"Storm Over Dien Bien Phu" Topic

Played this MMP game last night. It has pretty much everything a good game should. Fun, easy to learn, lots of decision making and definitely challenging for the French player. I would recommend it.

The most striking aspect was how grim it must have been for the both sides. A hopeless envelopment vs being sent to your death in a human wave attack.

What are your recommendations on good reads? The game has really piqued my interest.

Thanks

Don

"Hell in a Very Small Place" by Bernard Fall is the go-to book for this one.

I'd also recommend "Street Without Joy" by the same author; it is also bout the Indochina War.

The "Storm Over" series are pretty good games and fast playing, but I'm not sure about the level of simulation in them. I would have liked to have seen a little bit better portrayal about how the French reinforcements arrive and the decisions about where to drop them. Instead, they just magically appear anywhere. In the end, however, the game does a good job of showing the ever shrinking French perimeter.

There's a French movie just titled "Dien Bien Phu" which has the distinction of featuring some actual, period footage.

I watched it in French, which I don't speak a lick of, but if you can find it in English, might be worth a watch.

Actually I would say that "The last valley" has superseded "Hell in a Very Small Place". More up to date and without the prejudices of Fall. And give a much better background as to why they ended up there.

Good point.

Read both!

Thanks!!

Ordered all three.

DM

I agree with ScottS. Both those books by B. Fall are really great historical sources and good reads as well.

The Legion Wargames Dien Bien Phu: The Final Gamble is well worth the investment if you are at all interested in this campaign.

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