Excellent listening

Informative
Contemporary first hand account reflects the conflict and writing style of the period. Like pretty much all post WWII conflicts fought by the West bar America, carried out on a shoe string budget and demonstrating the futility of the dying colonial era.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Excellent

Loved it!
Most memorable moment? The tennis match.
Like to see " Hell In a Very Small Place" on Audible. Fall s account of the battle of Dien Bien Phu.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Fascinating

What did you like most about Street Without Joy?

Clearly the history. It is a war which is rarely discussed, especially with the American involvement so soon afterwards. This was written while the US was still in Vietnam so his descriptions of the combat and conditions resonate with what we know of the US War.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Street Without Joy?

The story of the Jewish refugee from WWII who found his way into the French Foreign Legion and into Vietnam to confront an enemy from his past. That is a story crying out for a film to be made.

What about Derek Perkins’s performance did you like?

It wasn't business like which some historical narrations can be, he came across as interested in what he was reading.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The suffering on all sides was terrible.

Any additional comments?

Fine historical knowledge gained from this book particularly so as the war isn't that well covered. I learned things I hadn't known and my respect and pity for the French soldiers as well as admiration for the Vietnamese has increased tenfold.

It is also interesting to note that the US repeated so many of the French failures in Vietnam while the VC kept to broadly the same tactics. The blurb for the book states this is now required reading at American military schools as examples of counter insurgency successes and failures. I would hope such lessons are learned well to keep American soldiers safe in current wars.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Compelling

Found this a very interesting take on what would be the build up to a bigger conflict in SE Asia.
Considering when it was written I found all the information useful and very gripping.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Excellent analysis still relevent today (sadly)

Well written, well read book. The book contains a good mix of background contextual information, details of individual key participants, personal anecdotes of Bernard's time in the region. The tragedy unfolds and keeps unfolding right to the end. I wasn't expecting the book to go as far as the early 60's, which was a bonus, and unfortunately becomes a prophesy for the avoidable bloodshed of the 70's.

The real tragedy of this book is that the lessons have still not been learnt by the western leaders even today :-(

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Missed opportunity for the US

Would you listen to Street Without Joy again? Why?

I have read this at least three times and will do so again.

What other book might you compare Street Without Joy to, and why?

The Last Valley by Martin Windrow. Windrow revisits the pre-cusors to Dien Bien Phu, the battle itself and the aftermath. Although written thirty years later when considerably more French and North Vietnamese governmental records were available, the foundational details remain the same with similar, if not the same conclusions.

What about Derek Perkins’s performance did you like?

It was fine.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Complete puzzlement in how the battle came to pass and the fact that US did not learn from the mistakes of the French in Indo-China.

Any additional comments?

A thumpingly good book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

great.

the French armies struggle in Indochina was costly .
there failure to adapt and their arrogance was ultimately there undoing..

rinse repeat... America..

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Old Indochina Hand tells it like it was

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Fascinating listening, especially as it was written just before America's involvement in Vietnam began to involve putting lots of combat units on the ground. The author was killed by a landmine on the titular street without joy in 1967 which gives this work an added dimension.I think it bears up really well and was gripped from start to finish.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author himself, who isn't shy of talking about his own experiences and opinions

What about Derek Perkins’s performance did you like?

His voice is a good choice, his pronunciation practiced and he even gets away with doing a few accents

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Before the war you knew, there was the one you don't

Any additional comments?

I hope there are more audiobooks from this author on here

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Great story, terrible pronunciation

Great book, still the best account of the French debacle in Indochina and although quite well read with the assumed French accent bringing the oral history to life, the pronunciation of Vietnamese place names and other nouns is unforgivably bad!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

INTERESTING

Where does Street Without Joy rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

in the top half

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The 2 mile french convoy that was ambushed and nearly destroyed.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

In some ways its sad to see a former world power cling on to its empire by its finger tips, All Empires fall....A lesson to our current Superpowers I think.

Any additional comments?

Interesting stuff....try it...if you dont like it...send it back :)

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!