As a biography this rates a 2 but as a history of the wars in Vietnam using Giap as the focus it stands out. It gives some really good information on the early days of the Communist in the 1930's & 40's. In fact I like the information it gives on the Communists, particularly the North Vietnamese. The chapters on Dien Bien Phu and Khe Sanh are both excellent, each are described clearly and from both sides. ( )