The International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS) has awarded Stein Tønnesson's book Vietnam 1946: How the War Began (University of California Press, 2009) the 2011 Book Prizefor humanities.

The Prize was awarded at the ICAS Convention in Honolulu in April, and the jury expressed 'One of the great strengths of Vietnam 1946 is that it is the product of several decades of research and reflection. It carries the authority of an author who has closely studied both the available sources and the individuals involved in the decision-making processes'.