Perhaps to do penance, he faithfully recounts their stories, kindnesses and biases--slips of conversation that speak volumes about Vietnam's often frenetic present and its war-scarred past.
When the Great War finished, politicians struggled to marry a battle-scarred generation with a penchant for gambling with the genteel, traditional values of a society that was otherwise untouched by the carnage of war.
The election -- with 128 seats in parliament at stake -- was crucial in determining whether the Arab nation, scarred by war and political instability, picked the coalition led by Hariri or an alliance backed by the militant group Hezbollah.