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'Stuart-Fox's A History of Laos is, without much doubt, the definitive historical text on the country. There are other texts, but none is as comprehensive, as detailed, as knowledgeable, or as well written as Stuart-Fox's contribution.' Asian Studies Association of Australia
Product Description
This authoritative and wide-ranging history traces events in this little-known country from ancient monarchy, through its establishment as a French colony, to independence in 1953, the People's Democratic Republic, and the present one-party authoritarianism. The book highlights Laos' complex and shifting political alliances. The struggle for independence from France was followed by a struggle for unity and neutrality in the face of persistent foreign intervention, as the country was drawn into the war in Vietnam. Only with the end of the Cold War and the withdrawal of Vietnamese troops has Laos been able to reassert its neutral foreign policy and develop a market economy. This book is an impressive political, social, cultural and economic history. It will be essential for anyone wanting to understand Laos as it joins ASEAN, faces great economic challenges and struggles to maintain its cultural identity.
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The construction of Laos as a modern nation state dates only from 1945. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
The construction of Laos as a modern nation state dates only from 1945. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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3 reviews
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful
A good book, but more academic than I was hoping for.
15 Oct 1999
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is bascially a mid-upper division college text on the development of Modern Laos from the 1800's to the present. A fine book on the recent history of Laos, the author strives to be fair and evenhanded in placing responsibility for the various troubles plaguing the country. However, I would have liked more general background on the country, especially the history that predated European contact. Only the history necessary to explain some modern interactions is present from that period. More maps and figures would have been nice as well. Only four maps and no figures are present, and the author refers to many locations that aren't listed explictly on the maps. The type is set rather close as well, making for a bit of a strain in reading. That said, the information was well laid out and seemed very well researched. I learned a great deal about the development of modern Laos.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
The definitive modern history
6 Aug 1998
Format:Paperback
Martin Stuart-Fox has produced a concise, comprehensive account of Lao history, with emphasis on the revolutionary and post-revolutionary eras. Stuart-Fox is arguably the leading English-language expert on the history of Laos, and this work proves it; his book is meticulously researched and skillfully written.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
A detailed history, but needs updating
13 April 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Stuart-Fox does a good job providing a one-volume history on Laos. His chapter on the Indochina War is especially good and provides insight into how and why the Communists won. Stuart-Fox frames Lao history in the context of a country that never became a nation. He shows how the lack of national identity hurt Laos at key points in history and allowed the Pathet Lao, the first political group to propose a convincing national identity that included the ethnic minorities, to recruit supporters. He also shows how patronage networks quickly overcame post-independence Lao politics.
Despite the fact that the book is worth getting for Southeast Asia scholars, I gave this book a relatively low rating for two reasons:
First, it almost ignores post-war history. Stuart-Fox does a great job discussing French colonials, independence, and the war, but after that he only addresses current issues in the abstract. For a book published in 2008, it certainly should have addressed modern politics. For example, reading this book, one would not know anything about the current Lao leadership.
Second, the typeface and spacing are small, making the book difficult to read at times.
Fortunately, both of these issues can be easily addressed in a new edition, which I certainly hope comes out.
Despite the fact that the book is worth getting for Southeast Asia scholars, I gave this book a relatively low rating for two reasons:
First, it almost ignores post-war history. Stuart-Fox does a great job discussing French colonials, independence, and the war, but after that he only addresses current issues in the abstract. For a book published in 2008, it certainly should have addressed modern politics. For example, reading this book, one would not know anything about the current Lao leadership.
Second, the typeface and spacing are small, making the book difficult to read at times.
Fortunately, both of these issues can be easily addressed in a new edition, which I certainly hope comes out.
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