During the Vietnam War, the country was divided at the 17th parallel. About 140 kilometres north of this dividing line is a mountain pass called Ngang pass. The land south of this pass, about 60 per cent of present-day Vietnam, was occupied for centuries by the kingdoms of Linyi, Funan and Zhenla. But most people either have not heard of them or have only vague ideas about them. This book is about these kingdoms. North of Ngang pass, Giao Châu, was ruled by northern dynasties for over a th...

For most of the first millennium until the early 10th century, the northern half of Vietnam remained a province of Imperial China, with brief periods of independence. In 938, the country regained its sovereignty, but within a few decades, the Song dynasty invaded. From that time until the late 13th century, Vietnam – then known as Đại Cồ Việt and later Đại Việt – fought to defend its territory against the Song, again, and along with Champa, against the Mongol-led Yuan dynasties. This book,...