Download or read book orphans of a secret war written by bruce anderson and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2015-09-22 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To beat the traffic, rise above it, else you need a miracle. Orphans of the Secret War is a witty, sad, entertaining book narrated by a young "loog-kruenk" boy. An Asian-American child born to a Thai mother and an absent American father. He writes about his growing-up years in a small Thai village during the Secret War that was waged in Laos by the US against the North Vietnamese. In scope and content, the novel is reminiscent of Tom Brown's School Days and Huckleberry Finn, but with a broader world view of events. This is not a children's book, however. As an adjunct to the primary war the US engaged in a little publicized, tactical war against the North Vietnamese in Laos. To help in this effort, Thailand allowed the US to station troops in a number of cities across Thailand, including Udon Thani, in the North. Like a good omen- the rich foreign soldiers came, brining new economic opportunities to this deprived, neglected region of rural Isaan. The author presents, in a simple and entertaining style, his recollections of the life and times of his family during the occupation of Tahaan Falaangs in Udon. More broadly, Bruce portrays the effect of this American military base on the life of impoverished rice farmers in Northeast Thailand. He helps you understand how the presence of the base and the soldiers changed the culture and values of the entire region. Most importantly, Bruce provides the reader with a visceral, empathetic portrait of what happened to the Isaan people once the air base closed and the soldiers returned home. These post-conflict effects are seldom publicized, but they are very real and much longer lasting that the war itself. --

Download or read book The Secret Orphan written by Glynis Peters and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2018-11-09 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The USA Today bestseller This is a stunning and memorable page-turner of love, loss and resilience for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz Don’t miss The Red Cross Orphans, the brand new historical novel from Glynis Peters coming in November 2021

Download or read book Orphans of the Secret War written by Bruce King Anderson and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-09-29 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The title of the conflict "The Vietnam War", doesn't totally encompass the impact it had on the region it consumed--Southeast Asia. In the 1960s and throughout the 70s, the much more powerful North Vietnamese Army took full advantage of Laos' weaker position by fueling the internal conflict within the landlocked country and gaining room for their troops to maneuver within Laos. During this time, and fearing that the communist propaganda would cross its border with Laos and spread unrest within, The Kingdom of Thailand agreed that the US military could use Thai air bases around the country to fight in defense of freedom and democracy. The Americans swarmed into the Thai Kingdom like migrating African bees, ultimately giving Thailand something magical to smile about, at least superficially. The social stratosphere of Thailand quickly adapted like only Thai culture can. Cities were erected around Thai Air Force Bases throughout the nation, solidifying the shaky foundation of shadow businesses that abound in Thailand and generate a large portion of the Thai GDP. One nation's lust gave rise to the "shadow economy" as it temporarily pacified another nation's greed. To supply the popular demand, entertainment venues opened and were thronged with lonely Tahaan Falaang , and "bar-girls" willingly came in waves to provide their services. Is it that people who are willing to sell their bodies have no dignity, no limits? Or is it the other way around--that the person willing to buy someone's body--has no dignity, and no limits? Before you come to any conclusions, allow me to tell you a short story... I am a result of the Vietnam War, actually-the "Secret War" in Laos--a bastard son of an American soldier stationed in Udon Thani during the decades-long Indochina conflict. When American soldiers moved into Udon Air Force Base, the promise of great opportunities and riches excited many impoverished villagers around the rural Isaan farmlands; long overlooked by the Thai government. My mother, a young woman at the time, embraced this chance to make money, and even dreamed of being married off to a rich Tahaan Falaang who would take her away from the misery of subsistence living-a poor rural Isaan woman's fantasy that evaporated the moment the Americans packed up and went home. Many of the women pursuing a dream became pregnant. Out of guilt, some would abort, knowing that bearing a mixed-breed child would only bring disgrace and shame to her family. Yet, many children were given the chance of life, only to find their culture was not ready to accept them for who they were-children of God. In fact, a Thai term had to be invented just to describe such children-"loog-kruenk" or "half-breed". Something like "half-blood" or "half-ghost-half-human". Upon returning home, pregnant and abandoned, my mother hid her secret as long as she could, only to have it revealed through the noticeably different looking son born to her. He would never be confused with a typical Isaan farmer. Undereducated Isaan villagers did everything possible to lift my mother onto the stage of disgrace. With mounting pressure to survive in these rural lands, my mother did what many women in the same situation did-dropped me off at an orphanage where I witnessed the darker side of "Thai-ness"-and where I quickly learned how to conform to the system. It was a journey that shredded my spirit and buried me deep in despair. I had no choice but to reach out into the unknown, begging a comet to save me and praying to any invisible powers willing to listen to an orphan's plea. Fate took me there. But a miracle brought me out...

Download or read book Orphans of the Secret War written by Bruce King and published by . This book was released on 2015-10-26 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the 1960s and throughout the 70s, the much more powerful North Vietnamese Army took full advantage of Laos' weaker position by fueling the internal conflict within the landlocked country and gaining room for their troops to maneuver within Laos. During this time, and fearing that the communist propaganda would cross its border with Laos and spread unrest within, The Kingdom of Thailand agreed that the US military could use Thai air bases around the country to fight in defense of freedom and democracy. The Americans swarmed into the Thai Kingdom like migrating African bees, ultimately giving Thailand something magical to smile about, at least superficially.The social stratosphere of Thailand quickly adapted like only Thai culture can. Cities were erected around Thai Air Force Bases throughout the nation, solidifying the shaky foundation of shadow businesses that abound in Thailand and generate a large portion of the Thai GDP.One nation's lust gave rise to the "shadow economy" as it temporarily pacified another nation's greed. To supply the popular demand, entertainment venues opened and were thronged with lonely Tahaan Falaang , and "bar-girls" willingly came in waves to provide their services.Is it that people who are willing to sell their bodies have no dignity, no limits? Or is it the other way around--that the person willing to buy someone's body--has no dignity, and no limits?Before you come to any conclusions, allow me to tell you a short story...

Download or read book Against Their Will written by Allen M. Hornblum and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2013-06-25 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Cold War, an alliance between American scientists, pharmaceutical companies, and the US military pushed the medical establishment into ethically fraught territory. Doctors and scientists at prestigious institutions were pressured to produce medical advances to compete with the perceived threats coming from the Soviet Union. In Against Their Will, authors Allen Hornblum, Judith Newman, and Gregory Dober reveal the little-known history of unethical and dangerous medical experimentation on children in the United States. Through rare interviews and the personal correspondence of renowned medical investigators, they document how children—both normal and those termed "feebleminded"—from infants to teenagers, became human research subjects in terrifying experiments. They were drafted as "volunteers" to test vaccines, doused with ringworm, subjected to electric shock, and given lobotomies. They were also fed radioactive isotopes and exposed to chemical warfare agents. This groundbreaking book shows how institutional superintendents influenced by eugenics often turned these children over to scientific researchers without a second thought. Based on years of archival work and numerous interviews with both scientific researchers and former test subjects, this is a fascinating and disturbing look at the dark underbelly of American medical history.

Download or read book The Orphan s Secret A Totally Gripping and Emotional World War 2 Historical Novel written by Shirley Dickson and published by Bookouture. This book was released on 2021-11-09 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: England, 1940: A tear-jerking wartime tale of an orphaned baby who needs a home, and the woman who risks everything to provide it. Fans of Before We Were Yours, Wives of War and Diney Costeloe will be utterly swept away by this heartbreaking - yet beautifully hopeful - World War Two page-turner. With the war raging, Lily has learned not to take life for granted. In a time of such tragedy, every day is a gift. Her husband is a soldier, fighting to save their country, and she prays that she will survive - to one day welcome him home. One sweltering July night, bombs rain down. Lily and her dear friend Ethel, who is nine months pregnant, seek refuge in a shelter. Miraculously, a baby girl is born to the sound of ear-splitting shrieks and explosions in the distance. Once the raid quietens, Lily races into the house to find the newborn a blanket. But then the unthinkable happens, planes thundering right over the rooftops... When Lily rouses, finding herself amongst broken glass and crumbled brick, she is devastated to discover that Ethel has been killed - leaving little Joy behind. With tears rolling down her face, Lily makes a split-second decision. To save the orphaned child, Lily must tell a heartbreaking lie, a secret that she holds close to her chest for years. But when the truth comes out, whose lives will be destroyed? And will she ever be forgiven? Readers absolutely love Shirley Dickson: 'I was gripped from the very first page... It was heartbreaking... I smiled through these happy times with them but also shed tears... I could not put it down... Will undoubtedly pull at your heartstrings. Just make sure you have a box of tissues ready!' Stardust Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Absolutely fabulous... Had me hooked from the very first page... Took me on a rollercoaster of emotions and had me in tears.' Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I absolutely loved it!... An emotional, heart-wrenching story of love and loss amidst the horror of war... Will tug at your heartstrings... Will have you reaching for the tissues... Wonderful.' Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A beautiful story! Had me in tears from the very beginning. I couldn't put this one down.' A Book With Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Make sure you have tissues handy... The story is heartbreaking... Worthy of 5* and more.' Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Promises to keep you turning the pages as your heart attempts not to break. A book you will lose yourself in!' All the Good Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A beautifully written coming-of-age story... I didn't want to put down... Tugs at your heartstrings.' Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Download or read book Spies and Commandos written by Kenneth Conboy and published by University Press of Kansas. This book was released on 2000-03-16 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Vietnam war, the United States 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 Andrade 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. It also explains in no uncertain terms why the whole plan was doomed to failure from the start. One of the remarkable features of the operation, claim the authors, is that its failures were so glaring. They argue that the CIA, and later the Pentagon, was unaware for years that Hanoi had compromised the commandos, even though some agents missed radio deadlines or filed suspicious reports. Operational errors were not attributable to conspiracy or counterintelligence, they contend, but simply to poor planning and lack of imagination. Although it flourished for ten years under cover of the wider war, covert activity in Vietnam is now recognized as a disaster. Conboy and Andrade'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.

Download or read book The Red Cross Orphans The Red Cross Orphans Book 1 written by Glynis Peters and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2021-11-30 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the internationally bestselling author of The Secret Orphan comes her brand new unputdownable historical fiction novel!

Download or read book The Secret War written by Matt Myklusch and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-06-26 with total page 560 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sequel to: Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation.

Download or read book When We Were Orphans written by Kazuo Ishiguro and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2001-01-16 with total page 481 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and author of the Booker Prize–winning novel The Remains of the Day comes this stunning work of soaring imagination. Born in early twentieth-century Shanghai, Banks was orphaned at the age of nine after the separate disappearances of his parents. Now, more than twenty years later, he is a celebrated figure in London society; yet the investigative expertise that has garnered him fame has done little to illuminate the circumstances of his parents' alleged kidnappings. Banks travels to the seething, labyrinthine city of his memory in hopes of solving the mystery of his own painful past, only to find that war is ravaging Shanghai beyond recognition—and that his own recollections are proving as difficult to trust as the people around him. Masterful, suspenseful and psychologically acute, When We Were Orphans offers a profound meditation on the shifting quality of memory, and the possibility of avenging one’s past.

Download or read book Abe Lincoln s Secret War Against The North written by John Chodes and published by Algora Publishing. This book was released on 2015-04-01 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abraham Lincoln, an American icon, was feared and hated during his presidency as a brutal dictator. His severe attacks on New York, Maryland, Indiana and Missouri show that he was turning the United States into a permanently militarized nation. Lincoln was reviled not only by Southerners and by his political rivals (the Democrats), but also to a surprising degree by the rank and file of his own Republican Party. He won the war, and so he is remembered as “Honest Abe” and the “Great Emancipator.” But through this investigation of three Northern states that opposed Abraham Lincoln’s policies, and even one state that had fervently supported him, the true picture becomes more clear. Why is this story important for today? Because many of the negatives in 21st-century American society—the centralization of power in Washington, political indifference to the popular will, the continual expansion of the “military–industrial complex,” can all be traced to their starting point: Abraham Lincoln’s presidency. The Radical wing of Lincoln’s Republican Party was a precursor of the 20th- and 21st-century totalitarian regimes. These Radicals believed in, and fulfilled, their goal of one-party rule. This goal was not shaped by four years of brutalizing war but was inherent in their ideology from the beginning.

Download or read book Covert Ops written by James E. Parker and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 1997-11-15 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the same time the Vietnam War was being broadcast into the living rooms of Americans across the country the CIA was conducting a large-scale secret war in northeastern Laos that few heard about. Agency case officer Jim Parker's five years of combat and immersion in Southeast Asian culture had a lasting influence on him and his family. His dramatic, provocative reminiscence of those years is the first account by a participant to portray America's involvement in Laos.

Download or read book The Forgotten Orphan written by Glynis Peters and published by HarperCollins UK. This book was released on 2020-12-01 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The USA Today Bestseller! A world at war A secret from her past A chance to be together...

Download or read book The Warsaw Orphan written by Kelly Rimmer and published by Harlequin. This book was released on 2021-06-01 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Instant New York Times bestseller! Inspired by the real-life heroine who saved thousands of Jewish children during WWII, The Warsaw Orphan is Kelly Rimmer’s most anticipated novel since her bestselling sensation, The Things We Cannot Say. “Gripping… This one easily stands on its own.” —Publishers Weekly “Heart-stopping.” – Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author “A surefire hit.” – Kristin Harmel, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author In the spring of 1942, young Elzbieta Rabinek is aware of the swiftly growing discord just beyond the courtyard of her comfortable Warsaw home. She has no fondness for the Germans who patrol her streets and impose their curfews, but has never given much thought to what goes on behind the walls that contain her Jewish neighbors. She knows all too well about German brutality--and that it's the reason she must conceal her true identity. But in befriending Sara, a nurse who shares her apartment floor, Elzbieta makes a discovery that propels her into a dangerous world of deception and heroism. Using Sara's credentials to smuggle children out of the ghetto brings Elzbieta face-to-face with the reality of the war behind its walls, and to the plight of the Gorka family, who must make the impossible decision to give up their newborn daughter or watch her starve. For Roman Gorka, this final injustice stirs him to rebellion with a zeal not even his newfound love for Elzbieta can suppress. But his recklessness brings unwanted attention to Sara's cause, unwittingly putting Elzbieta and her family in harm's way until one violent act threatens to destroy their chance at freedom forever. From Nazi occupation to the threat of a communist regime, The Warsaw Orphan is the unforgettable story of Elzbieta and Roman's perilous attempt to reclaim the love and life they once knew. Don’t miss Kelly Rimmer’s next historical suspense, The Paris Agent, coming July 2023! For more by Kelly Rimmer, look for: Before I Let You Go The Things We Cannot Say Truths I Never Told You The German Wife

Download or read book The Orphan s Tale written by Pam Jenoff and published by MIRA. This book was released on 2017-02-21 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Look for Pam Jenoff’s new novel, The Woman with the Blue Star, an unforgettable story of courage and friendship during wartime. A New York Times bestseller! “Readers who enjoyed Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants will embrace this novel. “ —Library Journal “Secrets, lies, treachery, and passion…. I read this novel in a headlong rush.” —Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train A powerful novel of friendship set in a traveling circus during World War II, The Orphan’s Tale introduces two extraordinary women and their harrowing stories of sacrifice and survival. Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby. She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep… When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her. And in a moment that will change the course of her life, she snatches one of the babies and flees into the snowy night. Noa finds refuge with a German circus, but she must learn the flying trapeze act so she can blend in undetected, spurning the resentment of the lead aerialist, Astrid. At first rivals, Noa and Astrid soon forge a powerful bond. But as the facade that protects them proves increasingly tenuous, Noa and Astrid must decide whether their friendship is enough to save one another—or if the secrets that burn between them will destroy everything. Don’t miss Pam Jenoff’s new novel, Code Name Sapphire, a riveting tale of bravery and resistance during World War II. Read these other sweeping epics from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff: The Woman with the Blue Star The Lost Girls of Paris The Ambassador’s Daughter The Diplomat’s Wife The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach The Kommandant’s Girl The Winter Guest

Download or read book An American Brothel written by Amanda Boczar and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2022-02-15 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In An American Brothel, Amanda Boczar considers sexual encounters between American servicemen and civilians throughout the Vietnam War, and she places those fraught and sometimes violent meetings in the context of the US military and diplomatic campaigns. In 1966, US Senator J. William Fulbright declared that "Saigon has become an American brothel." Concerned that, as US military involvement in Vietnam increased so, too, had prostitution, black market economies, and a drug trade fueled by American dollars, Fulbright decried an arrogance of power on the part of Americans and the corrosive effects unchecked immorality could have on Vietnam as well as on the war effort. The symbol, at home and abroad, of the sweeping social and cultural changes was often the so-called South Vietnamese bar girl. As the war progressed, peaking in 1968 with more than half a million troops engaged, the behavior of soldiers off the battlefield started to impact affect the conflict more broadly. Beyond the brothel, shocking revelations of rapes and the increase in marriage applications complicated how the South Vietnamese and American allies cooperated and managed social behavior. Strictures on how soldiers conducted themselves during rest and relaxation time away from battle further eroded morale of disaffected servicemen. The South Vietnamese were loath to loosen moral restrictions and feared deleterious influence of a permissive wWestern culture on their society. From the consensual to the coerced, sexual encounters shaped the Vietnam War. Boczar shows that these encounters—sometimes facilitated and sometimes banned by the US military command—restructured the South Vietnamese economy, captivated international attention, dictated military policies, and hung over diplomatic relations during and after the war.

Download or read book Orphan Monster Spy written by Matt Killeen and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2019-02-19 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Like Inglourious Basterds for tweens, this clever YA title features Sarah, a blond, blue-eyed Jewish girl in 1939 Germany."--The New York Post After her mother is shot at a checkpoint, fifteen-year-old Sarah finds herself on the run from the Nazis in Third Reich-ruled Germany. While trying to escape, Sarah meets a mysterious man with an ambiguous accent, a suspiciously bare apartment, and a lockbox full of weapons. He's part of the secret resistance against the Reich, and he needs her help. Sarah is to hide in plain sight at a boarding school for the daughters of top Nazi brass, posing as one of them. She must befriend the daughter of a key scientist to gain access to the blueprints for a bomb that could destroy the cities of Western Europe, and steal them. Sarah may look like the rest of the girls, innocent, blonde-haired, and young, but she refuses to become one of the monsters she's surrounded by. She's a brilliant con artist, convincing them she's one of them even as she lives in terror of being found out. And she's determined to get her revenge on them all.