Ralph Perry Comments:

Good Morning, Hanoi is a nice, fat trade paperback housing the reminiscences written by a pair of retired Aussies, former newsfolk, who volunteered thru the Australian equivalent of the Peace Corps to work abroad, in media, somewhere. They must have had good karma because instead of winding up in Tajikstan or Nigeria or whatever, they scored a glorious assignment to work a year in Hanoi in the mid-2000s, at Voice of Vietnam-5, in the English section. The story is fascinating and enjoyable on several levels. Excellent insights into the nearly current environment and daily life in Hanoi and Vietnam. Naturally, the inside view of Voice of Vietnam is compelling reading and pulls you right along. No longer some radio monolith, it becomes instead a small department of interesting personalities, friends and foes, pregnant women and political hacks, etc. The two Aussies slowly learn the ropes and the office politics, make friends, get on the air, tour all around Hanoi, etc. It's all great fun. And for someone like myself, a former expatriate manager in Asia, it is like a walk down memory lane. So many of the personal reactions and experiences are oddly familiar. The authors have a clean writing style (coming from former journalists, this does not surprise) and nicely pace their adventures. You'll feel as if you just signed up for a year at VOV-5! (Ralph Perry)