Featured battle : Dien Bien Phu

Part of French Indochina

Date : 13 March 1954 - 07 May 1954

A complete defeat of the French forces, besieged in a fortified position deep in the North Vietmanese jungle by the Viet Minh soldiers under General Giap. The French, in particular batallions of the Foreign Legion, held out for 56 days against incredible odds in an increasingly precarious position, surrounded and starved of supply and reinforcement before weight of numbers, artillery and skillfull concentration of force overwhelmed them. It spelt the end of French involvement in the region.

Britain's Desert War in Egypt and Libya 1940-1942

David Braddockl
This is a text book written for officers studying for Staff College and Promotion examinations. It is a concise account of a very significant part of our military history, covering, as it does, the North African campaign from 1940 to 1942. Each battle, advance and retreat is covered and the book finishes at the battle of El Alamein. It is an engaging and eminently readable account which, when I had finished it, I wished it had continued all the way to the end of the North African campaign.
The focus is on senior officer ranks in their administration especially command and control and shows clearly how it differed from commander to commander.
There are a few photographs and many useful maps placed appropriately throughout the text. At the end of the book are some supportive appendices including quite a tough set of questions for any readers who really want to challenge themselves.
David Braddock’s book was written with a serious purpose and it is a great pleasure to read. This book is superb and we highly recommend it.

Pen & Sword Military, 2019