The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia

By Alfred W. McCoy with Cathleen B. Read and Leonard P. Adams II. Illustrated. 464 pages with Index, Appendix, Notes, and Glossary. SBN 06-012901-8. An Amazon customer review: "This in-depth academic study researches the central role that opium plays in the economy, politics, and wars of the region. It follows the trail from the highlands of Laos, where the opium is grown and harvested by the Hmong tribespeople, to the Golden Triangle, where it is refined into heroin. Published in 1972, this was the first printed account of the USA's massive engagement in a 'secret' war in Laos. It documented the use of CIA helicopters to bring Laotian opium to market in Vietnam (where, ironically, it was sold to addicted US soldiers.) This was done to finance weapons for the army of Hmong highlanders, being led by CIA 'advisors', who were fighting the Laotian communists. There was only one edition of this book; immediately after its first printing, the entire publisher was bought by the U.S. government, and all warehoused copies were destroyed. However, with a bit of luck it can still be found in used bookstores."