"Tragedy in Paradise: A Country Doctor at War in Laos," by Dr. Charles Weldon. Softcover 284 pages with black and white photos. Published in 1999. A personal, passionate memoir of the former head of USAID's Public Health Program from 1967 to 1974. Mostly anecdotal accounts of his work with Meo refugees. Many references to Air America and USAID operations. Contains two full chapters on Operation Brotherhood (OB). Misspells Oscar Arellano's name (OB founder) -- Orellano -- and mistates Vitoy Naranjo (OB Project Manager) as his nephew. Nonetheless, Dr. Weldon speaks very highly of OB and its workers.
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"The Bombing Officer" by Jerome Doolittle. Softcover 240 pages. Published in 1982. One of the rare, perhaps only, fiction work with Laos as the setting. This novel is by a former Foreign Service Officer assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane has a lot of familiar place names and situations. Covers the 1960s when America's secret air war over Laos devastates the country as well as the hero's idealism. "Worthy of classical fiction," says one historian.
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"Laos: Keystone of Indochina" by Arthur Dommen. Hardcover 182 pages. Published in 1985. Many past and current dissertations are available on Laos. But this one, although slim, has a concise backgrounder from 1962 to 1974, when coups, countercoups and East-West ideological warfare engulfed us during our years there. Has an excellent bibliography for further readings on Lao history, politics and culture.
To buy this book, write to:
Westview Press, 5500 Central Ave., Boulder, CO 80301
Travel Books.The travel section of your local bookstore or library should carry more than one guide on Laos. We browsed four of them, any one of which covers the same ground, some in more detail than the others: Prices are from a Borders Bookstore in New York City.
--Culture Shock: Laos. A Guide To Customs & Etiquette, by Stephen Mansfield, 211 pages. $15.95
-- Laos: A Quick Reference Guide. An Insight Compact Guide, 96 pages. $7.95
-- Laos: A Rough Guide, 335 pages. $17.95
-- Laos. Published by Lonely Planet, 345 pages. $15.95
"North Thailand & Laos." A delightful one-hour feature that starts with northern Thailand, then crosses over to Laos. Tours Vientiane, Luangprabang, the Plain of Jars, Phongsavang. Vientiane sequence includes that colorful celebration of the week-long That Luang Festival whose grounds are only two blocks away from the former OB House and the OB Annex.
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"In A Little Kingdom" by Perry Stieglitz. Hardcover. 280 pages. Published in 1990. With photos. A former Cultural Attache of the U.S. Embassy in Laos describes how he courted and married the daughter of the Lao Prime Minister. An amusing memoir of the social life of high society in the Vientiane of the 1960s and early 70s.
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"Filipinos in Laos" Released during our 5th reunion in Chicago, Aug. 6-8,2004. For complete description, go to Reunion 2004 report page. A history describing the non-combat service of more than 900 Filipinos in Laos during the Indochina war years of 1950s to the 1970s. The 231-page, soft-cover volume is authored by a Filipino Jesuit, Fr. Miguel Bernad and J. "Pete" Fuentecilla who produced the Mekong Circle reunion newsletters.
"Good-bye Vientiane (Untold Stories of Filipinos in Laos)" By Penelope Villarica Flores. Formally launched, Oct. 15, 2005, to conferees from the World Council on Curriculum and Instruction and members of Philippine American Writers and Artists and Mekong Circle International. Edwin Lozada, president of Philippine American Writers and Artists, introduced the book as the stories of a group of Filipinos who worked in the Royal Kingdom of Laos during the specific period from 1958 to 1975.
To obtain a copy visit:
Arkipelago Books in San Francisco or your local Philippine American bookstore, SFSU Bookstore or send a check or money order for
$15.00 (includes postage within the US) to:
PAWA, Inc.
PO Box 31928
San Francisco, CA 94131-0928
If you wish to pay with Visa/MasterCard you may e-mail pawa@pawainc.com
