The Two Viet-Nams: A Political and Military Analysis

by Bernard B. Fall

Second Revised Edition

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

519 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Bernard B. Fall was a prominent war correspondent, historian, political scientist, and expert on Indochina during the 1950s and 1960s. Born in Austria, he moved with his family to France as a child after Germany's annexation, where he started fighting with the French Resistance at age 16, and later the French Army during World War II.

In 1950 he first came to the United States for graduate studies at Syracuse University and Johns Hopkins University, returning and making his residence there. He taught at Howard University for most of his career and made regular trips to Southeast Asia to learn about changes and the societies. He predicted the failures of France and the United States in the wars in Vietnam because of their tactics and lack of understanding of the societies.

On 21 February 1967, while accompanying a company of the 1st Battalion 9th Marines on Operation Chinook II in the Street Without Joy , Thua Thien Province, Fall stepped on a Bouncing Betty land mine and was killed. He was dictating notes into a tape recorder, which captured his last words: "We've reached one of our phase lines after the fire fight and it smells bad- meaning it's a little bit suspicious... Could be an amb--".

Fall was survived by his wife and three daughters.

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that a young person in the spring of 1972 would turn to (as I did) if he wanted a better understanding of the causes of the war in Vietnam. (Not many of my peers were interested in understanding; most were content to chant slogans and curse Nixon.)

Reading this book left me with a better appreciation of the complex nature of the story leading up to the war. (Although, to be honest, I remained just as confused about what should be done as my friends who were chanting and cursing.)

The book was published in 1963, two years before the U.S. committed combat personnel to the war. Thus, while the U.S. plays a prominent role in the narrative, this is not a history of the conflict that led to 58,000 U.S. combat deaths.

Here is a sampling of the content that I found interesting in 1972 (from notes that I jotted down at the time):

Vietnam has actually been divided often in the past. A wall, just north of the 17th parallel, remains from ancient times.

Vietnam was often an imperialist power, especially in the period just before she herself fell prey to France's expansionist designs.

1945 was a turbulent year, with many different players in conflict with one another. In March of that year, Japan attacked her Vichy French "allies" to "liberate" Vietnam. After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, here was the scene in Vietnam: the Vichy French in prison, the Free French moving in to assert control, the Viet Minh coming out of the jungles to do the same, Japanese troops surrendering, Commonwealth troops securing the south, vast numbers of Chinese troops securing the north, American OSS agents gathering intelligence.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great backstory to the country of Viet Nam and how it's past shaped the conflict in the 50s and onwards. Very interesting as it was written mid-war so not necessarily biased looking backwards.

[Brian W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible synapses of the Vietnam War through the elements of national power. If only we had listened and read Mr. Fall.

[Michael Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be read by anybody with an interest in Vietnam and the war.