By Alfred W. McCoy
Published: 2003
Introduction: A history of heroin ... Sicily : home of the Mafia -- Marseille : America's heroin laboratory -- Opium for the natives -- Cold War opium boom -- South Vietnam's heroin traffic -- Hong Kong : Asia's heroin laboratory -- The Golden Triangle -- War on drugs -- The CIA's covert wars
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Alfred W. McCoy is an esteemed American historian and author known for his provocative works on the history of U.S. foreign policy, intelligence, and state power. His notable works include 'A Question of Torture: CIA Interrogation, From the Cold War to the War on Terror' and 'In the Shadows of the American Century: The Rise and Decline of U.S. Global Power.' McCoy's writing style combines rigorous research with compelling narrative, making complex historical subjects accessible and engaging to a broad audience. He is currently a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he continues to explore themes of imperialism, surveillance, and the global power dynamics. His scholarship is marked by a critical examination of the impacts of contemporary politics on society.
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