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Title: Perilous Missions

Subtitle: Civil Air Transport and CIA Covert Operations in Asia

Author: William Leary

Narrator: Gregg Rizzo

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-13-15

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Civil Air Transport (CAT), founded in China after World War II by Claire Chennault and Whiting Willauer, was initially a commercial carrier specializing in air freight. Its role quickly changed as CAT became first a paramilitary adjunct of the Nationalist Chinese Air Force, then the CIA's secret "air force" in Korea, then "the most shot-at airline in the world" in French Indochina, and eventually becoming reorganized as Air America at the height of the Vietnam War. William M. Leary's detailed operational history of CAT sets the story in the perspective of Asian and Cold War geopolitics and shows how CAT allowed the CIA to operate with a level of flexibility and secrecy that it would not have attained through normal military or commercial air transportation.

Members Reviews:

My thanks to a great bunch of aviators!

This book opened my eyes in-depth to the operations of C.A.T. in Asia. Since being a Vietnam veteran, I have immersed myself in the history of that part of the world from Chennault's Flying Tigers to the Mayaquez debacle.This book takes a close up look at the brave & perilous missions that were performed in support of Chiany kai Shek's China by these aviatiors and their successors Air America. I was privileged to work alongside some A.A. veterans in south Texas while flying electronic contraband across the Rio Grande into Mexico. My book: Over & Back by Wild Bill Callahan follows a few of them on their final quest of living life on the edge. Available on Amazon.

A detailed and scholarly description of the formation and operation of CAT

A detailed and scholarly description of the formation and operation of CAT, before and after its acquisition by the CIA. Not as a criticism, but as a caution, I would suggest that the details of the first roughly 100 pages are rather tedious, describing as they do the struggles of the company as a legitimate airline before its acquisition by the CIA; however, it is necessary to read this material to come to an understanding of how the CIA came to be involved. So, be patient.

Excellent Professional Job

Many readers will buy this books for the tales of covert flights over Manchuria, North Korea and Indo-China and it certainly delivers. But of equal interest is how does an intelligence service buy and then operate a proprietary while maintaining plausible deniability. Thanks to the diligent research of the author we know the trials and tribulations involved. I'm sure most readers would think when faced with administrative difficulties the CIA would just go in and wave their magic wand and all the roadblocks dissolve. As the book point out the US government had all the leverage in the world with the Nationalist government on Taiwan and it was still a trial to keep CAT operating on the island. Also CAT's books were a nightmare for years until they got professional accounting (not something one immediately thinks about when discussing covert flights over the PRC). A must read for the serious student of intelligence.

If you are thinking of buying this ... do so

Totally awesome! Massive amounts of information that doevetails well with other material. Worth the money to any student of US covert operations after WW2.

EXCELLENT BOOK ON CAT

This is a very interesting and well researched book on the origin and operations of CAT. It is sad that Dr.