Street Without Joy : The French Debacle in Indochina

First published in 1961 by Stackpole Books, Street without Joy is a classic of military history.

First published in 1961 by Stackpole Books, Street without Joy is a classic of military history. Journalist and scholar Bernard Fall vividly captured the sights, sounds, and smells of the brutal— and politically complicated—conflict between the French and the Communist-led Vietnamese nationalists in Indochina. The French fought to the bitter end, but even with the lethal advantages of a modern military, they could not stave off the Viet Minh insurgency of hit-and-run tactics, ambushes, booby traps, and nighttime raids. The final French defeat came at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, setting the stage for American involvement and a far bloodier chapter in Vietnam‘s history. Fall combined graphic reporting with deep scholarly knowledge of Vietnam and its colonial history in a book memorable in its descriptions of jungle fighting and insightful in its arguments. After more than a half a century in print, Street without Joy remains required reading.

A dramatic treatment of a historic event. . . . The vast panorama of the Indochina struggle emerges with graphic impact.  --New York Times Book ReviewA textbook for those of us going to Vietnam. –Colin PowellThe literature on the Vietnam War is enormous and growing, but Fall’s work still stands out for its insight and sagacity.  He remains our greatest writer on the struggle. –Fredrik Logevall, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Embers of WarA poignant, angry, articulate book. --NewsweekNo one had more experience with the [French and American wars in Vietnam] than he did, or saw them as clearly.  --Frances FitzGerald, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Fire in the Lake