Into Tibet: The CIA's First Atomic Spy and His Secret
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Laird, Thomas, PUBLISHER: Grove/Atlantic, Into Tibet is ong>ong>theong>ong> incredible ong>storyong> ong>ofong> a American undercover expedition led by America's first atomic agent, Douglas S. Mackiernan -- a covert attempt to arm ong>ong>theong>ong> Tibetans ong>andong> to recognize Tibet's independence in ong>ong>theong>ong> months before ong>Chinaong> invaded. It recounts a harrowing ong>andong> unprecedented two-thousong>andong>-mile trek on foot ong>andong> camel across ong>Chinaong> ong>andong> ong>ong>theong>ong> deserts ong>ofong> inner Asia. For ong>ong>theong>ong> first time, Thomas Laird reveals how Mackiernan helped establish a covert intelligence pipeline from ong>Chinaong> to India; how he gaong>ong>theong>ong>red atomic intelligence for ong>ong>theong>ong> United States; how his partner Frank Bessac urged ong>ong>theong>ong> Tibetan government to request covert U.S. military aid ong>andong> ong>ong>theong>ong>n carried ong>ong>theong>ong> signed request out ong>ofong> Lhasa; ong>andong>, finally, how Dean Rusk ong>andong> ong>ong>theong>ong> CIA responded. Laird reveals how ong>ong>theong>ong> clash between ong>ong>theong>ong> State Department ong>andong> ong>ong>theong>ong> CIA, as well us unguided actions by field agents, hastened ong>ong>theong>ong> Chinese invasion ong>ofong> Tibet. Commenting on American motivations during this operation for ong>ong>theong>ong> first time, ong>ong>theong>ong> Dalai Lama says bluntly, "ong>ong>Theong>ong> courage was not ong>ong>theong>ong>re." U.S. government actions were ultimately a kiss ong>ofong> death for Tibet ong>andong> Mackiernan -- ong>ong>theong>ong> first CIA agent ever killed during a covert operation. A gripping narrative ong>ofong> survival, courage, ong>andong> intrigue among ong>ong>theong>ong> nomads, princes, ong>andong> warring armies ong>ofong> inner Asia, Into Tibet rewrites ong>ong>theong>ong> accepted hiong>storyong> ong>behindong> ong>ong>theong>ong> Chinese invasion ong>ofong> Tibet. "Laird does an exemplary job ong>ofong> investigating, reporting, ong>andong> shaping ong>ong>theong>ong> events ong>andong> personalities that compose ong>ong>theong>ong> tragic ong>storyong>." -- Bob Shacochis, author ong>ofong> ong>ong>Theong>ong> Immaculate Invasion