Vietnam: Rethinking the State offers an exciting and up-to-date look at the politics of this fascinating country as it seeks to make the transition from a war-torn economic backwater to a dynamic modern society. Martin Gainsborough argues for a move away from the idea of 'reform' as commonly understood and towards a deeper understanding of the concept, questioning the idea of state retreat. The result is a path-breaking book that gets beneath the surface of Vietnam's politics in a way few outsiders have done.