Embers of war : the fall of an empire and the making of America's Vietnam

Prologue: A Vietnamese in Paris

Part 1. Liberations, 1940-1945. "The empire is with us!" ; The anti-imperialist ; Crossroads ; "All men are created equal"

Part 2. Colonial struggle, 1946-1949. The warrior monk ; The spark ; War without fronts ; "If I accepted these terms I'd be a coward"

Part 3. East meets west, 1949-1953. "The center of the Cold War" ; Attack on the RC4 ; King Jean ; The quiet Englishman ; The turning point that didn't turn ; Eisenhower in charge ; Navarre's American plan

Part 4. The cauldron, 1953-1954. Arena of the gods ; "We have the impression they are going to attack tonight" ; "Vietnam is a part of the world" ; America wants in ; Dulles versus Eden ; Valley of tears

Part 5. Peace of a kind, 1954. With friends like these ; "We must go fast" ; "I have seen destiny bend to that will"

Part 6. Seizing the torch, 1954-1959. "We have no choice but to win here" ; Miracle man ; Things fall apart

Epilogue: Different dreams, same footsteps