As World War II drew to a close, the Imperial Japanese military seized control of Laos, a French protectorate, and encouraged nationalist movements to forestall the revival of French power in the region. Despite these efforts the French re-entered Indochina and methodically retook the protectorate. [...]
This is the first comprehensive history of the CIAas largest paramilitary operation during the cold war. It took 10 years to write and involved interviews with 650 CIA case officers, U.S. military officials, and senior Lao, Thai and North Vietnamese officers. Includes outstanding photos and maps and[...]