Hell in a Very Small Place: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu.
By Bernard B. Fall. ISBN: 978-0306811579
The battle at Dien Bien Phu marked a historic turning point in France’s occupation of Indochina and offers a premonition of the United States future military defeat in the same area. By the end of the 56-day siege, a Viet Minh army had destroyed a large French force which eventually led to France withdrawing from Southeast Asia.
This book is a very detailed but easily read account of the lead in, siege and eventual defeat of the French army. It has some very moving accounts of the heroism not to mention horror that the defenders went through, along with an analysis of the political strategy adopted by France and the reluctance of both the United States and Britain to help militarily.
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