Laos, Caught In The Web
Laos, Caught In The Web

Author: Judy Rantala

Publisher: First Edition Design Pub.

Published: 2014-12-21

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 1622878035

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The small nation of Laos, wedged between Thailand and Vietnam, is little known to most Westerners. When the author and her husband, a USAID worker, moved to Laos in 1971, it was a quiet country falling increasingly under the effects of a heavy but unacknowledged U.S. military presence as part of a failing effort in Vietnam. Befriended by two young Laotians, the author became a part of village life, joining holiday celebrations, weddings, funerals and feasts. Over a four year period, she developed a deep admiration and affection for the Lao people. The humor and pathos of these chaotic years before the Communist take-over of the government in 1975 are chronicled by following one Lao family from Communist controlled re-education camps to their eventual resettlement in the United States. “Being born in Laos but raised in America from the tender age of 4, I have not had an opportunity to truly appreciate my own country. Judy’s book opened my eyes, heart and mind to the beautiful people and culture of that life and world. Thanks Judy.” Lala Rivera, former refugee “Fascinating for its portrayal of an unfamiliar, increasingly dangerous world (Laos, 1971-75), this memoir floods readers with admiration and sympathy for Lao culture.” Suzanne Kosanke, University of Hawaii at Manoa “As interest revives in the era of what Americans call the Vietnam War, there is still little accessible information about that part of the world, including Vietnam’s neighboring country, Laos. This book is a warm, human account of one person’s experiences in Laos.” Mary Ann Mattoon, PhD. Minneapolis.

A Great Place to Have a War
A Great Place to Have a War

Author: Joshua Kurlantzick

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2017-01-24

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 1451667892

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The untold story of how America’s secret war in Laos in the 1960s transformed the CIA from a loose collection of spies into a military operation and a key player in American foreign policy. January, 1961: Laos, a tiny nation few Americans have heard of, is at risk of falling to communism and triggering a domino effect throughout Southeast Asia. This is what President Eisenhower believed when he approved the CIA’s Operation Momentum, creating an army of ethnic Hmong to fight communist forces there. Largely hidden from the American public—and most of Congress—Momentum became the largest CIA paramilitary operation in the history of the United States. The brutal war lasted more than a decade, left the ground littered with thousands of unexploded bombs, and changed the nature of the CIA forever. With “revelatory reporting” and “lucid prose” (The Economist), Kurlantzick provides the definitive account of the Laos war, focusing on the four key people who led the operation: the CIA operative whose idea it was, the Hmong general who led the proxy army in the field, the paramilitary specialist who trained the Hmong forces, and the State Department careerist who took control over the war as it grew. Using recently declassified records and extensive interviews, Kurlantzick shows for the first time how the CIA’s clandestine adventures in one small, Southeast Asian country became the template for how the United States has conducted war ever since—all the way to today’s war on terrorism.

Run Me to Earth
Run Me to Earth

Author: Paul Yoon

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published: 2020-01-28

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 1501154044

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

From award-winning author Paul Yoon comes a beautiful, aching novel about three kids orphaned in 1960s Laos—and how their destinies are entwined across decades, anointed by Hernan Diaz as “one of those rare novels that stays with us to become a standard with which we measure other books.” Alisak, Prany, and Noi—three orphans united by devastating loss—must do what is necessary to survive the perilous landscape of 1960s Laos. When they take shelter in a bombed out field hospital, they meet Vang, a doctor dedicated to helping the wounded at all costs. Soon the teens are serving as motorcycle couriers, delicately navigating their bikes across the fields filled with unexploded bombs, beneath the indiscriminate barrage from the sky. In a world where the landscape and the roads have turned into an ocean of bombs, we follow their grueling days of rescuing civilians and searching for medical supplies, until Vang secures their evacuation on the last helicopters leaving the country. It’s a move with irrevocable consequences—and sets them on disparate and treacherous paths across the world. Spanning decades and magically weaving together storylines laced with beauty and cruelty, Paul Yoon crafts a gorgeous story that is a breathtaking historical feat and a fierce study of the powers of hope, perseverance, and grace.

Special Air Warfare and the Secret War in Laos
Special Air Warfare and the Secret War in Laos

Author: Air University Press

Publisher:

Published: 2019-07-02

Total Pages: 516

ISBN-13: 9781079351712

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The story of special air warfare and the Air Commandos who served for the ambassadors in Laos from 1964 to 1975 is captured through extensive research and veteran interviews. The author has meticulously put together a comprehensive overview of the involvement of USAF Air Commandos who served in Laos as trainers, advisors, and clandestine combat forces to prevent the communist takeover of the Royal Lao Government. This book includes pictures of those operations, unveils what had been a US government secret war, and adds a substantial contribution to understanding the wider war in Southeast Asia.

Historical Dictionary of Laos
Historical Dictionary of Laos

Author: Martin Stuart-Fox

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2008-02-06

Total Pages: 554

ISBN-13: 0810864118

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Laos is the smallest state in terms of population, the weakest militarily, and the least developed economically in mainland Southeast Asia. Yet a glance at the map shows how strategically it is positioned, between Thailand and Vietnam and between Cambodia and China. As in the past Laos was a crossroads for trade routes, so in the future it will be a crossroads for communications in this rapidly developing region. It is even possible to anticipate that the greatness of Laos in the past may be matched by the emergence of Laos in the future as a significant partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which it is already a member. The third edition of the Historical Dictionary of Laos_through its chronology, introductory essay, appendixes, maps, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions and significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects_traces Laos' history and provides a compass for the direction the country is heading.

Vientiane
Vientiane

Author: Marc Askew

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2006-12-07

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 1134323654

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book is a rich exploration of the country's political, social and cultural history and geo-political development from its creation to the present day.

Historical Dictionary of the War in Vietnam
Historical Dictionary of the War in Vietnam

Author: Ronald B. Frankum

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2011-06-10

Total Pages: 650

ISBN-13: 0810879565

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

For Southeast Asia, the Vietnam War altered forever the history, topography, people, economy, and politics of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV), the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), Cambodia, and Laos. That the war was controversial is an understatement as is the notion that the war can be understood from any one perspective. One way of understanding the Vietnam War is by marking its time with turning points, both major and minor, that involved events or decisions that helped to influence its course in the years to follow. By examining a few of these turning points, an organizational framework takes shape that makes understanding the war more possible. Historical Dictionary of the War in Vietnam emphasizes the international nature of the war, as well as provide a greater understanding of the long scope of the conflict. The major events associated with the war will serve as the foundation of the book while additional entries will explore the military, diplomatic, political, social, and cultural events that made the war unique. While military subjects will be fully explored, there will be greater attention to other aspects of the war. All of this is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 600 cross-referenced dictionary entries. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Vietnam War.

Asian American Culture [2 volumes]
Asian American Culture [2 volumes]

Author: Lan Dong

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2016-03-14

Total Pages: 691

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Providing comprehensive coverage of a variety of Asian American cultural forms, including folk tradition, literature, religion, education, politics, sports, and popular culture, this two-volume work is an ideal resource for students and general readers that reveals the historical, regional, and ethnic diversity within specific traditions. An invaluable reference for school and public libraries as well as academic libraries at colleges and universities, this two-volume encyclopedia provides comprehensive coverage of a variety of Asian American cultural forms that enables readers to understand the history, complexity, and contemporary practices in Asian American culture. The contributed entries address the diversity of a group comprising people with geographically discrete origins in the Far East, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, identifying the rich variations across the category of Asian American culture that are key to understanding specific cultural expressions while also pointing out some commonalities. Entries are organized alphabetically and cover topics in the arts; education and politics; family and community; gender and sexuality; history and immigration; holidays, festivals, and folk tradition; literature and culture; media, sports, and popular culture; and religion, belief, and spirituality. Entries also broadly cover Asian American origins and history, regional practices and traditions, contemporary culture, and art and other forms of shared expression. Accompanying sidebars throughout serve to highlight key individuals, major events, and significant artifacts and allow readers to better appreciate the Asian American experience.

Congressional Record
Congressional Record

Author: United States. Congress

Publisher:

Published: 1971

Total Pages: 1416

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)

Interdiction in Southern Laos 1960-1968
Interdiction in Southern Laos 1960-1968

Author: Jacob Staaveren

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published: 2012-05-25

Total Pages: 378

ISBN-13: 9781477541883

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Throughout the War in Southeast Asia, Communist forces form North Vietnam infiltrated the isolated, neutral state of Laos. Men and supplies crossed the mountain passes and travelled along an intricate web of roads and jungle paths known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the Viet Cong insurgents in South Vietnam. American involvement in Laos began which a photo-reconnaissance missions and, as the war in Vietnam intensified, expanded to a series of air-ground operations from bases in Vietnam and Thailand against fixed targets and infiltration routes in southern Laos. This volume examines this complex operational environment. United States Air Force. Center for Air Force History.