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| Author: Duong Van Mai Elliott
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
List Price: $24.99
Buy New: $16.49
You Save: $8.50 (34%)
Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 46039
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 544
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.8
ISBN: 0195137876
Dewey Decimal Number: 959
EAN: 9780195137873
Publication Date: April 20, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 A marvelous, important work on Vietnam. May 3, 1999
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
The Sacred Willow is a beautifully detailed view of the Vietnamese twentieth century -- not from the perspective of Americans involved in the war years 1965-75, but from the perspective of one Vietnamese family. Duong Van Mai Elliott's family included mandarins and leaders of Vietnamese society -- as well as members of the Viet Minh. The memoir is poignant and dramatic, exploring the widely diverging experiences of the author, her relatives and friends between the 1940s and the end of 20th century. The reader who wants to "understand Vietnam" will not find a better book, or a more readable and absorbing one.
THE SACRED WILLOW February 12, 2002
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
I am a Vietnam vet that thoroughly enjoyed this historic background as portrayed by Mai Elliiot in this remarkable book. I have always been amazed our government prepared us so lightly for a conflict that needed the knowledge Mai exhibits for this far-away land we tromped into so blatantly. Only a vet could begin to comprehend the extent of Mai's wonderful treatment of her native people's travails and create the respect one has to garner for their toughness and leathery resiliency.
I flew helicopters in the Mekong Delta in 1966-67 at Vinh Long, with the Outlaws of the 175th Aviation Company--a very lucky assignment. I grew familiar with the terrain this VN author describes and the torment of her citizenry in this conflict. Every vet and family member of a Vietnam vet should have this book in their library; hurry up and buy it before it is past!! My book of the same title as my unit covers our flying experiences as youthful US Army Aviators.
 A Personal Account of the Impact of history February 4, 2003
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
Duong Van Mai Elliott has given the world as intimate an account of the entire breath of Viet Namese history as you'll ever encounter. It is remarkable how close to the ground her family has always been throughout her country's efforts to break the bonds of colonialism, regardless of the oppressor. She casts history accurately, relates its impact on her forebears and brings the whole discussion front and center in the conflicts that arise among siblings as they come to terms with some who embrace Ho Chi Minh, others who embrace US personnel.
Mai's own story is full of that heart-rending division as she comes to term with her husband's family, who while very supportive of their daughter-in-law, really are not aware of the enormous drama taking place in the souls of this family. It is not like the Viet Namese to be outwardly emotional, and so their resolve to be brave in the face of often crushing personal sacrifice leaves you stunned.
One of the things I got from this book was that the US never stood a chance. The Us never understood what the central issue was for the Viet Namese people, inspite of having liberated themselves from similar colonialism in their own history. Replacing one colonialist for another, be they kinder or crueler, was not the point: they were still colonialists, and too often the US opted for choices based on ideologies instead of on the human factor, a point the Viet Minh knew was more powerful than bullets.
The war decimated Viet Namese as well as Americans, a point too often overlooked in the rush to build monuments to people who had no business there to begin with. The killing fields that would follow in the wake of the US departure would exact a toll on the humanity of a remarkable people. Time would show that the ideologues of Uncle Ho were little better than oppressors from afar. Mai saw it up close and personal.
The familial rifts remained. Still there is so much healing needed. This book will not resolve anything for the reader. Imstead, it shows that history happens to real families. Holocausts impact real people. The numbers and the monuments don't tell the story at all.
Incredible! September 11, 1999
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I've known Mai Elliott for nearly ten years and although I've always know she was a brilliant and insightful woman, I had no clue she had a full-blown work of genius in her. I know she put many hard, careful and thoughtful years into this history of her family and suffice it to say, her natural wit, intelligence and sensitivity shines through on every page. Not only is she a tremendous human being, she's a tremendous author. I haven't enjoyed a work of history as much as I have this one since I read Richard Rhodes, "The Making of the Atomic Bomb." And, frankly, I don't know what Amazon.com is charging for it but it's more that worth every cent.
Beginner's guide to Vietnamese History June 13, 2000
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
After having recently started to work in Vietnam, I wanted to get a feel of the Vietnamese history spanning this century. Not interested in a text-book style carricature, I purchased this book to get an overview of the events that shaped the emergence of modern Vietnam. Mai Duong's narrative is comprehensive, successfully covering the macro events of the colonialism, subsequent communist revolution, and its ultimate collapse, and the emergence of the modern Vietnam. The book succeeds in giving an impression of the circumstances that normal households went through, allowing the reader to feel and be part of the true-life story within. Must-read for people wanting to get an overview on the current Vietnamese history - with a social angle.
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