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So, Vo Nguyen Giap died this week.
Giap was probably the most respected and most accomplished military leader alive until his death. He fought against and ultimately triumphed against the Japanese in Indochina, he fought against the French and eventually cornered and defeated them at Dien Bien Phu. He commanded North Vietnamese forces throughout the Vietnam War, and was at least nominally involved in the final triumph of North Vietnam. He died as one of the most accomplished leaders in guerrilla warfare in history.
Giap is an interesting figure. Good books on history will mention him. Some of them will laud him, others criticize him, both with justification. Bad books will ignore him almost entirely. One of the ways to determine who is really serious about something is to see who is willing to learn from people they dislike both personally and ideologically. It's a good distinction to look for, and it's strange how applicable it is.
Giap was probably the most respected and most accomplished military leader alive until his death. He fought against and ultimately triumphed against the Japanese in Indochina, he fought against the French and eventually cornered and defeated them at Dien Bien Phu. He commanded North Vietnamese forces throughout the Vietnam War, and was at least nominally involved in the final triumph of North Vietnam. He died as one of the most accomplished leaders in guerrilla warfare in history.
Giap is an interesting figure. Good books on history will mention him. Some of them will laud him, others criticize him, both with justification. Bad books will ignore him almost entirely. One of the ways to determine who is really serious about something is to see who is willing to learn from people they dislike both personally and ideologically. It's a good distinction to look for, and it's strange how applicable it is.