In a Little Kingdom

Stieglitz, former Washington correspondent for the Bangkok Post and U.S. foreign service officer in the '60s and '70s, recounts the tragedy of a gentle people caught up in factional conflicts led by three Lao princes. He records the chaotic history of Laos in its last years and the struggle by shaky coalitions representing outside interests to maintain the country's independence and neutrality prior to the communist takeover in 1975. A keen, sympathetic observer, the author evokes the storybook charm of the former French colony as he quotes letters written home during his romantic courtship of and subsequent marriage to one of the princes' daughters. He also depicts a bewildering, multinational cast of characters, including Americans who, according to the policies of successive administrations, alternately supported the kingdom or speeded its downfall. Photos not seen by PW. Index. (Nov.)