A perceptive briefing on the remarkable career of Vo Nguyen Giap, Vietnam's ranking soldier-statesman and, arguably, one of military history's greatest captains; by a British brigadier who gained direct access to his subject. Drawing on interviews with Giap, comrades in arms, adversaries, and such archival sources as exist in Vietnam, Macdonald offers a balanced, tellingly detailed rundown on how his protagonist played the leading role in an impoverished, industrially backward nation's defeat of two Western powers by force of arms. An activist member of the Communist Party long before he became (at Ho Chi Minh's behest) a world-class warrior, Giap (now 81) can look back on some signal accomplishments as commander of his country's guerrilla, militia, and regular forces over a 30-year span. Having conducted effective insurgencies during the late 1940's, for example, he routed the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Subsequently, Giap organized grass-roots resistance in South Vietnam, created resilient supply-lines, and masterminded campaigns that made continuation of America's Indochinese commitments politically untenable after the Tet offensive of 1968. In his evenhanded narrative (which doubles as a chronicle of war in Vietnam from the pre-WW II colonial era through 1975), Macdonald does not shy from assessing Giap's shortcomings. He faults Giap, for example, for his willingness to sustain severe casualties and for involvement in Politburo pogroms. Nor does Macdonald fully understand how a man of Giap's intellect could have clung to Marxism's discredited dogmas ``like a medieval Christian who dreaded the frightful consequences of uttering the slightest heresy....'' But Macdonald gives Giap full marks for strategic vision, geopolitical savvy, tactical finesse, and grasp of logistics (more an art than a science in a land where all resources, save manpower, were thin on the ground). As authoritative an account of Giap and his considerable achievements as is likely to be available any time soon. (Photographs and maps—not seen.)
Pub Date: Jan. 11, 1993
ISBN: 0-393-03401-1
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Norton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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