Hell in a Very Small Place

Fall’s day-by-day account of the 1954 siege that ended French Indochina, written by a scholar who had walked the ground and who was killed in Vietnam three years after publication.

Why it’s on the list: Named in the “best history book” thread. The classic study of a plan that was wrong in its first assumption and could not be corrected afterwards.

Where I saw it: In Kyle’s “Books To Read” Apple Note, recovered from the reply thread to @typesfast asking “What’s the best history book you’ve read?” (June 5, 2025). The full recovered list lives on What’s the best history book… (tweet).

Connections

• What’s the best history book… (tweet) — the thread this came out of; the full recovered list lives there.
• War — the subject.