A word or two hundred of explanation would not, I think, be out of order, especially after you turn the page and experience what might appear to be deja vue.

I had no intention of pitting one reviewer off against another. Neither was aware that there was another review being written. I was not even aware of this ... to be honest (as though everything else not preceded by that qualification were lies) I had lost track of who was reviewing what and, to my chagrin, got both these reviews within days of each other.

These reviews are very similar yet quite different. Both are worthy of being published in their own right. I present them here, not so that you should take sides and make comparisons, but so that you can benefit from the slightly different perspectives offered. -ed

Introduction
Dien Bien Phu by Luc Olivier
Dien Bien Phu by Allan Rothberg