The United States of America lost South Vietnam (the 'In-Country War') because it was defeated in Laos and Cambodia (the 'Out-Country War'). This is the first of a series which will, for the first time, reconstruct in detail the full story of the 'Out-Country War' and the influence of decisions in Washington, Hanoi and Bangkok. The Secret War Begins shows how Hanoi's determination to make Laos a Communist state wrecked the 1954 Geneva Agreement. It shows, in detail, how its Pathet Lao puppet regime helped to polarise the nation and Hanoi then ignored a second Geneva Agreement in 1962. The strategic reasons for this included the need to develop the Ho chi Minh Trail to support the struggle in South Vietnam. In response the Americans and their allies, who followed the second agreement in name if not spirit, began a cover proxy war with CIA-backed guerrillas and by using air power. But by now Laotian anti-Communist leaders were almost out of control leaving Laos by the end of 1963 a powder keg ready to explore. Reaching back - often for the first time ever - upon numerous local sources to augment those published in the West, The Secret War Begins tells the full story. It looks not only at the military aspects of this confrontation with far-reaching consequences - like battles on the ground - but, also the growing deployment of air power as well as the political decisions and developments that influenced them, including surprising French influence. The book is richly illustrated with authentic and rare photography, many of which was never published before, detailed maps, and custom-drawn colour profiles.