Envisioned as a means of rooting out and destroying vietnams communist underground, the phoenix program is examined in depth for the first time to reveal the facts behind a program that some praised as the best path to victory and others reviled as a pretext for murder. The phoenix project, 5th anniversary edition it revolution. The unicorn project is the organizational civilwar novel that every technology and business trailblazer must read. The phoenix program was in theory an antiterrorist program, designed by the cia to target. Opinion behind the phoenix program the new york times.
In the darkest days of the vietnam war, americas central intelligence agency secretly initiated a sweeping program of kidnap, torture, and assassination. The state of technologymanagement books might have been different five years ago, but i found the overthetop nature insulting to the intelligence of the intended demographic. Shifting from oil to hydrogen, a book by harry braun. John prados, author of presidents secret warsthis definitive account of the phoenix program, the us attempt to destroy the viet cong through torture and summary execution, remains sobering reading for all those trying to understand the vietnam war and the moral ambiguities of americas cold war victory. If you want something that is a bit more computer related, you could choose to read the phoenix project, which is like the goal, but the story is about it instead of. Phoenix was operated and executed under the direction of the united states central intelligence agency cia. I am constantly amazed at the number of postings in various forums describing the truth about phoenix. But phoenix went far beyond aspirations of winning in vietnam.
The cias counterinsurgency in vietnam was brutal and. This parable of an it project on the brink of destruction is told with humor and insight. Project phoenix seti or phoenix project, a search for extraterrestrial intelligence in radio signal patterns the phoenix project book, a book by gene. The phoenix program would become one of the most controversial aspects of americas war in vietnam. The unicorn project by gene kim author of the phoenix project. A novel about it, devops, and helping your business win book online at best prices in india on. It should not surprise anyone therefore that he was assigned to help bring serbia to submission or that his last assignment was coordination of the us wars in south central asia. Once a warrior king far better both in content and style. The book is very approachable because its written as a novel.
The rise of phoenix program in vietnam the vietnam war. The phoenix program was a program designed and coordinated by the united states central intelligence agency cia during the vietnam war, involving. The phoenix project uses a contrived narrative to deliver it best practices like a mother would use applesauce to hide peas while spoonfeeding a toddler. The phoenix program is arguably the most misunderstood and controversial program undertaken by the governments of the united states and south vietnam during the vietnam war, according to a retrospective of the phoenix program by retired marine colonel andrew r. The untold story of the 2008 financial crisis full vice special report hbo duration. In vietnam, in the 60s and 70s, the united states really got its concentration camp program in high gear. May 23, 2018 it revolution recently published an audiobook with nearly eight hours of conversation between gene kim and john willis. Between 1957 and 1972, the vietcong crippled the administration of the south vietnam saigon government by the systematic murder of an estimated 36,752 appointed village chiefs and other officials. A shocking expose of the covert cia program of widespread tortu. The highly anticipated followup to the bestselling title, the phoenix project. In current discourse, phoenix often functions as a codeword, much as it did during the vietnam conflict. The phoenix program, assassinating suspected vc sympathizers in a systematic manner, worked well during the vietnam war and is the blueprint for the current black op targeting thousands of loyal americans using state of the art microwave mw and radio frequency radiation rfr weapons.
The phoenix project scope of work includes rebuilding the core and shell of wedge 1 and the shell of wedge 2. The hotel tacloban, the phoenix program, the strength of the wolf. Vietnam, 6872 ci phoenix project run jointly cia and u. Jez humble, coauthor of the jolt awardwinning book continuous delivery and principal at thoughtworks studios this book is the modern day version of the goal. Douglas valentine is the author of four books of historical nonfiction. Specially designed torture chambers were constructed in all 44 provinces and rape of women suspects, electric shock, water torture, and hanging from ceilings were standard methods during interrogations. Intelligence coordination and exploitation icex, now better known as the phoenix program, was one of the american militarys most closely guarded operations of the vietnam war. In the darkest days of the vietnam war, americas central intelligence agency secretly initiated a sweeping program of kidnap, torture, and assassination devised to destabilize the infrastructure of the national liberation.
Douglas valentines book the phoenix program gets the evolutionary information regarding this program correct. Well researched and well written it is one of the few books that portrays phoenix for what it was, a systematic program to counter the vc insurgency. Kayak searches hundreds of travel sites to help you find cheap airfare and book the flight that suits you best. Cooper a former foreign service officer, cooper spent 18 months in vietnam, most of it as a phoenix adviser at cantho, in the mekong delta. With kayak you can also compare prices of plane tickets for last minute flights to anywhere in vietnam from phoenix.
The unicorn project is a novel about developers, digital disruption, and thriving in the age of data, which is in fact the books. Writing a fictional account is a powerful effective way to get the message across, used by others such as ely goldratt with the goal. With kayak you can also compare prices of plane tickets for. Phoenix project pentagon, a part of the pentagon renovation program the phoenix project, a 2015 film directed by tyler graham pavey. John prados, author of presidents secret wars this definitive account of the phoenix program, the us attempt to destroy the viet cong through torture and summary execution, remains sobering reading for all those trying to understand the vietnam war and the moral ambiguities of americas cold war victory. A retrospective on counterinsurgency operations central. Dec 29, 2017 the phoenix program would become one of the most controversial aspects of americas war in vietnam. The phoenix project is an importantenough book to warrant taking the time to discuss what those problems are. Army special units set up a string of torture and death camps throughout south vietnam. The phoenix project is a great way to get nontechnical managers to understand what developers do. Jan 10, 20 the phoenix project will have a profound effect on it, just as dr. In 1971, colby revealed that between 1968 and may 1971, the phoenix program led to the death of 20,587 persons in vietnam. What was the phoenix program in the vietnam war and was it. Stream the phoenix project, part 1, a playlist by itrevolution from desktop or your mobile device.
Americas use of terror in vietnam forbidden bookshelf book 5 kindle edition by valentine, douglas, miller, mark crispin. With the package in hand and a lifetimes worth of questions in need of answering, max travels to europe. The cias phoenix assassination program lewrockwell. Today douglas valentine, author of the phoenix program and the cia as organized crime joins us to discuss what the phoenix program is and why its. The airplane and subsequent blast traveled at a 45degree angle to the face of the building. The phoenix, legendary animal that comes to symbolize what rises from the ashes. The secret history of americas war on drugs, and the strength of the pack. The phoenix project is a novel about it management.
The phoenix program in vietnam should have been left out as its misleading at best i was looking for much better info than just snippets of related experience. For instance, the cia in 1969 reportedly directed that a special forces. In the unicorn project, we follow maxine, a senior lead developer and architect, as she is. The phoenix project film, a 2015 film directed by tyler graham pavey. Every person involved in a failed it project should be forced to read this book. Jun 26, 2008 the phoenix program is arguably the most misunderstood and controversial program undertaken by the governments of the united states and south vietnam during the vietnam war. The companys new it initiative, code named phoenix project, is critical to the future of parts unlimited, but the project is massively over budget and very late. A vietnam fiasco seen from within qv oil by wayne l. He is the author of the novel tdy, and a book of poems, a crows dream. Most books on phoenix are content to waste space plathering on about mythic conspiracies by the cia to assassinate and torture every living being within the country of vietnam. Kaiser, jr, a washington post reporter who was skeptical of the war, tried to strip away the confusion surrounding the program in a lengthy article published february 17, 1970, entitled u.
Project phoenix seti or phoenix project, a search for extraterrestrial intelligence in radio signal patterns. It was, quite simply, a set of programs that sought to attack and destroy the political infrastructure of the lao dong party hereafter referred to as the viet cong. The state of technologymanagement books might have been different five years ago, but i found the over the top nature insulting to the intelligence of the intended demographic. During the latter years of the vietnam war, approximately 19671973, the central intelligence agency cia undertook a project without the awareness of the american public. Heavily researched over a number of years, more than any other book i know of about the period with nick turses book, kill anything that moves. Mar 04, 2016 the book is very approachable because its written as a novel. What an explosive book this one is, exposing the phoenix program which is a strategy of terror and its role in political warfare, it exposes the south vietnamese massacre in 1969 where 12 women and children in thanh phong village were grouped together and executed, the phoenix mission dispose and kill them.
Sometimes, entire villages and towns were targeted for extinction. For some contemporary counterinsurgency enthusiasts, the phoenix program represents a highwater mark in terms 2. And gene, kevin and george are some of the nicest guys in it. Pentagon phoenix project project management institute. In this book, i found my first clue about why the u. The late richard holbrooke began his foreign service career at usaid in rural pacification in vietnam, spending his formative years in the phoenix program. Nov 23, 2014 phoenix program was an intelligence and counterinsurgency program designed to gather, analyze information and then neutralize via capture, infiltration, torture, terrorism, and assassination the infrastructure of the viet cong national liberation front in south vietnam. The phoenix project will have a profound effect on it, just as dr. The unicorn project by gene kim author of the phoenix.
The program utilized a by any means necessary strategy to warfare that included the use of random assassination and the fabrication of enemy atrocities in order to rally the civilian population around u. The biggest myth coming out of vietnam was that perpetrated by nonveterans of the phoenix program. The phoenix program operated in south vietnam from 1968 to 1972. The phoenix project, part 1 by itrevolution published on 20150320t15. The phoenix project was about devops and helping businesses win. Many of those who recognize our military mistakes in indochina fail to acknowledge the blunders of our quieter war for hearts and. Its tuesday morning and on his drive into the office, bill gets a. The second part of the book details how the it group is reborn from the ashes of the phoenix project into a highperforming organization that is a strategic partner to the business. A novel about it, devops, and helping your business win was quite a hard one to pick up for me personally. The phoenix program was a cia plan during the vietnam war to eliminate the vietcong with its killer squads. Jan 30, 2017 today douglas valentine, author of the phoenix program and the cia as organized crime joins us to discuss what the phoenix program is and why its resurrection is so ominous. The personalities, politics and espionage intrigues that shaped the dea. Phoenix project pentagon, a part of the pentagon renovation program. It entered wedge 1, the first fifth of above ground pentagon office space to undergo renovation, and traveled into the.
John prados, author of presidents secret warsthis definitive account of the phoenix program, the us attempt to destroy the viet cong through torture and summary execution, remains sobering reading for all those trying to understand the vietnam war and the moral ambiguities of americas cold war. Oct 15, 2014 after hearing from grant fritchey that anyone who wants to know what devops really means should read this claire brooking picked up a copy of the phoenix project. Americas use of terror in vietnam forbidden bookshelf book 5 ebook. Covert paramilitary operations by the cia in vietnam began early in the sixties, but it was not until 1965, that the u. In 1966 the cia launched the phoenix project, a program designed to destroy the south vietnamese communists, better known as the viet cong. The program was, at the time and still is controversial.
It revolution recently published an audiobook with nearly eight hours of conversation between gene kim and john willis. This shocking expose of the cia operation aimed at destroying the vietcong infrastructure thoroughly conveys the hideousness of the vietnam war publishers weekly. As soon as i started evaluating the phoenix project in the context of a business book, rather than fiction, i started enjoying it a lot more, gaining much more insight into the concepts presented, rather than focusing on the unsophisticated prose and highly contrived scenarios. The ceo wants bill to report directly to him and fix the mess in ninety days or else bill is an it manager at parts unlimited. Jez humble, coauthor of the jolt awardwinning book continuous delivery and principal at thoughtworks studios this book is. The phoenix program and contemporary counterinsurgency.
Phoenix project is a highoctane actionadventurescifi story that will keep the bodies. The phoenix project is a business book masquerading as a work of fiction. Despite this growing interest, however, the phoenix program is not well understood out. Beyond the phoenix project the origins and evolution of devops.
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