infantry lieutenant colonel assigned as a military adviser to the 23rd Division, participated in the battle of Kontum and combines his personal experiences with years of interviews and research from primary sources to describe the events leading up to the invasion and the battle itself. Kontum sheds new light on the actions of U.S. advisers in combat during the Vietnam War. McKenna's book is not only an essential historical resource for America's most controversial war but a personal story of valor and survival.




The River Rats of Vietnam


Book Description

The book was written to give the forgotten River Rats a voice. They played such an important role during the entire US involvement in Vietnam. We hope this book gives not only the returning Rats some pease, but also the loved ones of those who didn't.