Vietnam
Brave New Era
A candid yet empathetic account of Vietnam’s struggle to balance economic progress with social and political enfranchisement.
Description
Vietnam has emerged as one of Asia’s most compelling economic success stories. Yet Communist Party chief and Vietnamese president Tô Lâm—the first head of state to rise from the police apparatus—fears stagnation before prosperity is secured. He is pursuing dramatic economic and institutional reforms and relentless modernisation to ensure Vietnam escapes the ‘middle-income trap’ and gets rich by 2045.
Drawing on years of on-the-ground reporting, Kit Humphrey and Sen Nguyễn chronicle the nation’s breathtaking transformation, amid the fortieth anniversary of the Đổi Mới reforms that propelled Vietnam into the ranks of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Through first-hand accounts from politicians and economists, artists, activists and street vendors, they examine the uneasy dance between authoritarian control and free-market growth—in an increasingly pervasive surveillance state. They detail the environmental decline of the Mekong Delta, the stifling of civil society, farmers’ land rights, shifting attitudes towards LGBT communities, discrimination against ethnic minorities, and patterns of migration.
An antidote to tired clichés, Vietnam: Brave New Era reveals the complexities of this country’s ascent onto the global stage, as well as the challenges facing a population still grappling with the trauma of a conflict that ended half a century ago.
Author(s)
Kit Humphrey, Deutsche Presse-Agentur’s Vietnam Bureau Chief, has covered the country for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Economist, The Washington Post and other media.
Sen Nguyễn is a senior journalist at the BBC World Service. A former Chevening scholar at SOAS University of London, she also produces documentaries.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "Vietnam" about?
Vietnam has emerged as one of Asia’s most compelling economic success stories. Yet Communist Party chief and Vietnamese president Tô Lâm—the first head of state to rise from the police apparatus—fears stagnation before prosperity is secured. He is pursuing dramatic economic and institutional reforms and relentless modernisation to ensure Vietnam escapes the ‘middle-income trap’ and gets rich by 2045.
Drawing on years of on-the-ground reporting, Kit Humphrey and Sen Nguyễn chronicle the nation’s breathtaking transformation, amid the fortieth anniversary of the Đổi Mới reforms that propelled Vietnam into the ranks of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Through first-hand accounts from politicians and economists, artists, activists and street vendors, they examine the uneasy dance between authoritarian control and free-market growth—in an increasingly pervasive surveillance state. They detail the environmental decline of the Mekong Delta, the stifling of civil society, farmers’ land rights, shifting attitudes towards LGBT communities, discrimination against ethnic minorities, and patterns of migration.
An antidote to tired clichés, Vietnam: Brave New Era reveals the complexities of this country’s ascent onto the global stage, as well as the challenges facing a population still grappling with the trauma of a conflict that ended half a century ago.
Who wrote "Vietnam"?
"Vietnam" was written by Kit Humphrey and Sen Nguyễn.
Kit Humphrey, Deutsche Presse-Agentur’s Vietnam Bureau Chief, has covered the country for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Economist, The Washington Post and other media.
Sen Nguyễn is a senior journalist at the BBC World Service. A former Chevening scholar at SOAS University of London, she also produces documentaries.
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