Vietnam: A Book of Changes
After many years in the spotlight, Vietnam kind of disappeared for a while; it was a pariah in American eyes for a long time after the war there ended, and the Communist government was inward-looking. But in the last few years, the country has reopened itself to the world, and now America is interested again. Epstein's photographs, all taken since 1992, record a Vietnam that still bears the marks of savage war. Rusting American tanks, planes, bombs and war detritus survive, and there are even the faded architectural glories of the French colonial empire that preceded American involvement. But Vietnam's own ancient Asian culture survives, apparent still despite the recent incursions of modern Western consumer culture. This is travel photography with an eye to the lessons of history, redolent of a bittersweet hope in the future.