The John Batchelor Show

Sunday 30 December 2012

Air Date: 
December 30, 2012

 
 
Above: Folk art depiction of Lady Triu (225–248), a female warrior in Third-Century Vietnam who managed for a time successfully to resist the Chinese state of Eastern Wu during its occupation of Vietnam. She's also called Triu Th Trinh, although her actual given name is unknown. She is quoted as saying, "I'd like to ride storms, kill sharks in the open sea, drive out the aggressors, reconquer the country, undo the ties of serfdom, and never bend my back to be the concubine of whatever man."
     The history of Vietnam is one of the longest continuous histories in the world, with archaeological findings showing that human settlements as far back as around half a million years ago (the oldest Homo sapiens fossils from mainland Southeast Asia are of Middle Pleistocene age) and a cultural history of over 20,000 years. Ancient Vietnam was home to some of the world's earliest civilizations and societies - making them one of the world's first people who practiced agriculture. The need to have a single authority to prevent floods of the Red River, to cooperate in constructing hydraulic systems, trade exchange, and to fight invaders, led to the creation of the first Vietnamese states in 2879 BC.  The first truly influential part of history in Vietnam occurred during the Bronze Age, when the Đông Sơn culture dramatically advanced the civilization. When Vietnam eventually succumbed to foreign rule, it proved unable to escape from it; for 1,100 years, Vietnam was successively governed by a series of foreign powers, leading to the losses of its writing system, language, and national identity.
     The ancient Vietnamese kings of the Hng Bàng period, collectively known as the Hùng Vương, ruled the country until 258 BC and consisted of 18 lines of kings. Văn Lang is thought to have been a matriarchal society, similar to many other matriarchal societies common in Southeast Asia and in the Pacific islands at the time.
   Various archaeological sites in northern Vietnam, such as Đông Sơn have yielded metal weapons and tools from this age. Most famous of these artifacts are large bronze drums, probably made for ceremonial purposes, with sophisticated engravings on the surface, depicting life scenes with warriors, boats, houses, birds and animals in concentric circles around a radiating sun at the center. Many legends from this period offer a glimpse into the life of the people. The Legend of the Rice Cakes is about a prince who won a culinary contest; he then wins the throne because his creations, the rice cakes, reflect his deep understanding of the land's vital economy: rice farming. The Legend of Giong tells of a youth going to war to save the country, wearing iron armor, riding an armored horse, and wielding an iron staff, showed that metalworking was sophisticated. The Legend of the Magic Crossbow, about a crossbow that can deliver thousands of arrows, showed extensive use of archery in warfare.
     In 40 AD, the Trưng Sisters led a successful revolt against the Han Chinese  governor, Tô Đnh, and recaptured 65 states (including modern Guangxi). Trưng Trc became the Queen (Trưng N Vương). In 43 AD, Emperor Guangwu of Han sent his famous general Mã Vin (pinyin: Ma Yuan) with a large army to quell the revolt. After a long, difficult campaign, Mã Vin suppressed the uprising and the Trung Sisters committed suicide to avoid capture. To this day, the Trưng Sisters are revered in Vietnam as the national symbol of Vietnamese women.
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Sunday  905PM Eastern (605P Pacific):. Black Ops, Vietnam: An Operational History of MACVSOG by Robert M. Gillespie; 1 of 4
Sunday 920PM Eastern (620P Pacific): Black Ops, Vietnam: An Operational History of MACVSOG by Robert M. Gillespie; 2 of 4
Sunday 935PM Eastern (635P Pacific): Black Ops, Vietnam: An Operational History of MACVSOG by Robert M. Gillespie; 3 of 4
Sunday 950PM Eastern (650P Pacific): Black Ops, Vietnam: An Operational History of MACVSOG by Robert M. Gillespie; 4 of 4
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Sunday 1005PM EDT (705P Pacific): Black April: The Fall of South Vietnam, 1973-75 by George J. Veith; 1 of 4
Sunday 1020PM EDT (720P Pacific): Black April: The Fall of South Vietnam, 1973-75 by George J. Veith; 2 of 4
Sunday 1035PM EDT (735P Pacific): Black April: The Fall of South Vietnam, 1973-75 by George J. Veith; 3 of 4
Sunday 1050PM EDT (750P Pacific): Black April: The Fall of South Vietnam, 1973-75 by George J. Veith; 4 of 4
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Sunday 1105PM EDT (805P Pacific): The Twilight War: The Secret History of America's Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran by David Crist; 1 of 4
Sunday 1120PM EDT (820P Pacific): The Twilight War: The Secret History of America's Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran by David Crist; 2 of 4
Sunday 1135PM EDT (835P Pacific): The Twilight War: The Secret History of America's Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran by David Crist; 3 of 4
Sunday 1150PM EDT (850P Pacific): The Twilight War: The Secret History of America's Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran by David Crist; 4 of 4
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Sunday/Mon 1205AM EDT (905 Pacific): Six Essential Elements of Leadership: Marine Corps Wisdom from a Medal of Honor Recipient (Leatherneck Original) by Col. Wesley L. Fox and USMC (Ret.); 1 of 4
Sunday/Mon 1220AM EDT (920 Pacific): Six Essential Elements of Leadership: Marine Corps Wisdom from a Medal of Honor Recipient (Leatherneck Original) by Col. Wesley L. Fox and USMC (Ret.); 2 of 4
Sunday/Mon 1235AM EDT (935P Pacific): Six Essential Elements of Leadership: Marine Corps Wisdom from a Medal of Honor Recipient (Leatherneck Original) by Col. Wesley L. Fox and USMC (Ret.); 3 of 4
Sunday/Mon 1250AM EDT (950P Pacific): Six Essential Elements of Leadership: Marine Corps Wisdom from a Medal of Honor Recipient (Leatherneck Original) by Col. Wesley L. Fox and USMC (Ret.); 4 of 4
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