Dien Bien Phu: The Epic Battle that Reshaped History of Indo-China

France had colonised Vietnam in 1859 and ruled the country for almost a century. Soon after World War-II the Communist Revolutionary Party of Vietnam with its newly formed army, the Viet Minh, waged a guerrilla war to free the nation from its colonial yoke. In the spring of 1953 the French Expeditionary Force started a military campaign to crush the revolution by undertaking a bold plan to establish a strong fortress in a remote valley with an old airstrip.

The French carried out the largest air-borne operation and established a well defended military garrison around a small hamlet called Dien Bien Phu. However, General Giap the Commander of the Viet Minh army had other plans. This book vividly captures General Giap's brilliant manoeuvres that turned tables on the French army and stunned the world. The war in Dien Bien Phu will remain a classic battle that continues to baffle defence experts and inspire military leaders the world over.

The book explores the causes for the war and reasons for defeat of French army. Seven decades after the iconic war Dien Bien Phu still haunts the Western world and is an enigma to all those interested in wars and warfare. The author visited the battle area and carried out a detailed study. A chapter on artillery has been included by comparing it with its role in the Kargil war. This book is a must for all students of military history.