Volume II, You Grow Old Quickly, picks up where Volume 1, Who Will Count Our Dead and Remember Us, left off. Volume II explores the early 20th century, a time when Europe was engulfed in war, leading to Indochina being deprived of its vital military forces, with just one legion company remaining alongside some colonial troops and tirailleurs to combat the growing threat from Chinese and Annamite pirates, as well as radical nationalist factions intent on violence. In the aftermath of World War One, France moved swiftly to bolster its expeditionary corps in order to manage increasing disorder and counteract the rise of radical communist groups in Tonkin and Annam. In the midst of fighting against numerous insurgent groups and dealing with several uprisings within the tirailleurs, legionnaires initiated a vast series of development programmes, including major road construction throughout Tonkin and the creation of beautiful summer camps situated in high mountain areas. Volume II highlights the emergence of radical communist organisations and the French attempts to lessen their impact throughout the late 1920s and 1930s. In 1930, the structure of the legion battalions in Tonkin was altered to establish the 5e Régiment étranger d'infanterie, which occurred alongside the rise in intense communist activities. Throughout the 1930s, Thailand and Japan emerged as key players with a keen interest in the colony, resulting in Japan's invasion during what is referred to as the Lang Son Incident in September 1940, bringing this volume to a close. Includes 63 images and three maps.