How We Won the War

by Võ Nguyên Giáp, Văn Tiến Dũng, Chris Robinson (Contributor)

Vietnam's top military strategist tells the secrets of their victory in May 1975. Published on the first anniversary of the Vietnamese victory over the most powerful nation on Earth, this book is now in it's eighth printing. It has been used as a text by professors at 30 colleges and universities.

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction, History, War

64 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1976

About the author

General in the Vietnam People's Army and a politician. Giap is considered one of the greatest military strategists of all time. He first grew to prominence during World War II, where he served as the military leader of the Viet Minh resistance against the Japanese occupation of Vietnam. Giap was a principal commander in two wars: the First Indochina War (1946–54) and the Vietnam War (1960–75). He participated in the following historically significant battles: Lạng Sơn (1950), Hòa Bình (1951–52), Điện Biên Phủ (1954), the Tết Offensive (1968), the Easter Offensive (1972), and the final Ho Chi Minh Campaign (1975).

Giap was also a journalist, an interior minister in President Hồ Chí Minh's Việt Minh government, the military commander of the Viet Minh, the commander of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), and defense minister. He also served as a member of the Politburo of the Vietnam Workers' Party, which in 1976 became the Communist Party of Vietnam.

He was the most prominent military commander, beside Ho Chi Minh, during the Vietnam War, and was responsible for major operations and leadership until the war ended.

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the book is steeped in ideological rhetoric, there are valid military concepts that shine thru. Giap clearly sees the link between policy and strategy which leds to an operational approach. He describes operations in terms of decisive (which supports the decisive point/CoG as part of the operational approach) and supporting or shaping operations. His also describes principles of war: tempo, mobility, surprise, space, and time. While none of this is explicit, those who are familiar with a wider scope of military writings will recongnize this. It also contridicts the idea that there are seperate eastern and western approaches to warfare. The logic of war remains quite similiar, at least, according to Giap.

[E.A. Lake · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short read, but not an easy read.

The font is 70's at best. Tough to pick up on late at night, at least with my eyes.

Interesting subject, how North Vietnam won the conflict. But the translation is rough (at best). The General repeats his words, phrases even sentences over and over.

It doesn't go into as much detail as I hoped it would. It mostly surface discussion. Maybe with the war just ended, it was hard to be overly introspective on all the details.

All I know is the 'puppet administration' lost and the 'people' won.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not really about "how we won the war" so much as 'after-the-fact' and after reading The Art of War, WHOEVER wrote this really didn't have much to say and no real "facts"....And, really, 62 pages to celebrate the end of DECADES of war!? And who is Recon Press and why are they in Philly?

[Yehezkiel Osborn Oroh · Rating 4 out of 5]

i want know how about vietnam can win war with strategic geurillia war