Bernard B. Fall (1926–1967)

Bernard Fall was a Jewish refugee into France from Austria in 1938. Losing both his parents to the gestapo in WWii, Fall, a resistance fighter ended WWii in the Ftrench Army. He then gained his PHD while writing this in-the-field account of the Indo Chinese war 1646 - 54. He correctly predicted the French collapse there. Returning to the USA, he combined University teaching with War Corresponding in thr 1950's and 1960's. This book was a success at the time. A keen critic of American involvmewnt in the Vietnam War, he was killed by a land mine in 1967 in Vietnam.… (mehr)

Superb. One of the best books I've read this year. Comparable to The Great Siege b Ernle Bradford, it describes an horrific battle whose outcome changed the course of history. I'm not much into military tactics, but this book by B. Fall lays everything out in clear maps and prose with unbelievably expert analysis. And, yet, the US still decided to tackle Vietnam, committing many of the same mistakes as did the French. The US deserved what it got. The author's story is equally credible and worth learning as well. Finished 03.09.20.… (mehr)