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How
America Lost the Secret War in North Vietnam
by Kenneth
J. Conboy, Dale Andrade
During the Vietnam war, the U.S. sought to undermine Hanoi's subversion of the Saigon regime by sending Vietnamese operatives behind enemy lines. A secret to most Americans, this covert operation was far from secret in Hanoi: all of the commandos were killed or captured, and many were turned by the Communists to report false information. Spies and Commandos
traces the rise and demise of this secret operation--started by the CIA
in 1960 and expanded by the Pentagon beginning in1964--in the first book
to examine the program from both sides of the war. Kenneth Conboy and Dale
Andrad interviewed CIA and military personnel and traveled in Vietnam to
locate former commandos who had been captured by Hanoi, enabling them to
tell the complete story of these covert activities from high-level decision
making to the actual experiences of the agents.
The book vividly describes scores of dangerous missions-including raids against North Vietnamese coastal installations and the air--dropping of dozens of agents into enemy territory--as well as psychological warfare designed to make Hanoi believe the "resistance movement" was larger than it actually was. It offers a more complete operational account of the program than has ever been made available--particularly its early years--and ties known events in the war to covert operations, such as details of the "34-A Operations" that led to the Tonkin Gulf incidents in 1964. Although it
flourished for ten years under cover of the wider war. Conboy and Andrad's
account of that episode is a sobering tale that lends a new perspective
on the war as it reclaims the lost lives of these unsung spies and commandos.
From the Back Cover: "A major work that goes beyond what is in any of the other books that touch on these aspects of the Vietnam war-including Sedgwick Tourison's Secret Army, Secret War."--John Prados, author of The Hidden History of the Vietnam War "Spies and
Commandos is full of enlightening and fascinating details. Conboy and Andrad
deserve praise for their diligent research, cogent analysis, and significant
contribution to understanding America's secret war in Vietnam."--H. R.
McMaster, author of Dereliction of... read more
About the Authors: Kenneth Conboy is the author of several books on the conflict in Southeast Asia, including Shadow War: The CIA's Secret War in Laos. He resides in Jakarta, Indonesia. Dale
Andrade is a historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History
and author of Ashes to Ashes: The Phoenix Program and the Vietnam War and
Trial by Fire: The 1972 Easter Offensive, America's Last Vietnam Battle.
Book Reviews: Excellent
piece of work, July 14, 2000
Spies and Commandos
is a great book for anyone interested in SOG's exploits in SEA. This book
is well researched and goes into great detail about the missions executed
throughout N.Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Conboy is a great author and
any of his works are well recommended for those who seek an unbiased account
of covert operations in SEA. A book of simular content was written by Dr.
Schutlz but simply does not compare to this. My personal favorite subject
discussed in this book is the development, exploitation, and operations
of the "EARTH ANGEL" teams(1969-1971) which were turncoat NVA soldiers
who were advised/trained by experienced CIA and US Special Forces personel
to gather intell in Cambodia. Truly an educational and exciting piece of
work. Another interesting subject is how the ARVN Special Operations units
fought in the 1972 and final 1975 NVA offensives. BUY IT. You will not
be dissapointed.
The release
of new information leads to a masterufl book, March 26, 2000
Việt Nam Cộng Hòa Muôn Năm
Xin vui lòng lưu bút tưởng niệm đến các vị Anh Hùng của QLVNCH
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since
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