PAVN: People's Army of Vietnam by Pike, Douglas - 1986

Novato, CA: Presidio Pr. Good in Good dust jacket. 1986. Unknown. Hardcover. From the leading expert on Vietnamese communism, we have this extraordinary history of the growth of the People's Army of Vietnam. PAVN had its beginnings in 1930, in a mountain cave near the China boarder, with Vo Nguyen Giap and 33 others. With Ho Chi Minh's help, they built up this minuscule army from a semi-guerrilla status into a force numbering over 1 million in the regular army and over 3 million in paramilitary elements. Douglas Pike discusses in depth the relationship of this small, underdeveleoped country to Russia, to Marxist-Leninist doctrine, to China. He also accounts for Hanoi's victory in the Vitnam War and discusses the North Vietnam strategy tht has proved so successful against 3 of the world's great powers. 384 pages with index, bibliography, and appendices. There is some highlighting and underlining in the book, with a notation on the ffep. Jacket has a 2" x 3" area missing at the top left and a 2" x 2" pieces at the top right. The bottom left is missing a 3/4" square, and a 3/4" triangle is missing at the bottom middle. The front corners are worn as is the front right edge; in a protective cover. 9 1/4" x 6" wide. .