Background to Betrayal: The Tragedy of Vietnam

For decades, the Vietnam War has been remembered through the lens of television footage, political spin, and tragic casualty lists. Yet in Background to Betrayal: The Tragedy of Vietnam — now available in this definitive 2025 edition — Hilaire du Berrier reveals the deeper story: a record of how Communism, aided by Washington’s own policies, brought down the very leaders who might have preserved a free Vietnam. From the fall of the French at Dien Bien Phu to the rise of American-backed regimes riddled with corruption, du Berrier shows how the stage was set long before the first U.S. combat troops arrived.

Through vivid chapters on Bao Dai, Ngo Dinh Diem, the Binh Xuyen, and other pivotal actors, the book demonstrates how authentic nationalist and anti-Communist movements were systematically undercut. Du Berrier lays bare how decisions in Paris, Washington, and Moscow converged to create disaster — while Americans were told they were defending “democracy.” His narrative is grounded in firsthand knowledge and sharp analysis, making plain the forces the establishment press dared not expose.

First released by Western Islands at the height of U.S. involvement, this new edition brings du Berrier’s insights to today’s readers with renewed urgency. Essential for historians, students, and citizens, Background to Betrayal remains a warning: without vigilance, the same deceptions will be repeated wherever liberty is at stake. (2025ed, 380pp, pb)