The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade

by Alfred W. McCoy

Book Overview

The first book to prove CIA and U.S. government complicity in global drug trafficking, The Politics of Heroin includes meticulous documentation of dishonesty and dirty dealings at the highest levels from the Cold War until today. Maintaining a global perspective, this groundbreaking study details the mechanics of drug trafficking in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South and Central America. New chapters detail U.S. involvement in the narcotics...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1556524838
• ISBN13: 9781556524837
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books
• Length: 734 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A Real Eye Opener!

This book spells out the CIA's involvement with Heroin smuggling since WWII. The book basically connects the CIA to drug trafficking in both the Gold Triangle of Southeast Asia and the Taliban Triangle in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I guess that the US was broke after World War II so we stooped to funding our intelligence operations with drug money. This is a great book if you don't mind a real life trip down the rabbit hole. Take the blue pill and hold on!

This is the Real McCoy, deserves 5 stars

Hard to refute this massively documented solidly researched book. This is a MUST READ for anyone trying to weave together the enormous task of trying to understanding the world drug trade. Ditto for all of the other positive reviewers.

A Thorough Guide to Understanding the History of Heroin Trade

This is quite a detailed and academic reference that no college student should be without. I have been out of graduate school for over 10 years and it took me nearly 2 weeks to complete and comprehend the facts of the book. There are just so many places and names in the book that one can easily get lost and confused. Nevertheless, the author gives the reader and complete history of the heroin trade starting with 19th century opium production and use in China to present day heroin production, distribution, and consumption that is coming out of Afghanistan. I highly recommend this book to everyone who wants to really understand why we are losing the War on Drugs. You want to know the truth about the drug trade? Then this is the book for you.

Well Done, Dr. McCoy!

Professor Alfed McCoy has here rendered a very important contribution to the overall understanding of United States policy in the post-World War II era. This thoroughly documented and well written text illustrates CIA complicity in the narcotics trade from the Golden Triangle of Southeast Asia, to the mountains of Afghanistan, and finally to the highlands of the Andes. Other authors who write of CIA complicity in various nefarious deeds seem to cite this important work more than any other. One might argue that the level of detail, particularly wtih regard to the various machinations of the KMT army and various sects within Burma, Thailand, and Laos is a little much for the general reader. However, in acknowledging this, we can only assert that this is an observation rather a criticism. McCoy's book is an excellent source. The writing, as previously mentioned, is excellent, and the conclusions terribly important. Read it. And be both well informed, and frankly disturbed in the process. Well done, Dr. McCoy!

A must read during the "war on terrorism"

Ever since the publication of this updated editionin 1991, this book has been an essential textfor those trying to understand the "war on drugs," the exceedingly dangerous role of the CIAin influencing the course of history, and historical relations between drugs and empire. But now the book takes on crucial newsignificance. Anybody attempting to comprehendhow billions of U.S. dollars were spent increating the agents and forces that launchedthe September 11 attacks should read McCoy'sfinal chapter. And this chapter suggestswhat a treacherous path has now been chosedn for ounation and the world by the very same peoplewho created and nurtured the Frankenstein's monsternow lurking in Afghanistan and developing new schemes for destroying its creator.