He defeated the French and humiliated the Americans.

The modern day David who brought down Goliath. He is Vietnamese general Vo Nguyen Giap, whom I personally admire and one whom I would definitely say is one of the greatest, most brilliant commanders who ever lived. His grasp for strategy and tactics would definitely make the great Master Sun proud. An avid reader of Master Sun’s great work he is an advocate of manoeuvre warfare and a living symbol of Master Sun’s axiom of “defeating the enemy without ever fighting.”

Worked as a school teacher with a passion for military history and philosophy, some of his contemporaries within the communist party doubted his capability as a military commander but he proved them wrong time and again. First by helping defeat the Japanese invaders during WWII and then the French during the battle of Dien Bien Phu and finally the Americans, most notably during the Tet Offensive. Doubt turned to awe and awe turned to respect.  A genius of guerrilla and psychological warfare he showed the world that in war firepower is not everything and that victory is not always achieved by sheer might alone, but by a combination of cunning strategy, ruthless efficiency and a good grasp of psychology. He epitomized Master Sun’s saying: “Know your enemy, know yourself and your victory will never be in doubt even in a hundred battles; know heaven, know earth and your victory will be complete.” 

Gen. Giap wholeheartedly deserves to be in the pantheon of the greatest military commanders who ever lived.

Happy 100^th birthday General Giap. You are truly a great inspiration.

Tu Risa (Your Laughter)

One of my most favorite poem by the great Pablo Neruda. It is so passionate, so romantic.

Tu Risa (Your Laughter)

By Pablo Neruda

Take the bread from me, if you want

take the air from me, but

do not take from me your laughter

Do not take away the rose,

the lanceflower that you pluck,

the water that suddenly

bursts forth in your joy,

the sudden wave

of silver born in you.

My struggle is harsh and I come back

with eyes tired

at times from having seen

the unchanging earth,

but when your laughter enters

it rises to the sky seeking me

and it opens for me all

the doors of life.

My love, in the darkest

hour your laughter

opens, and if suddenly

you see my blood staining

the stones of the street,

laugh, because your laughter

will be for my hands

like a fresh sword.

Next to the sea in the autumn,

your laughter must raise

its foamy cascade,

and in the spring, love,

I want your laughter like

the flower I was waiting for,

the blue flower, the rose

of my echoing country.

Laugh at the night,

at the day, at the moon,

laugh at the twisted

streets of the island,

laugh at this clumsy

boy who loves you,

but when I open

my eyes and close them,

when my steps go,

when my steps return,

deny me bread, air,

light, spring,

but never your laughter

for I would die.