BOOK REVIEW: Good Morning Hanoi

BOOK REVIEW:   Good Morning Hanoi - Iain Finlay and Trish Clark.

Vietnam has always been a country that interested me, largely because I was a teenage DXer and shortwave listener when the Vietnam War was very much under way in the 60's and early 70's. The English programs  from the Voice of Vietnam consisted of heavy propaganda….and not much else! The occasional QSL card would arrive, along with English language propaganda "newspapers" printed on rough quality paper. It was also a time when the possibility of be being "called up" for service with the Australian Armed Forces operating in Vietnam was a very real possibility. Fortunately, Australia's involvement in the war ended 18 months before I would have been eligible for potential call-up.

So, when I picked up a copy of Good Morning Hanoi a few years ago, I was already especially interested in the topics of Vietnam and it's international broadcaster, the Voice of Vietnam. This book is a great read! Simple as that! And if you have an interest in radio, there are some fascinating insights into the operations of the Voice of Vietnam some ten years ago.

Authors Finlay & Clark

In 2003/04, Australian journalists/foreign correspondents/radio producers and presenters Iain Finally and Trish Clark found themselves in Hanoi, courtesy of the Australian Volunteers International (AVI), an aid agency. Their role was originally to job-share in assisting the local announcers of the English language section (VOV5) in preparing programs, scripts and with training in the clear and correct usage of English grammar and pronunciation. However, they very quickly found themselves virtually running the whole broadcast. Around them were young and enthusiastic reporters endeavouring to learn their craft. Some accounts of the day-to-day life in the English language section on the third floor in Ba Trieu Street make great reading for shortwave radio enthusiasts.

There were some funny moments when scripts were written and then sent off to higher authorities for approval, only to find that certain parts of the scripts had been altered…..but not always successfully. Matching concepts in both the English and Vietnamese languages proved to be more challenging than Iain and Trish first thought. And the management's attempt to try and control what the two Australian journalists wrote and reported also had some humorous results. 

Aside from the radio interests, however, are some wonderful insights into life in central Hanoi. The book contains fascinating descriptions of ordinary people going about their daily business as well as descriptions of traditional customs, society, values and culture. The authors found a house to rent, which backed onto a small courtyard and eventually they became a part of an extended family in that tiny part of central Hanoi. Some of the revelations about Vietnamese culture, life and its meaning, along with the impacts of such a long war on the population, take up much of the commentary in this impressive book. The writing consists of vivid portrayals of work colleagues, neighbours and friends. There are a few monochrome photos scattered throughout the book and a lovely set of colour plates depicting Vietnamese people and their customs.

Some readers may remember the authors, Finlay and Clark, as the producers of an internationally successful science TV program called Beyond 2000. They have since travelled to many parts of the world, traversing Asia, Antarctica, Africa and America. Both authors have written numerous fiction and non-fiction books.

Although Good Morning Hanoi was first published in 2006, it is still available both here in Australia and internationally on Amazon.  It was originally published by Simon & Schuster. To search for it's availability, do a search on Google. You won't be disappointed!

Rob Wagner VK3BVW

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