Ho Chi Minh: A Life

"Magnificent . . . [It] has managed not only to fill in the missing pieces of Ho's life but to provide the best account of Ho as a diplomat and a strategist." —The New York Times Book ReviewA New York Times Notable BookA Los Angeles Times Best Book of the YearTo grasp the complicated causes and consequences of the Vietnam War, one must understand the extraordinary life of Ho Chi Minh, the man generally recognized as the father of modern Vietnam. William J. Duiker provides startling insights into Ho's true motivation, as well as into the Soviet and Chinese roles in the Vietnam War.Ho Chi Minh's epic life helped shaped the twentieth century. But until now, there has never been a major biography of this immensely important and elusive figure. Finally, William J. Duiker, a world-renowned authority on Vietnam, has filled this gap with an astonishing work of history that takes full advantage of information and archives only recently declassified. What emerges is a riveting portrait of a man who went from a tiny village to a place on the world stage alongside the key players of our time: Joseph Stalin, Sun Yat-sen, Harry Truman, Nikita Khrushchev, Mao Zedong, and Lyndon Johnson."Impressive . . . a welcome intrusion on the silence that has surrounded Ho Chi Minh." —Los Angeles Times Book Review"A major scholarly achievement . . . It is the most authoritative account of Ho's life we are likely to have for a long time to come." —The Washington Post Book World"Sweeping . . . the first full-scale treatment of Ho from start to finish." —Chicago Tribune Read more