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CHOICE Review

A selected and fully annotated bibliography of 1,038 books and articles concerning the culture and history of Vietnam. References are chiefly to English or French-language sources; Vietnamese-language works, with a few exceptions, are not included. The compiler, an American now living in Australia, and author of Vietnamese Anticolonialism, 1885-1925 (CH, Jan'72) and other works on Vietnam, begins with a brief historical essay, followed by a detailed 30-page national chronology. The bibliography emphasizes the Vietnamese and their culture, rather than military or foreign policy issues. The compiler cites publications in a broad array of topics ranging from folkways to the natural sciences, travel, and children's books. Historical topics are well represented. The extensive literature on the first and second Vietnamese wars is only briefly mentioned; several bibliographies on those topics (e.g., Christopher L. Sugnet and John T. Hickey's Vietnam War Bibliography, CH, Feb'84) are available. Marr's annotations are informative, thoughtful, and occasionally critical, and enhance the value of a bibliography that is well organized and fully indexed. Michael Cotter's Vietnam: A Guide to Reference Sources (CH, Jul'78) (now out of print) continues to be essential for research collections. Highly recommended; a necessary resource for most college and university libraries, small or large. L. S. Dutton; Northern Illinois University