Historical Dictionary of the Indochina War

by Christopher E. Goscha

This first historical dictionary in English of the Indochina War (1945–54) provides the most comprehensive account to date of one of the most important conflicts of the twentieth century. Using over 1,600 personally researched and crafted entries, Goscha provides in-depth, expert coverage of the Indochina War in all its dimensions and adopts a pathbreaking dual international and interdisciplinary approach. Thus, readers will not only find information on politics and military campaigns; they will also discover the remarkable impact this war had on intellectual, social, cultural, economic and artistic domains in France, Indochina and elsewhere.

"This is the first historical dictionary about Vietnam in any language to mine French and Vietnamese sources in equal measure. It ranges beyond Vietnamese and French participants to provide equally incisive entries on British, Chinese, Lao, Cambodian, American and Soviet actors in a war that took on important international dimensions. The prodigious amount of research that Goscha has put into this dictionary makes it a milestone in the field, a reference work that will be consulted for decades." - David G. Marr, Australian National University

"A magnificent achievement. No one has ever before attempted this kind of comprehensive reference work on the First Indochina War; Christopher Goscha not only attempts it but succeeds marvelously. More than a dictionary, this volume is a major addition to the literature, an essential resource for all students of the struggle, produced by a leading historian working at the top of his powers."
- Fredrik Logevall, Cornell University

"This is an indispensable resource for students and scholars of an understudied and immensely complex war while also providing a superb model for anyone setting out to write a reference book on historical events." - Mark Lawrence, University of Texas at Austin

Christopher Goscha is Associate Professor of International Relations and Southeast Asian History at the Université du Québec à Montréal. He has published widely on cultural, social, political, and diplomatic aspects of colonial Indochina and the wars for modern Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Publication year: 2011
600 pp / 262mm x 188mm
7 maps, 12 figures
ISBN: 978-87-7694-165-9, Paperback
ISBN: 978-87-7694-063-8, Hardback

NIAS Press