Perilous Missions: Civil Air Transport and the CIA Covert Operations in Asia

Leary, William M.

ISBN 10: 081730164X / ISBN 13: 9780817301644

Published by Univ of Alabama Pr, University, AL, 1984

About this Item

281pp/illus/maps. The growth of the CIA's "air Force began with theKorean War. The CIA used CAT ti dekuver weaoibs to anti-Communist elements in Burma, make numerous overflights of China in support of guerrilla, carry operatives between secret bases throughout the Far East, and provide secure airlift for other clandestine missions. Clean. Seller Inventory # 007069

Bibliographic Details

Title: Perilous Missions: Civil Air Transport and ...

Publisher: Univ of Alabama Pr, University, AL

Publication Date: 1984

Binding: Hard Coveer

Condition: Near Fine

Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good+

Edition: First Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

Perilous Missions is William M. Leary's detailed operational history of the USA's Civil Air Transport (CAT), taking it through its many forms and uses in Asian conflicts."

Review:

Insiders often portray the 1950s as a golden age for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The first successful Soviet nuclear test in 1949 precluded a direct American clash with the USSR and inaugurated two generations of conflict by proxy. In this frequently covert struggle, the Agency became an instrument of choice for the US government. Fortified by an influx of veterans from its wartime predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) embarked on a broad covert campaign against communists and perceived communist sympathizers. From the literary salons of Paris to the grizzled brotherhood of international mountaineers, the CIA's influence came to permeate almost every avenue of human endeavor. In the field of clandestine military operations, however, it is increasingly clear that the Agency's record during the early Cold War years was almost entirely disastrous. Leary's meticulously researched study helps underscore the limitations of secret warfare. ""Perilous Missions still constitutes our best resource on the origins of Civil Air Transport. It offers a rich treasury of oral testimony and documentary evidence."" - Journal of Military History