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Bookazine Book Review: Air America - From WW II to Vietnam
by Lang Reid
This is the latest update of Christopher Robbins
original 1979 expose of Air America, the CIA’s secret airline and
published last year by Asia Books in Bangkok. In the introduction Robbins
freely admits that after publication of the original book he met with
quite some resistance and opposition by some Air America personnel, but
over the years, their attitude towards him had changed and the current
edition has much added to it by some of his earlier detractors.
 Robbins
should also be remembered for his book “The Ravens”, which was
reviewed some months ago, and this tome is in a similar vein. That the CIA
owned Air America was at one stage the largest airline in the world, will
probably come as a shock for some people. That the CIA itself didn’t
even know how many planes it had would also come as a surprise to many
people - but not to those who flew for Air America - the world’s most
clandestine airline!
The airline’s motto was “Anything, Anywhere,
Anytime - Professionally”, and the “anything” ranged from opium,
guns, ammunition, spies and even pet gibbons. The pilots themselves were
drawn from many sections of America, not just the armed forces, but to a
man they all appeared to share the same sense of bravado and devil take
the hindermost attitude. They were well paid, but the money was certainly
not the motivation. As Robbins writes, “For old combat fighters there is
no psychic income whatsoever sitting at the controls of a modern jet.”
The gradual involvement of the CIA in aviation was via
the “back door” through the Chinese National Relief and Rehabilitation
Administration - Air Transport (known colloquially as “CAT”) airline
of General Chennault, ostensibly to deny its assets to the Communist
Chinese and then became “legal” in 1949 when they formed the Civil Air
Transport, thus keeping the same initials.
Author Robbins additionally unearthed the amazing
network of airlines also owned in whole or in part by the CIA, with the
planes able to be loaned out to the other “wings” of the Agency. An
interesting vignette occurs when Air America began to make too much money,
and in theory would have to return the profits to the Federal Treasury,
all of which could produce some embarrassing questions in the house. The
answer to this was for the airlines to reinvest their profits back into
themselves, rather than declare it - which in turn led to the rapid
enlargement of the undercover fleet. And when we say “profit” we are
talking about 30 million dollars in the mid 60’s.
It is a weighty paperback and the review copy, obtained
from the Royal Garden Plaza Bookazine outlet (1st floor adjacent to Black
Canyon and Boots) cost 450 baht. Like Robbins’ other book, this one
gallops along at a great pace. Covering a subject which could have been
dull and boring historical statistics, the complete tale is fascinating
and confirms, yet again, my own inbuilt total distrust of all things
governmental, no matter from which side of the axis. I followed it to the
end with total absorption.
For US$ 11.25 you can buy this book on-line
Movie Review: Black Hawk Down
By Poppy
 The
story is about the Army sent into Somalia by the American Government to
try to put an end to the Civil War. On October 3, 1993, they were sent on
a quick mission to capture the Somali warlord that had been running the
country with an iron fist. It didn’t take long for the operation to go
wrong when two of the Black Hawk helicopters were shot down. Things went
from bad to worse, as the Rangers found themselves surrounded by thousands
of armed Somalis, whose only goal was to shoot any American soldier that
invaded their space. After “stirring up the hornet’s nest,” the
mission becomes a desperate attempt to maintain the Rangers motto,
“Leave No Man Behind”.
All the actors went through actual Ranger training and
Delta training which adds a bit of realism to the movie.
Within thirty minutes the Rangers’ mission goes into
effect and the action doesn’t stop for the next two hours. The rest of
the movie is filled with flying bullets, explosions and bloodshed. There
are only soldiers, young men, fighting and dying for a reason only those
presumably who have fought in a war can relate to.
Black Hawk Down never lets you off the hook for one
minute, but if you want a movie with a ‘feel good happy ending’ this
is not it.
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Cast:
Josh Hartnett ... Staff Sergeant Matt Eversmann
Ewan McGregor ... Company Clerk John Grimes
Tom Sizemore ... Lt. Colonel Danny McKnight
Eric Bana ... Sergeant 1st Class Norm “Hoot” Hooten
William Fichtner ... Master Sergeant Paul Howe
Ewen Bremner ... Specialist Shawn Nelson
Sam Shepard ... Major General William Garrison
Gabriel Cas-seus ... Specialist Mike Kurth
Kim Coates ... Wex
Hugh Dancy ... Sergeant 1st Class Kurt Schmid
Ron Eldard ... Chief Warrant Officer Mike Durant
Ioan Gruffudd ... Beales
Tom Guiry ... Staff Sergeant Ed Yurek
Charlie Hofhei- mer ... Corporal Jamie Smith
Danny Hoch ... Sergeant Dominic Pilla
 Mott’s
CD review:
The Black Crowes – Lions
by Mott the Dog
***** 5 Star Rating
Chris and Rick Robinson of the Black Crowes have never
been shy of wearing their hearts on their Rock ‘n’ Roll sleeves,
proudly showing off their influences. The Rolling Stones (Keith not Mick),
The Faces (Ronnie Wood not Rod Stewart), Humble Pie (Steve Marriot not
Peter Frampton), and now after touring the states with Jimmy Page they
have released Lions with a heavy Led Zeppelin presence era feel to it.
It may be clich้d, but for the Black Crowes it
really has been a long strange trip. They completely startled the world
with their 1990 debut “Shake your Money Maker”, and now it looks like
they are going to do it again with “Lions”. In the years in between
they have released 4 very varied albums, both in critical acclaim and
sales. They have been kicked off a worldwide tour with ZZ Top for not
towing the Budweiser sponsorship line. Their story has ranged from the
ridiculous to the sublime, heady and dangerous, a line up of changing
musicians that would make Spinal Tap look stable, and sometimes
thrillingly out of control. Musically it’s been peaks and troughs, but
“Lions” finds them on the very crest of a wave.
On the opening track “Midnight from the inside out”
Chris Robinson blares forth after the guitar feedback locks into a guitar
chugging rhythm with an opening salvo of “Here where angels never sleep
/ The water’s dark and deep / and you breath molasses”. The effect is
excruciating, clammy, sweaty, exhilarating - all rolled into one. It
sounds like Walking Street should do at midnight.
For its part in the proceedings, “Lions” is a
wholly remarkable CD, mostly recorded in rehearsals, so it has a very live
sound. Right up there in your face, it captures the Black Crowes vitality
and indubitable spirit from the heavy imagery of its psychedelic third eye
lion head cover artwork to the bold grooves of “Soul Singing”, the
uplifting evocation of “Cosmic Friend”, or the lingering refrain of
the anthemic closing ballad “Lay it all on me” where the Robinson
brothers really stretch out. The whole album has a rock solid groove that
locks you in at the beginning, and doesn’t let you out until the dying
notes ripple from the guitars. It embraces the band’s impure soul (in a
very warts and all way) and gloriously ragged Rock ‘n’ Roll. It’s
full of fervour and heart, reminding you why everybody falls so heavily
for them the first time you hear them.
Producer Don Was sprinkles his magic over the tracks,
but never taking away the roughness which is all part of the Crowes charm.
Lions are kings of the jungle, how very apt. A great
Rock ‘n’ Roll record, lets just hope that the Crowes stay on these
rails.
Musicians:
Chris Robinson – Diva
Rich Robinson – The Prince
Steve Gorman – Drum Schtick
Eddie Harsch – Thirty-Nine?
Sven Pipien – Very Bass
Track Listing
 1.
Midnight From The Inside Out
2. Lickin’s
3. Come On
4. No Use Lying
5. Losing My Mind
6. Ozone Mama
7. Greasy Grass River
8. Soul Singing
9. Miracle To Me
10. Young Man, Old Man
11. Cosmic Friend
12. Cypress Tree
13. Lay It All On Me
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