People's War People's Army: The Viet Cong Insurrection Manual for Underdeveloped Countries [Paperback]

Vo Nguyen Giap (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0898753716 | ISBN-13: 978-0898753714

Vo Nguyen Giap, Southeast Asia's most successful Communist general, Minister of Defense and Commander in Chief of North Vietnam's army, shares with Premier Khrushchev a conviction that the future holds many "just wars of national liberation." This volume stresses the climate of Asia, Africa, and Latin American, torn today by anticolonial, economic, and political upheavals. It is General Giap's purpose in this book, originally published in 1962, to guide these struggles to the desired "socialist" victory. The speeches and essays that comprise this key document provide not only the tactical doctrine for effective insurgency operations, but also the political guidelines for enlisting the people in the insurgents' side.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: University Press of the Pacific (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898753716
• ISBN-13: 978-0898753714
• Product Dimensions: 0.6 x 5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,340,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 51 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Tough Read But Interesting Perspective December 3, 2002

By G. E. Kugler VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

As a former Marine Sniper and veteran of two years in the war I found this worth the read. I was always interested in the mindset of the Vietnamese and this brings it home. It isnt easy reading but it is good reading if you want to understand how the NVA operated and what their leadership thought. I walked away knowing why they won and we didnt although we never lost a battle. Their leaders were committed to victory and ours were committed to winning the next election instead of winning the war. Their are lessons in here for todays battle with terrorism. Which of us is committed to victory?

4.0 out of 5 stars interesting September 26, 2012

By David

Format:Paperback

It seems that military commanders have to relearn all the lessons, for each new war, at a cost of many casualties, and they don't seem to read what is already published. Mao Tsetung's tactics came straight out of The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Classic Collector's Edition: Includes The Classic Giles and Full Length Translations. The current military adventures in the middle east suggest that these most basic lessons still need to be learned. It's not perfect, but this is as important to understanding the Viet Cong, and NVA, as Mein Kampf was for understanding Hitler. Both people laid it all out, in print, for all to understand- if they would but read.

4.0 out of 5 stars Guide to Revolutionary Warfare July 14, 2012

By Troy A. Lettieri TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Guide to Revolutionary Warfare

"People's War, People's Army: The Viet Cong Insurrection Manual for Underdeveloped Countries" by Vo Nguyen Giap, defense minister and commander of the North Vietnamese Army, presents the North Vietnamese way of war as a guide to "just wars of national liberation." Even though this collection of material is propagandistic and disorganized, it still explains why and how the North Vietnamese conducted their insurgency. This is a classic description of modern warfare.