Spirit of the people Book

It took me awhile to get into this book....mainly because it took the author several chapters to actually begin his trip! Once he hit the road, I tuned into it. The author decides to ride a motorcycle down the Ho Chi Minh Trail from Hanoi to Saigon only to discover that there is no one main trail but a maddening number of side paths, some unconnected to others, some crossing the border into Laos. The "sparring with Charlie" in the title refers to his numerous encounters with Vietnamese police and government officials who, for the most part, attempt to restrict his travels. In the course of his travels, Christopher Hunt sees with his own eyes a clear picture of the destruction of a country by two political entities, the desperation of its people and how slow it is to recover. The book is well written and Mr. Hunt's admiration for the resilience of the Vietnamese people is clear. It was also interesting to hear his impressions as someone who was not even alive when the war took place.