Ein ehrenhafter Abgang

Vietnam War: The setting for two of the longest and bloodiest wars in history. Éric Vuillard, who captivates readers time and again with his brilliant rhapsodies about flash-lit episodes of world history, succeeds in this latest portrayal in making history immediately tangible. With furious precision, he depicts how two of the world's greatest powers lose against a small nation in immensely costly wars, in a colossal reversal of history. He tells the story of the victorious struggle of the defeated and the uprising of a people exploited and oppressed by colonial powers. He reveals the vast web of economic and geopolitical interests and brings to life a whole gallery of colorful characters: rubber planters, French generals, their wives, politicians, bankers. "An Honorable Exit" is a deeply unsettling human comedy that seems to be constantly performed anew.