From the award-winning author of The Order of the Day and The War of the Poor comes a cutting account of the lesser-known conflict preceding the Vietnam War that dealt a fatal blow to French colonialism.

As with so many conflicts throughout history, there were key actors with a motivation deeper than nationalism or political ideology—greed. An Honourable Exit not only brings to life scenes from the war, but also looks beyond the visceral reality on the ground to the colder calculations of those who seek to benefit from conflict, whether shrewd bankers, who can turn a military win or loss into financial gain, or intelligence operatives like the CIA, who aim to influence governments across the globe.