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Title: Dien Bien Phu: The Epic Battle America Forgot (History of War) by Howard R. Simpson, Stanley Karnow ISBN: 1-57488-840-4 Publisher: Brasseys, Inc. Pub. Date: April, 2004 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $8.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.33 (3 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Dien Bien Phu Through The Eyes Of An American Who was There
Comment: This is the personal memoir of an American diplomat who was posted to French Indo-China before, during and after the catastrophic defeat of the French Expeditionary Corps at Dien Bien Phu. It is not the scholarly review of the daily travails of the battle that can be found in the late Bernard B. Fall's HELL IN A VERY SMALL PLACE, but, it is a valuable addition to the literature of that pivotal battle. Simpson knew all of the key players on the French side. He knew "Bruno" Bigeard, commander of the famous 6eme "Batallion de Parachutistes Coloniaux; the aristocratic cavalry officer de Castries, who commanded the French garrison at DBP. He knew the rest of the "paratroop mafia" including Langlais, Botella, Brechignac and Giraud who eventually took command of the French pockets of resistance and held the Viet Minh at bay for 57 days. Simpson tells of the mistakes that the French made and compares them to some of the later ones made by America in our war there. But, it is also obvious that he was a man of his times and his leanings were toward the French. Simpson admired the elan and bravery of the soldiers of the French Expeditionary Corps. The Frenchmen and Legionnaires who fought a thankless war at the end of the supply line were professionals and he respected them for their dedication and their desire to prevent the Associated States of Indo-China from falling into the Communist orbit. This book is a personal history, filled with personal anecdotes and of course because it is history, we already know the ending. The French lost at Dien Bien Phu and were eventually forced to leave the "crown jewel" of their overseas empire. Eventuallly, the problem would become America's as the decision-making shifted from Paris to Washington. I recommend this book to readers of Fall's fine history of the battle AND to people who haven't read it because they don't want to get into the technical details of the battle. Students of the French conflict in Indo-China should also read this book so that they can fill in any gaps concerning the personalities of the senior French leadership. All in all, this book needs to be in the library of any serious student of the lengthy war that bled the finest of both the French and American armies.
Rating: 4
Summary: Good book, with lots of little nuggets.
Comment: Simpson's profile of the legendary "Para" Bigeard is welcome, as their are not too many of this Homeric figure. I'd have given it a five star, but Fall's "Hell In A Very Small Place" and Jules Roy's "Siege of DIen Bien Phu" were more griping and comprehensive (Simpson had flown out of DBP by the the time of the siege.)
Rating: 5
Summary: Outstanding Book; Well Written
Comment: Well written depiction of one hell of a battle. Hats off to the brave French warriors who risked it all.
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Title: Hell in a Very Small Place: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu by Bernard B. Fall ISBN: 030681157X Publisher: DaCapo Press Pub. Date: 16 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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Title: The Battle of Dienbienphu by Jules Roy, Ralph Wetterhahn, Neil Sheehan ISBN: 0786709588 Publisher: Carroll & Graf Pub. Date: 09 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: Street Without Joy by Bernard B. Fall ISBN: 0811717003 Publisher: Stackpole Books Pub. Date: March, 1994 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Victory at Any Cost: The Genius of Viet Nam's Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap by Cecil Barr Currey, John Keegan ISBN: 1574881949 Publisher: Brasseys, Inc. Pub. Date: February, 2000 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The French Foreign Legion : Complete History of The Legendary Fighting Force by Douglas Porch ISBN: 0060923083 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 03 June, 1992 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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