Valley of the Shadow

Using new material unearthed in French archives, Vietnamese-language publications and the testimony of veterans, Valley of the Shadow offers a new perspective on the climactic French defeat at Dien Bien Phu.

Following the end of World War II, France attempted to reassert control over its colonies in Indochina. In Vietnam, this was resisted by the Viet Minh leading to the First Indochina War. By 195...