Lucien Bodard
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Lucien Bodard (1914-1998) was one of the twentieth century’s greatest French reporters and writers on events in the Asian continent.
Born in 1914 in Chong Qing (central China), son of the French consul he grew up in acceptance of the Chinese language and was fluently speaking Mandarin as a child. Later moved to Shanghai where his father had been positioned. Reaching his preadolescence his mother (very important figure all along his childhood) decided it was best to send him back to France to study in a “decent school”. There he gradually forgot his Chinese "culture" but not his passion for Asia.
His knowledge of the Asian culture allowed him a sharp, precise appreciation and critique on events that shook the Asian world during the first half of the twentieth century.
In 1944 he begins his career as journalist and is sent to the far east covering various topics such as the south-east Asian war and the communist rising in China.
Most famous books:
- The French Consul (1973)
- Anne-Marie (1981)
- The Quicksand War: Prelude to Vietnam (1963)
- Documentary
