An untold story of espionage, religion, and guerrilla warfare in South Vietnam. During the early years of US involvement in Vietnam, the CIA helped arm militia groups in South Vietnam referred to as the ?Fighting Fathers.? The name was a reference to the Catholic priests who organized the fighting groups. The fathers fought alongside their parishioners to defend their localities from the Communist insurgency, the Vietcong. Author Alessandro Giorgi has studied the subject in unprecedented detail, conducting original research in recently declassified archives and interviewing former US intelligence personnel and Italian missionary witnesses. Giorgi's first English language book Vikings in Vietnam (2024) received praise from noted historians from various elite universities in the US and also an endorsement from Pulitzer prize winning author Thomas Powers. AUTHOR: Alessandro Giorgi is an Italian military historian, author, and teacher. He is especially interested in clandestine operations from World War II through the end of the Cold War. He has presented at academic conferences in the US and Europe and is a member of the Italian Society of Military History. This is his fourth book. SELLING POINTS: . A refreshing new spin on Vietnam War history, focusing on the efforts of the South Vietnamese Catholic community to defend their country . Readers will learn about gritty guerrilla warfare and the secret role played by the American CIA . Includes many never-before-seen photographs of this little-known fighting force
