Thailand's Secret War: OSS, SOE and the Free Thai Underground During World War II (Cambridge Military Histories) [Hardcover]

E. Bruce Reynolds (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521836018 | ISBN-13: 978-0521836012 | Publication Date: February 14, 2005

Despite its 1941 alliance with Japan, Thai leaders managed to establish clandestine relations with China, Britain and the United States, each of which had ambitions for postwar influence in Bangkok. Based largely on recently declassified intelligence records, this narrative history thoroughly explores these relations, details Allied secret operations and sheds new light on the intense rivalry between the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Compared to the campaigns in the Pacific, the Southeast Asian campaigns of World War II have received limited attention in military history (the possible exception being the campaign in Burma). In his second book on the role of Thailand in the war, Dr. Reynolds has provided a well-written and fascinating addition to the relatively small body of scholarship in this area."
-Phillip J. Ridderhof, U.S. Marine Corps, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan, H-War

"With Thailand's Secret War, Reynolds proves that he is a dean among scholars of intelligence in the Far East during the Second World War. His exhaustive archival research and exploitation of untapped sources have produced a landmark work that is geared towards serious students of both intelligence and the Second World War in the Far East."
-Studies in Intelligence

"Thailand's Secret War is engaging, well documented, and includes an especially thought-provoking epilogue...a balanced and nuanced account." - Military History, Barry M. Stentiford, Grambling State University

"Reynolds has researched this fascinating story with meticulous care. The evidence is marshalled clearly and the result is a first-rate case study."
The International Historical Review

"Dr. Reynolds has provided a well-written and fascinating addition to the relatively small body of scholarship in this area.... This was a very engaging read... It is also a valuable history to help understand the present state of Thailand and Southeast Asia."
H-War , Phillip J. Ridderhof, U.S. Marine Corps, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan

"Professor Reynolds has scoured archives, libraries and collections of private papers from all over the world. He has conducted dozens of interviews with survivors. He loves the stories he has unearthed and has befriended an enormous, colourful cast of characters. Thailand's Secret War will certainly be the definitive book on the subject" Pacific Affairs David Chandler, Monash University

"Thailand's Secret War is the most detailed work yet published on the published on the intricate political and strategic issues intertwined with Thailand's participation in World War II...Reynold's immensely valuable research and use of first-hand sources provides a superb and absorbing account of how and why the Seri Thai movement achieved its goal. "
John B. Haseman, Journal of Cold War Studies

Book Description

This book is the second by E. Bruc e Reynolds on Thailand's significant, but little-known, role in World War II. Despite its 1941 alliance with Japan, Thai leaders managed to establish clandestine relations with China, Britain and the United States, each of which had ambitions for postwar influence in Bangkok. Based largely on recently declassified intelligence records, this narrative history thoroughly explores these relations, details Allied secret operations and sheds new light on the intense rivalry between the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 482 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521836018
• ISBN-13: 978-0521836012
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,368,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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