Giap--The General Who Defeated America in Vietnam

Starred review from October 1, 2013

Despite being outgunned and suffering heavy casualties, Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap, who served as commander in chief of the People's Army of Vietnam, managed to defeat both France and the United States. Warren's (Portrait of a Tragedy: America and the Vietnam War) latest work is not so much a biography of Giap but an exploration of the strategies and tactics he employed to defeat two superior enemies. His book provides a concise overview of the entire Vietnam conflict while giving special attention to major events such as the battle of Dien Bien Phu and the Tet Offensive. Rather than focusing on what France and the United States did wrong, the author successfully explains what Giap and the Communist Vietnamese forces did right. VERDICT This is a must read for all students of the Vietnam War. It is especially valuable for those seeking a greater understanding of the conduct of these wars from the North Vietnamese viewpoint. For a work from a similar, but more personal, perspective, see Truong Nhu Tang's A Vietcong Memoir: An Inside Account of the Vietnam War and Its Aftermath.--JW

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