No
other Vietnamese family in modern time had such an intense involvement in high
politics and public affairs as the Ngô Đìnhs. Through the tenure of President
Ngô Đình Diệm of the Republic of Vietnam (1955-1963), this family helped shape
Vietnamese history in numerous ways. President Diệm's rule in South Vietnam was
perceived by many to be authoritarian and nepotistic, but it is important for
historians in general and for anyone interested in Vietnamese history in
particular to learn more about his family members who played such important
roles in his government. How did they see themselves, their country, and their
compatriots? How did they view the family's role in history?
Sixty
years after the death Ngô Đình Nhu, English-language readers can now learn
about Madame Ngô Đình Nhu's life from her own words and recollections.
Furthermore, in an essay accompanying their mother's narrative in
The
White Pebble, the late Ngô Đình Lệ Quyên and Quỳnh (along with Jacqueline
Willemetz) join their mother to defend the integrity of the Diệm government and
the Ngô Đình family against their critics. By telling the family's history
alongside that of the Vietnamese nation, Ngô Đình Nhu's children wanted to
demonstrate the sincerity and depth of patriotism in the family.
This book not only
provides a unique account of Madame Nhu and the Ngô Đình family by its members
but also illuminates politics in Republican Vietnam and its troubled
relationship with the United States.
Madame Ngô Đình Nhu (given name Trần Lệ Xuân) (1924-2011)
was the influential and controversial de facto First Lady of South Vietnam,
known for her forceful personality and striking beauty,
for her advocacy for gender equality, and for
her audacity in challenging powerful men, including US and South Vietnamese
leaders. As the wife of Ngô Đình Nhu, brother and adviser to President Ngô Đình
Diệm, she was among the most important yet poorly
understood figures in postcolonial
South Vietnamese politics.
Tuong Vu is Professor of Political Science, University of Oregon, where he has taught since 2008. He has held visiting appointments at Princeton University and the National University of Singapore. He is the founding director of the US-Vietnam Research Center based at the Global Studies Institute, University of Oregon. His research has focused on the comparative politics of state formation, development, and revolutions in East and Southeast Asia. He is the author and co-editor of nine books and many other publications.