This book not only depicts one of the uglier and forgotten dirty wars of America but should be read by anyone who believes in the myth of the CIA a super spy agency that dominates the government and perhaps assassinated JFK.

John Stockwell depicts a bureaucracy that is totally inept. In which people are just looking for conflicts to justify their existence and maintain their expense accounts.

Stockwell was assigned people completely unqualified for Africa, or really for anything. Vietnamese linguists assigned to the African desks because Colby promised there would be no staff reductions following the Vietnam War, the widow of a Special Activities Division officer with no qualifications except that the agency took care of its family, the sons and grandsons of retired officers who would start work at 10am and spend half the day fiddling with their pipes; people in the field spending money on villas and buying ice plants for their pals; British and Portuguese mercenaries that were total psychopaths, and French conmen who who defrauded the agency taking it for a ride with promises of mercenaries that never materialised.

The whole Angola operation got CIA attention for no other reason than that they needed to find a conflict after Vietnam in order to assuage egos/save face/recoup prestige, that they believed they needed to put on a strong front for the Soviets and Chinese, and to continue to justify their existence and budget.

But the realpolitick of having to match American actions was precisely what brought the Soviets plus 25,000 Cuban troops in on the side of the MPLA, which in turn then drew in Apartheid South Africa opposing them. Creating a conflict than ran in various stages until 2002 and resulted in half a million dead. All of which could have been avoided through diplomatic negotiations between the three parties in Angola that would have occured had the CIA not intervened.

Meanwhile as the Pike and Church committee hearings were going on the CIA high command were lying through their teeth about what they were doing.

And soon as it is done and it has gone completely balls up what do they want to do? Get involved in Ethiopia and Somalia! ( )

As a spy novel, it is pretty good. Stockwell, however, tries too hard to be fair. With the background he has, he should just simply "let 'er rip" and let the chips fall where they may. I would read other books by this author. ( )