I enjoyed the read but it stopped short, and I think people in the west too readily latch on to the "anti-colonialism" part of the 30+ year Vietnam war.
Certainly fighting the French was motivated by this, however the last 20 years of the war it was more a civil war between the communists and not-communists, a North vs South civil war, and proxy fight backed by both the USSR and the west.
I don't have references handy but it's interesting to read the experiences and feelings of the Viet Minh in South Vietnam, and how they were sidelined once the North took over. Also Vietnam invading Cambodia soon after points out that fighting colonialism was not a prime motivation of the northern leadership.
Certainly fighting the French was motivated by this, however the last 20 years of the war it was more a civil war between the communists and not-communists, a North vs South civil war, and proxy fight backed by both the USSR and the west.
I don't have references handy but it's interesting to read the experiences and feelings of the Viet Minh in South Vietnam, and how they were sidelined once the North took over. Also Vietnam invading Cambodia soon after points out that fighting colonialism was not a prime motivation of the northern leadership.