In this ambitious and path-breaking book; Shawn McHale challenges long held views that define modern Vietnamese history in terms of anticolonial nationalism and revolution. McHale argues instead for a historiography that does not overstress either the role of politics in general or Communism in particular. Using a wide range of sources from Vietnam; France; and the United States; many of them previously unexploited; he shows how the use of printed matter soared between 1920 and 1945 and in the process transformed Vietnamese public life and shaped the modern Vietnamese consciousness. Print and Power begins with an overview of Vietnam's lively public spheres; bringing debates from Europe and the rest of Asia to Vietnamese studies with nuance and sophistication. It examines the impact of the French colonial state on Vietnamese society as well as Vietnamese and East Asian understandings of public discourse and public space. Popular taste; rather than revolutionary or national ideology; determined to a large extent what was published; with limited intervention by the French authorities. A vibrant but hierarchical public realm of debate existed in Vietnam under authoritarian colonial rule. The work goes on to contest the impact of Confucianism on premodern and modern Vietnam and; based on materials never before used; provides a radically new perspective on the rise of Vietnamese communism from 1929 to 1945. Novel interpretations of the Nghe Tinh soviets (1930-1931); the first major communist uprising in Vietnam; and Vietnamese communist successes in World War II built an audience for their views and made an extremely alien ideology comprehensible to growing numbers of Vietnamese. In what is by far the most thorough examination in English of modern Vietnamese Buddhism and its transformations; McHale argues that; contrary to received wisdom; Buddhism was not in decline during the 1920-1945 period; in fact; more Buddhist texts were produced in Vietnam at that time than at any other in its history. This finding suggests that the heritage of the Vietnamese past played a crucial role in the late colonial period. Print and Power makes a significant contribution to Vietnamese and Asian studies and will be of compelling interest to those in the fields of comparative religion and European colonialism.
#384972 in Books 2015-11-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.14 x 6.00l; 1.61 #File Name: 4871877620504 pages
Review
823 of 857 people found the following review helpful. THE EPILOGUE HAS BEEN OMITTED!!!!By Captain HowdyLet me be crystal clear and extremely frank in this review. The Autobiography of Malcolm X is my FAVORITE book and; I believe; one of the most important books written in the 20th Century. There have been many printings of this book and they have had slight alterations throughout their publishing. The original 1965 edition came with photos. There have always been three missing chapters that are still held by a private owner. However; Penguin Modern Classics has reprinted this essential piece of literature anew-WITHOUT THE ORIGINAL EPILOGUE or Ossie Davis' contributions to the work. This means; essentially; THAT THE ASSASSINATION HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE BOOK! Reading this version of the book will leave the reader wondering how Malcolm was assassinated; who was responsible and so forth. In addition; the first page of the book is a generalizing synopsis that has the audacity to claim that Malcolm advocated change through the vehicle of violence. Anyone who has read the complete Malcolm X Autobiography in depth knows fully well that this is untrue; an absolute falsity and misrepresentation that can lead to dangerous miscalculations. Omitting the Epilogue; for a topic this serious; is not only censorship; but one must conclude that it was done intentionally. If it was done intentionally; the only real motive could be to mislead a new generation of people trying to learn THE TRUTH about Malcolm. It's a shame that they won't be able to find all of it in his own book!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Don't miss Alex Haley's great "history" telling!By kitcatkarOf course to say it's well written is redundant when you see that the author is Alex Haley who wrote; "Roots!" I'm on a quest to understand black history and am finding that the search isn't straight forward as in American History which is pretty much just white history. I had preconceived ideas of Malcolm X before having read the book but once I read the book I had a better appreciation for the soul searching that he came to understand the more educated and well traveled that he became. Great Read!6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Top 5 Favorite BookBy McatloverOne of my top 5 all-time favorite books!!!! No matter what race you are or religious faith you do or don't belong to....you must read this book! You'll never believe the myths propagated by the state again if you do. Wonderful collaboration between Alex Haley and Malcolm X to get this book in print. I'm haunted by the stories of X's youth where his father was killed for essentially being a Marcus Garvey supporter and his mother struggled to keep the family together with little to no assistance. A heartbreaking childhood would naturally lead to a troubled youth. However; the transformation from chaos and crime to disciplined humanitarian is remarkable!!!!! It is indeed true that whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I understand; after reading this book; why J. Edgar Hoover wanted to destroy Malcolm X. Evil always wants to destroy truth.TOP 5 favorite book!!! Must read!
