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The Road to Dien Bien Phu: A History of the First War for Vietnam
A multifaceted history of Ho Chi Minh’s climactic victory over French colonial might that foreshadowed America’s experience in Vietnam
On May 7, 1954, when the bullets stopped and the air stilled in Dien Bien Phu, there was no doubt that Vietnam could fight a mighty colonial power and win. After nearly a decade of struggle, a nation forged in the crucible of war had achieved a victory undreamed of by any other national liberation movement. The Road to Dien Bien Phu tells the story of how Ho Chi Minh turned a ragtag guerrilla army into a modern fighting force capable of bringing down the formidable French army.
Taking readers from the outbreak of fighting in 1945 to the epic battle at Dien Bien Phu, Christopher Goscha shows how Ho transformed Vietnam from a decentralized guerrilla state based in the countryside to a single-party communist state shaped by a specific form of “War Communism.” Goscha discusses how the Vietnamese operated both states through economics, trade, policing, information gathering, and communications technology. He challenges the wisdom of counterinsurgency methods developed by the French and still used by the Americans today, and explains why the First Indochina War was arguably the most brutal war of decolonization in the twentieth century, killing a million Vietnamese, most of them civilians.
Panoramic in scope, The Road to Dien Bien Phu transforms our understanding of this conflict and the one the United States would later enter, and sheds new light on communist warfare and statecraft in East Asia today.
On May 7, 1954, when the bullets stopped and the air stilled in Dien Bien Phu, there was no doubt that Vietnam could fight a mighty colonial power and win. After nearly a decade of struggle, a nation forged in the crucible of war had achieved a victory undreamed of by any other national liberation movement. The Road to Dien Bien Phu tells the story of how Ho Chi Minh turned a ragtag guerrilla army into a modern fighting force capable of bringing down the formidable French army.
Taking readers from the outbreak of fighting in 1945 to the epic battle at Dien Bien Phu, Christopher Goscha shows how Ho transformed Vietnam from a decentralized guerrilla state based in the countryside to a single-party communist state shaped by a specific form of “War Communism.” Goscha discusses how the Vietnamese operated both states through economics, trade, policing, information gathering, and communications technology. He challenges the wisdom of counterinsurgency methods developed by the French and still used by the Americans today, and explains why the First Indochina War was arguably the most brutal war of decolonization in the twentieth century, killing a million Vietnamese, most of them civilians.
Panoramic in scope, The Road to Dien Bien Phu transforms our understanding of this conflict and the one the United States would later enter, and sheds new light on communist warfare and statecraft in East Asia today.
568 pages, Hardcover
First published March 29, 2022
60 people are currently reading
1223 people want to read
About the author
Christopher E. Goscha
11 books45 followersChristopher Goscha studied at the School of Foreign Service, University of Georgetown (BA), the Australian National University at Canberra (MA), the University Diderot Paris VIII (MA) and l’École des Hautes Études (PhD, La Sorbonne). He joined the history department at the Université du Québec à Montréal in 2005. He teaches international relations, world history, the history of colonial and postcolonial Indochina, decolonization and the Indochina Wars. He has published several books including the Historical Dictionary of the Indochina War (1945-1954): An International and Interdisciplinary Approach (University of Hawaii/Cophenhagen, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, 2011), Vietnam, Un Etat né de la guerre (Paris, Armand Colin, 2011) and The Penguin History of Vietnam (London, Penguin/Random House, 2016) Vietnam, A New History (2017 John K. Fairbank Prize Winner – American Historical Association) (New York, Basic Books, 2016, slightly revised American version of the Penguin History of Vietnam).
Ancien élève de l’École des Affaires étrangères de l’Université Georgetown (BSFS), de l’Australian National University à Canberra (MA), de l’Université Diderot Paris VII (DEA) et de l’École des Hautes Études (PhD, La Sorbonne, Paris), Christopher Goscha est professeur au sein du département d’histoire à l’Université du Québec à Montréal. Depuis 2005, il y enseigne les relations internationales, l’histoire globale, l’histoire de l’Indochine coloniale, la décolonisation et les guerres d’Indochine. Il est l’auteur de plusieurs ouvrages dont l’Historical Dictionary of the Indochina War (1945-1954): An International and Interdisciplinary Approach (University of Hawaii/Cophenhagen, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, 2011), Vietnam, Un Etat né de la guerre (Paris, Armand Colin, 2011) et The Penguin History of Vietnam (Londres, Penguin/Random House, 2016) Vietnam, A New History (2017 John K. Fairbank Prize Winner – American Historical Association) (New York, Basic Books, 2016, version américaine légèrement révisée du Penguin History of Vietnam).
Ancien élève de l’École des Affaires étrangères de l’Université Georgetown (BSFS), de l’Australian National University à Canberra (MA), de l’Université Diderot Paris VII (DEA) et de l’École des Hautes Études (PhD, La Sorbonne, Paris), Christopher Goscha est professeur au sein du département d’histoire à l’Université du Québec à Montréal. Depuis 2005, il y enseigne les relations internationales, l’histoire globale, l’histoire de l’Indochine coloniale, la décolonisation et les guerres d’Indochine. Il est l’auteur de plusieurs ouvrages dont l’Historical Dictionary of the Indochina War (1945-1954): An International and Interdisciplinary Approach (University of Hawaii/Cophenhagen, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, 2011), Vietnam, Un Etat né de la guerre (Paris, Armand Colin, 2011) et The Penguin History of Vietnam (Londres, Penguin/Random House, 2016) Vietnam, A New History (2017 John K. Fairbank Prize Winner – American Historical Association) (New York, Basic Books, 2016, version américaine légèrement révisée du Penguin History of Vietnam).
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December 16, 2022Stories are always neat and tidy when simple. Professor Goscha defies simplicity without compromising readability to examine the important, complex steps leading to Dien Bien Phu. In short, this is a very good book.
News to me, following the Potsdam Conference, the Allies agreed that Chiang Kai-shek’s China would administer the Japanese surrender in Vietnam above the 16th parallel; the British would administer the surrender in the remaining areas of Vietnam below that line. The French were not party to this administration. Japan formally surrendered to the Allies on 2 September 1945, the same day Ho Chi Minh declared an independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Basically, all hell then broke loose.
In an alternate history, the Chinese and British would have assumed control and immediately turned the keys back to the Vietnamese after forming a popularly elected government, possibly that very one Ho Chi Minh had declared. Instead, armed conflict broke out within only weeks of the surrender as the French began to reassert their sovereignty, with greater uncompromising attitudes in the south than in the north. This country was to know war, with only brief interruptions, for the next thirty years.
To understand the events leading into 1954, Professor Goscha expertly and succinctly leads us through the intertwining relationships with China, first under Chiang Kai-shek and then Mao Zedong, Russia, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, France and the United States. The Korean War was also of substantial importance to this march of history. Following in the footsteps of the Annales school, he also discusses Vietnamese geography and economics, devoting some energy to the concept of an archipelago state, important to understanding the control for Vietnam. But Professor Goscha did not stop there. He wants to push past the standard explanations for why the Vietnamese communists succeeded.
The answer to this question has much to do with Ho Chi Minh’s experiences before finally returning to Vietnam. Recall that Ho Chi Minh had traveled widely, journeys that included substantial time with the communist parties in Russia and China. He was no one-dimensional Marxist theoretician; he understood the sacrifices necessary to establish a communist state from direct study. Ho Chi Minh used this knowledge to embark on a commitment to War Communism with greater expediency and ferocity than any of the other notable revolts we know so well. Given the famines emerging across Vietnam, in part a result of French military action targeting food supplies, the leadership recognized they didn’t have much choice. The result was ignominious French defeat.
How profoundly wrong the French were – though I must also confess I do not believe the Vietnamese communists were entirely in the right, especially with respect to War Communism. I’m confounded how a nation that incubated the revolution of 1789 and did so much to promote enlightenment could then so dogmatically defend its right to be so wrong in the twentieth century. History salves its many tears and horrors, not through retribution, but through forgiveness or, at the very least, forgetfulness. It’s forgetfulness we must work to remedy and works like this are a big help.
News to me, following the Potsdam Conference, the Allies agreed that Chiang Kai-shek’s China would administer the Japanese surrender in Vietnam above the 16th parallel; the British would administer the surrender in the remaining areas of Vietnam below that line. The French were not party to this administration. Japan formally surrendered to the Allies on 2 September 1945, the same day Ho Chi Minh declared an independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Basically, all hell then broke loose.
In an alternate history, the Chinese and British would have assumed control and immediately turned the keys back to the Vietnamese after forming a popularly elected government, possibly that very one Ho Chi Minh had declared. Instead, armed conflict broke out within only weeks of the surrender as the French began to reassert their sovereignty, with greater uncompromising attitudes in the south than in the north. This country was to know war, with only brief interruptions, for the next thirty years.
To understand the events leading into 1954, Professor Goscha expertly and succinctly leads us through the intertwining relationships with China, first under Chiang Kai-shek and then Mao Zedong, Russia, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, France and the United States. The Korean War was also of substantial importance to this march of history. Following in the footsteps of the Annales school, he also discusses Vietnamese geography and economics, devoting some energy to the concept of an archipelago state, important to understanding the control for Vietnam. But Professor Goscha did not stop there. He wants to push past the standard explanations for why the Vietnamese communists succeeded.
To my knowledge, not one of our “French specialists,” not even Bernard Fall, ever asked the question that struck Franz Fanon in The Wretched of the Earth as his book went to press in 1961: what kind of state had allowed the Vietnamese to execute a “Dien Bien Phu” and win? What combination of forces had the Vietnamese been able to harness in order to generate and then deploy such massive revolutionary violence?
The answer to this question has much to do with Ho Chi Minh’s experiences before finally returning to Vietnam. Recall that Ho Chi Minh had traveled widely, journeys that included substantial time with the communist parties in Russia and China. He was no one-dimensional Marxist theoretician; he understood the sacrifices necessary to establish a communist state from direct study. Ho Chi Minh used this knowledge to embark on a commitment to War Communism with greater expediency and ferocity than any of the other notable revolts we know so well. Given the famines emerging across Vietnam, in part a result of French military action targeting food supplies, the leadership recognized they didn’t have much choice. The result was ignominious French defeat.
How profoundly wrong the French were – though I must also confess I do not believe the Vietnamese communists were entirely in the right, especially with respect to War Communism. I’m confounded how a nation that incubated the revolution of 1789 and did so much to promote enlightenment could then so dogmatically defend its right to be so wrong in the twentieth century. History salves its many tears and horrors, not through retribution, but through forgiveness or, at the very least, forgetfulness. It’s forgetfulness we must work to remedy and works like this are a big help.
April 13, 2022
As another review has referred to it, a wonderfully granular look at the events leading up to the climactic battle at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. However, large portions of the text are repetitive and redundant, and the chapter order could've been better.
Highly recommended to those interested in Asia and decolonization.
Highly recommended to those interested in Asia and decolonization.
August 25, 2022
(Audiobook) (4.5 stars) Great overview of the situation in Vietnam/Indochina that lead to the resounding French defeat. There is so much to the tale of the Vietnamese/French struggle post-World War II that I hadn’t known/remembered from previous reading. The fighting followed a textbook counterinsurgency model, yet the French did much damage and had their chances. Still, Ho Chi Mien, Giáp, and the rest of the Vietnamese fighters did enough to come out with the victory.
Yet, not a lot of people learned their lessons, or they learned the wrong things. The French got an education in counterinsurgency, but did not apply what they needed to in Algeria. America did not get a good sense of the people or land, much like the French ignored. Vietnam really struggled with governance, and while they won two if insurgencies, they also lost so many more people than necessary.
Tough reading, but very informative and helpful to understand the fall of the French, rise of the Vietnamese and the conditions that met America. Would more recommend hard copy/e-copy for a handy map/chart reference for geography. Worth the read regardless.
Yet, not a lot of people learned their lessons, or they learned the wrong things. The French got an education in counterinsurgency, but did not apply what they needed to in Algeria. America did not get a good sense of the people or land, much like the French ignored. Vietnam really struggled with governance, and while they won two if insurgencies, they also lost so many more people than necessary.
Tough reading, but very informative and helpful to understand the fall of the French, rise of the Vietnamese and the conditions that met America. Would more recommend hard copy/e-copy for a handy map/chart reference for geography. Worth the read regardless.
March 10, 2024
(4.5 rounded up to 5)
A highly detailed account of the war in Vietnam against the French colonialists after the second world war. Often described as a war of a tiger against the elephant by many (and originally by Ho Chi Minh), it perhaps wasn't.
The complexities of the war in Vietnam and the surrounding Indochina, and the political upheavals associated with it were immense. Altogether it was a mixture of a colonial reconquest, a national armed anticolonial movement, an ideological and civil war within Vietnam, a Petri dish of communist and other ideas being used from other Eurasian examples and a push-pull warfare on administrative grounds. This book is long and very very meticulous in describing all of it. One needs to keep patience, but it is rewarded in the end.
(PS: I found a few parts of the text repetitive but maybe it is helpful in remembering contexts sometimes)
A highly detailed account of the war in Vietnam against the French colonialists after the second world war. Often described as a war of a tiger against the elephant by many (and originally by Ho Chi Minh), it perhaps wasn't.
The complexities of the war in Vietnam and the surrounding Indochina, and the political upheavals associated with it were immense. Altogether it was a mixture of a colonial reconquest, a national armed anticolonial movement, an ideological and civil war within Vietnam, a Petri dish of communist and other ideas being used from other Eurasian examples and a push-pull warfare on administrative grounds. This book is long and very very meticulous in describing all of it. One needs to keep patience, but it is rewarded in the end.
(PS: I found a few parts of the text repetitive but maybe it is helpful in remembering contexts sometimes)
September 22, 2025
Excellent and detailed overview of the first war of decolonisation in Indochina. Framed around Fanon’s question of whether nationalism alone is sufficient for a national liberation movement, Goscha provides an intricate picture of the role of war communism, archipelagic insurgency, statecraft and the eventual shift from guerrilla warfare to the general counter offensive at Dien Bien Phu that led to the DRVs victory.
Highly recommend
Highly recommend
May 14, 2023
A fascinating and insightful history of the pivotal moment in Vietnam’s struggle for independence. The brilliance of Ho Chi Minh cannot be overstated. The sacrifices that the peasants had to suffer are painful to read about.
July 8, 2022
Excellent account of the history of Viet Nam from 1945 - 1954. I've been interested in the French experience in Viet Nam since reading Jules Roy's account of Dien Bien Phu. The few books I found on subject were from the French perspective. Mr. Gosha's book tells the story from the other side. He provides the historic view of the military, economic, and cultural perspectives, as well as the zeitgeist of time.
The book answered many of my questions about our own involvement of Viet Nam.
Ho Chi Min took a long-term view of victory. He was a devote communist but took a pragmatic view on defeating the French. He allied with the nationalist landowners, merchants, and civil servants. Unlike other revolutionists, Ho built a functioning government while fighting a war. After the Geneva accord, he was in a prime position for the next war.
The book answered many of my questions about our own involvement of Viet Nam.
Ho Chi Min took a long-term view of victory. He was a devote communist but took a pragmatic view on defeating the French. He allied with the nationalist landowners, merchants, and civil servants. Unlike other revolutionists, Ho built a functioning government while fighting a war. After the Geneva accord, he was in a prime position for the next war.
May 27, 2025
excellent. if you basically know nothing about this subject you will learn an incredible amount. one star deducted for poor
organization
organization
October 8, 2022
I've read plenty of books on the (US-)Vietnam War from a variety of perspectives and degrees of granularity but I've not read much on the French colonial history or the struggle for Vietnamese independence. This book was a welcome addition to my understanding of 20th century Vietnam. The emphasis is very much on 'the road' to the climatic battle of Dien Bien Phu, marking the absolute decline of French authority in Vietnam and, while we can talk about the various influences on partition in 1954, the directly influenced the removal of all French forces by 1956. Eventually the partition and colonial void would lead to the US "intervening".
This work then is not a military history of the battle but an examination of the rise of the independence movements, the influence of French colonialism (eg on the changes to the Vietnamese written language and the unexpected results), the use of technology, the development of various military tactics and how they were influenced, Various key figures and their philosophies and caprices, comparisons between other French colonial independence movements, the changing nature of Communist political control (expediency with regards to land ownership leading to eventual redistribution) etc.
It's a thorough starting account and a good read. Well worth picking it up if you're interested in the roots of the (US-)Vietnam War, 20th Century Vietnamese history or Colonialism/Post-Colonialism.
This work then is not a military history of the battle but an examination of the rise of the independence movements, the influence of French colonialism (eg on the changes to the Vietnamese written language and the unexpected results), the use of technology, the development of various military tactics and how they were influenced, Various key figures and their philosophies and caprices, comparisons between other French colonial independence movements, the changing nature of Communist political control (expediency with regards to land ownership leading to eventual redistribution) etc.
It's a thorough starting account and a good read. Well worth picking it up if you're interested in the roots of the (US-)Vietnam War, 20th Century Vietnamese history or Colonialism/Post-Colonialism.
December 8, 2024
5 Stars. The Sinologist Andrew Nathan describes this book as "zestfully granular". Usually, I would take that to be code for: "way too detailed, long and in the weeds" - and to be candid, this book is indeed detailed, long and deep in the aforementioned weeds. Yet despite that, it's a surprisingly easy read. It never felt like a slog, was chock full of interesting points, and regularly made me pause to let this point or that detonate in my mind. I loved it.
Obviously, you'll need to be at least peripherally interested in Vietnamese history to enjoy it, but this book is definitely aimed at a general readership with minimal prior knowledge of the subject matter, so don't let its size putt you off. If you're interested in the French colonial project, decolonisation, the Cold War, insurgencies, the run-up to US involvement in Indochina, or East Asian Communism, you'll for sure get something out of this.
The central question here is: how did the Vietnamese Communists go from being a rag-tag band of guerrillas to fielding a standing army and defeating the French in a major set-piece battle at Dien Bien Phu, thereby winning the First Indochinese War? I won't outline the answer here (go read the book!), but I found Goscha to be totally persuasive, and it didn't hurt that he waded into a number of historical debates and took a few shots at some myths.
Along the way, Goscha considers how this experience differed from other wars of decolonialisation such as those in Algeria or Indonesia, which I found really put things into context nicely.
The result is an extremely readable work which changed the way I think about that particular war, and also nuanced how I think about decolonisation and insurgencies generally.
For starters, Goscha is a wonderfully plain-spoken and engaging writer. That he's universally acclaimed as one of the current "rock stars" of Vietnamese historical scholarship probably affords him licence to take all kinds of liberties in his writing which completely pay off here. It felt to me like having a knowledgeable guide accompanying me on the journey.
Goscha clearly has a solid command of French and Vietnamese sources, and he does a good job of telling the story from multiple perspectives.
While there's something for everyone here, some chapters are pretty niche and I felt myself skimming parts of them. Still though, I found the sheer readability, clarity of vision, and compelling-ness of the rest of the book enough to forgive Goscha his trespasses and indulge him the odd detour.
Obviously, you'll need to be at least peripherally interested in Vietnamese history to enjoy it, but this book is definitely aimed at a general readership with minimal prior knowledge of the subject matter, so don't let its size putt you off. If you're interested in the French colonial project, decolonisation, the Cold War, insurgencies, the run-up to US involvement in Indochina, or East Asian Communism, you'll for sure get something out of this.
The central question here is: how did the Vietnamese Communists go from being a rag-tag band of guerrillas to fielding a standing army and defeating the French in a major set-piece battle at Dien Bien Phu, thereby winning the First Indochinese War? I won't outline the answer here (go read the book!), but I found Goscha to be totally persuasive, and it didn't hurt that he waded into a number of historical debates and took a few shots at some myths.
Along the way, Goscha considers how this experience differed from other wars of decolonialisation such as those in Algeria or Indonesia, which I found really put things into context nicely.
The result is an extremely readable work which changed the way I think about that particular war, and also nuanced how I think about decolonisation and insurgencies generally.
For starters, Goscha is a wonderfully plain-spoken and engaging writer. That he's universally acclaimed as one of the current "rock stars" of Vietnamese historical scholarship probably affords him licence to take all kinds of liberties in his writing which completely pay off here. It felt to me like having a knowledgeable guide accompanying me on the journey.
Goscha clearly has a solid command of French and Vietnamese sources, and he does a good job of telling the story from multiple perspectives.
While there's something for everyone here, some chapters are pretty niche and I felt myself skimming parts of them. Still though, I found the sheer readability, clarity of vision, and compelling-ness of the rest of the book enough to forgive Goscha his trespasses and indulge him the odd detour.
August 7, 2023
In this exhaustively researched work, The Road To Dien Bien Phu, Christopher Goscha debunks several myths about Ho Chi Minh’s Vietnam. By 1954 Ho had created a functioning state that could mobilize 235,000 peasants in logistical support for the decisive battle of the first Indochinese war (1945-1954 against French recolonization after WWII). He had established a functioning government in large swaths of the North. And after the Chinese revolution in 1949 Mao ensured the transformation of Giáp’s guerrilla forces into a formidable conventional army. At Dien Bien Phu Giáp marshaled 51,000 regulars—four times the French force with heavy trucks and accurate artillery and anti-aircraft capability. This was no guerrilla strike. It was a brutal, high casualty action that effectively ended French control in Indochina. The 56 day battle presaged the communist north’s discipline and determination that ultimately led to American withdrawal and the fall of Saigon in 1975. Thoroughly researched and sensitive to the many dynamics and history that led to the French defeat and the inexorable ascendancy of the People’s Republic of Vietnam.
Had Mao and the Communists not prevailed in 1949 China would not have supplied, trained, equipped or provided safe haven to Ho’s fledgling army. Dien bien Phu would not have happened and France’s rule would have been protracted obviating any rationale for direct American involvement in Vietnam. The what ifs of history….
Had Mao and the Communists not prevailed in 1949 China would not have supplied, trained, equipped or provided safe haven to Ho’s fledgling army. Dien bien Phu would not have happened and France’s rule would have been protracted obviating any rationale for direct American involvement in Vietnam. The what ifs of history….
March 22, 2025
How the Vietnamese defeated French colonisers is a lesson Americans ignored.
Very detailed history from about 1945 to the battle against the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
The Viet Minh kicked their asses. The Vietnamese were fighting for their independance and the huge peasant population were all "soldiers"for the cause under Uncle Ho Chi Minh.
One of the French artillery commanders killed himself ashamed of his losing the advantage.
The Viet Minh had dug tunnels all throughout the battle area and defeated the French quickly destroying their airfields and supply routes.
Incredible battle wth the French arrogance getting a good slap of reality.
The book is best read with a good map of Vietnam in front of you.
Very detailed history from about 1945 to the battle against the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
The Viet Minh kicked their asses. The Vietnamese were fighting for their independance and the huge peasant population were all "soldiers"for the cause under Uncle Ho Chi Minh.
One of the French artillery commanders killed himself ashamed of his losing the advantage.
The Viet Minh had dug tunnels all throughout the battle area and defeated the French quickly destroying their airfields and supply routes.
Incredible battle wth the French arrogance getting a good slap of reality.
The book is best read with a good map of Vietnam in front of you.
April 13, 2023
Love Goscha's stuff. This book is big, rambling, and incredibly well researched. I'm not a huge fan of thematic chapters but the ones in this book are excellent. I was totally persuaded that Goscha's two big ideas, the "archipelago state" and "war communism," are essential concepts for understanding how Vietnamese communists were able to build an effective war machine by 1954. In fact, this is probably the best analysis of the First Indochina War available in English. I wouldn't recommend this as a starting place for learning about the war (that would be Logevall's book, which offers a better narrative), but it's outstanding for readers looking for deeper analysis.
September 29, 2024
The combat action is not the main point of this book at all, rather it describes the way Vietnamese took to get when they were by Dien Bien Phu. There are a lot of details on background activities of the Vietnamese state and it really explains why the war was rage in a way it waged. French opposition is also described but not as detailed. Overall, I'm glad I read this book before I started reading anything about combat action. The only thing I didn't like is the writing style of the author. I found myself constantly "stumbling" while reading the book. However, I'd still recommend it to anyone.
February 13, 2023
The entire book is interesting and well communicated. But it did take me 6 weeks of commitment to wade through. I highly recommend chapter 11-12! Read that first, then decide if you want to commit to the rest.
My grandmother and her children lived in Saigon through this period of decolonization, and nobody in my family is very eager to share this history, so I decided to read about it. (I was born in the US in 1983 to a Vietnamese refugee who fled the country in 1975). I am glad to have read this book, and I appreciate the author’s insights.
My grandmother and her children lived in Saigon through this period of decolonization, and nobody in my family is very eager to share this history, so I decided to read about it. (I was born in the US in 1983 to a Vietnamese refugee who fled the country in 1975). I am glad to have read this book, and I appreciate the author’s insights.
April 22, 2025
Not especially to my taste because I don't like military history, and much of The Road to Dien Bien Phu is. But it is a detailed account of Vietnam's (and in particular, Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese communists') fight to liberate themselves from the French in the wake of the Second World War. It analyzes how the Vietnamese effectively organized their resources to mount a guerrilla war, as well as the brutal ways in which the French tried to quash their colonial subjects, including the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
November 18, 2022
Between a 4 an 5 actually. Really enjoyed it. I am amateur Vietnam expert. Read all I can get my hands on about the country and the history. This provided depth on a period I have little knowledge about. Goscha's work was amazing. So thoroughly researched. Loved his writing style and expression of his views in a direct way. I highly recommend it. But you have to really be interested in this subject as he goes really deep!!!!
March 31, 2023
Could have been shorter, but overall a fascinating book about Vietnam from 1945-1954. Shatters many myths about Vietnam, like that they only fought in a guerrilla style. Powerfully argues why Ho did land reform in 1953, namely that the pleasantry was collapsing under the weight of feeding the revolution and needed this payback to mobilize for a conventional attack. Helps also to internationalize the conflict.
February 20, 2025
Fantastic book to get my toes wet into better understanding how communism developed in Vietnam. Extremely detailed account of the Herculean effort it took to win the dien bien phu decolonial battle against the French and the many years of preparing on a massive scale to make it possible. Ho chi Minh’s brilliance in military and political strategy are clear and many lessons learned on patience, diplomacy, and clear analysis of one’s situation in the moment and as things unfold.
September 8, 2025
A remarkable book that I've really enjoyed - it's very attentive to details and minutiae of Vietnam 1945-1954, especially on the topic of war/guerilla against the French (logistics, communication, trade, smuggling, espionage etc). It is a great read for everyone who is interested in material side of running partisan rogue state and warfare.
November 6, 2024
Torn between 3 and 4.
Good, useful, informative.
But Goscha's constant use of scare quotes betrays a heavy hand, and many sentences needed an editor. Suffers from an academic's stuttering repetition.
Learned a lot.
Good, useful, informative.
But Goscha's constant use of scare quotes betrays a heavy hand, and many sentences needed an editor. Suffers from an academic's stuttering repetition.
Learned a lot.
February 11, 2023
Goscha does it again!
February 16, 2023
reminding myself to check this out again/buy a personal copy since i wasn't fully able to absorb all the content on the first read X_X
April 12, 2023
The book was little too dry for my taste. In terms of information it is excellent, but not my cup of tea.
June 10, 2024
An Indochina ‘Savage War of Peace’ this is not; pedantic, dull and with poor analysis this is not the book this fascinating topic deserves.
September 19, 2025
An interesting book, if rather slow. It provides a very thorough understanding of Vietnam war for independence across, political, economic and military aspects.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews