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The Secret Army
Chiang Kai-shek and the Drug Warlords of the Golden Triangle
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Summary
Historians Richard Gibson and Wen-hua Chen delve into the post-war Kuomintang army’s dominance of Southeast Asia’s drug trade for over thirty years, drawing on interviews, diverse Asian sources, and Gibson’s personal anti-narcotic experience.
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The Secret Army
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This book will appeal to readers interested in modern Asian history, military history, international politics, and the history of the drug trade. It offers a detailed, well-researched narrative for those seeking to understand the complex post-war period in Southeast Asia.
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See moreThe incredible story of how Chiang Kai-shek's defeated army came to dominate the Asian drug trade After their defeat in China's civil war, remnants of Chiang Kai-shek's armies took refuge in Burma before being driven into Thailand and Laos.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
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Description
The incredible story of how Chiang Kai-shek's defeated army came to dominate the Asian drug trade.
After their defeat in China's civil war, remnants of Chiang Kai-shek's armies took refuge in Burma before being driven into Thailand and Laos. Based on recently declassified government documents, The Secret Army: Chiang Kai-shek and the Drug Warlords of the Golden Triangle reveals the shocking true story of what happened after the Chinese Nationalists lost the revolution. Supported by Taiwan, the CIA, and the Thai government, this former army reinvented itself as an anti-communist mercenary force, fighting into the 1980s, before eventually becoming the drug lords who made the Golden Triangle a household name.
Offering a previously unseen look inside the post-war workings of the Kuomintang army, historians Richard Gibson and Wen-hua Chen explore how this fallen military group dominated the drug trade in Southeast Asia for more than three decades.
- Based on recently released, previously classified government documents
- Draws on interviews with active participants, as well as a variety of Chinese, Thai, and Burmese written sources
- Includes unique insights drawn from author Richard Gibson's personal experiences with anti-narcotics trafficking efforts in the Golden Triangle
A fascinating look at an untold piece of Chinese—and drug-running—history, The Secret Army offers a revealing look into the history of one of the most infamous drug cartels in Asia.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780470830185
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 18 October 2011
Country: United States
Imprint: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Contributors:
- With Wen H. Chen
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 20.0mm
Width: 147.0mm
Height: 226.0mm
Weight: 544g
Pages: 384
About the Author
Richard M. Gibson earned a BS in 1965 and in 1966 an MA in history at San Jose State College, San Jose, California. As a Naval officer from 1966-71, he served aboard ships in the Gulf of Tonkin and taught history at the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD.
In 1971, Gibson joined the US Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer. His postings included Martinique, French West Indies, Burma and Japan. He speaks French, Thai, and Japanese fluently, and received the Department of States meritorious and superior honor awards.
Wen-hua Chen earned a BA in Chinese literature from Tunghai University, Taiwan and an MA in oriental history at Hiroshima University, Japan. Chen also studied at Taiwan’s prestigious Academia Sinica. In 1975, he began a career with the United Nations as a Chinese translator, working in both Bangkok, Thailand, and at UN Headquarters in New York. He retired in 2000 and has been pursuing various writing projects, publishing several works in Chinese language periodicals in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom.
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