In December 1953, the French army occupying Vietnam challenged the elusive Vietnamese army to engage in battle at Dien Bien Phu. The story of how the siege in the jungle wore on until the French were depleted, demoralized, and destroyed is meticulously researched for this volume.

Martin Windrow is an associate of the Royal Historical Society and a member of the Foreign Legion Association of Great Britain. He is the co-author of several well-known military reference works, including the Dictionary of Military Biography. He lives in Sussex, England.