Dien Ben Phu

The French strategy of seeking to establish a fortified base across the Viet Minh's route to and from Laos provoked an awesome struggle that lasted from November 1953 to May 1954. During this time Dien Bien Phu, surrounded by 2000ft hills and thus difficult to resupply by air as the French had intended, became the scene of fearful contests between the locally savvy men of General Giap and the hapless French forces who, losing one strong-point after another, were finally trapped in the Dien Bien Phu garrison. The French lost the cream of their strategic reserve in the region and, within months, were agreeing to the independence of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. David Stone, a British Army officer of the post-WW2 era, leads the reader through the complex nature of this significant action.Stone, David is the author of 'Dien Ben Phu', published 2004 under ISBN 9781857533729 and ISBN 1857533720.