We Stand Alone

Book excerpt: A Daring Plan. A Deadly Trap. The Siege at Dien Bien Phu. Hanoi 1953. An American fighter pilot, Tom Coyle, volunteers to fly for the French military during the Indochina War. “Just cargo and troops, no combat” that is the deal. Make some money and head back to the states before he and his friend, Earthquake McGoon, get their asses shot off. But things rarely go as planned… French commander Major Marcel Bigeard is the fittest man in the army, eats raw onions for breakfast, and has courage beyond reason. He leads his brigade of elite paratroopers into the Muong Thanh Valley, far from French supply lines. A dilapidated airfield is rebuilt into a fortified air bridge – the paratroopers’ lifeline and only means of escape. The French garrison is a tempting target for Ho Chi Minh and his General Vo Nguyen Giap, considered the most brilliant military strategist of his time. Such a victory could bring a swift end to the seven-year-long war between the Viet Minh and the French. To win, they will need to achieve the most remarkable engineering feat of the 20th century before the French can slip away. But the French aren’t going anywhere. They want the rebels to attack… The Viet Minh and French paratroopers square off in a winner-take-all battle in this unforgettable epic based on actual events and real people. If you are a fan of history with accurate details and riveting suspense, then you’ll love David Lee Corley’s historical war novel – We Stand Alone.