David Halberstam (1934–2007) was the author of 20 books, the last 14 of which have been national best-sellers. His most recent book, The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War, is about the Chinese entry into the Korean War. He was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting in Vietnam and was a member of the elective Society of American Historians.

Much has happened to our understanding of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam's Communist Party, and the war in the thirty-six years that elapsed between the first publication and this new edition. This is an interesting read to catch the flavor of the 1960s.

• Chapter 1: The Colonial Legacy of the FrenchChapter 2: Peasant, Dishwasher, Socialist, Communist 1890–1917Chapter 3: From Belief to Profession: Ho's Path to Communism 1917–1940Chapter 4: Creating a Nationalist Movement 1941–1945Chapter 5: Path to Dienbienphu: The Tiger Defeats the Elephant 1945–1954Chapter 6: The Americans Arrive: The Second Indochina War 1955–1969

David Halberstam (1934–2007) was the author of 20 books, the last 14 of which have been national best-sellers. His most recent book, The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War, is about the Chinese entry into the Korean War. He was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting in Vietnam and was a member of the elective Society of American Historians.

Much has happened to our understanding of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam's Communist Party, and the war in the thirty-six years that elapsed between the first publication and this new edition. This is an interesting read to catch the flavor of the 1960s.

• Chapter 1: The Colonial Legacy of the FrenchChapter 2: Peasant, Dishwasher, Socialist, Communist 1890–1917Chapter 3: From Belief to Profession: Ho's Path to Communism 1917–1940Chapter 4: Creating a Nationalist Movement 1941–1945Chapter 5: Path to Dienbienphu: The Tiger Defeats the Elephant 1945–1954Chapter 6: The Americans Arrive: The Second Indochina War 1955–1969