To grasp the complicated causes and consequences of the Vietnam War, one must understand the extraordinary life of Ho Chi Minh, the man generally recognised as the father of modern Vietnam. Because of the inaccessibility of vital sources on his life and career, until now there has been no full-length biography of this significant world leader. Now, William Duiker, a world-renowned authority on Vietnam, delivers an immensely captivating portrayal of Ho. His compelling narrative tells an epic story of a renaissance man - his early years of poverty and rebellion, his "wild" days as an expatriate in the US, in France and in the Soviet Union, his interaction with world leaders ranging from Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson to Stalin and Mao Zedong, and his ultimate commitment to the success of the Vietnamese revolution and reunification of his country under Communist rule. With unprecedented access to information in five languages, some of it only recently declassified, Duiker provides startling insights into Ho's true motivation, as well as into the Soviet and Chinese roles in the Vietnam War. Riveting and impeccably researched, 'Ho Chi Minh' is a stunning and revelatory portrait of an extraordinary man whose life holds the key to understanding a conflict that continues to divide and confound.
