China Hand

Reviews / Votes

"China Hand is low-key but forceful, at times quite deliciously witty. . . . No doubt China Hand will be of particular interest to students of Chinese history from the 1930s to the 50s and of American diplomacy during the same period, but its greatest value is as the personal testament of a man who was the wholly innocent victim of political opportunism yet retained his sense of personal worth and, equally important, his undying loyalty to the country that had served him so poorly. His life should be an object lesson to everyone." (Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post) "The book is filled with vivid personalities and brings to life the fluid strategic situation at the end of the war. Its wry style makes for a delightful read, even though the foreordained outcome suffuses the story with regret." (Foreign Affairs) "An often funny, always insightful account of an adventurous and wonderful life. John Paton Davies was an American hero-judicious, discreet, and reliable-who deserves to be remembered by a book as good as this one." (Nicholas Thompson, author of The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War) "From his battles with Senator McCarthy, to his heroic achievements in the Burmese jungle, from his insightful predictions of the Chinese civil war, to his ultimate dismissal from the U.S. Foreign Service, Davies holds nothing back. Loaded in story and analysis, China Hand is a terrific book about a fascinating figure in American history." (Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of American Lion) "An important book about a pivotal time in America, with relevance for the present and future. As history and biography, China Hand is first rate." (Dan Rather) "Among the State Department's 'China Hands' of the 1930s and 40s, John Paton Davies was one of the most eminent, until our domestic debates destroyed his career. China Hand is a gripping account of that era." (Dr. Henry A. Kissinger) "Davies predicted more accurately than anyone else, prior to the Cold War, what China's course would be during it. We are most fortunate to have his posthumous autobiography available at last, in which he explains, in shrewd and sparkling prose, how he did this. His book is a major new contribution to World War II and early Cold War history." (John Lewis Gaddis, author of George F. Kennan: An American Life) "China Hand is a vital missing link in the terrible story of America savaging itself politically over the Communist conquest of China. This testimony by a leading victim in that maelstrom of hysteria and falsehood makes sobering reading in today's political climate." (Robert MacNeil) "[This] globetrotting memoir is rich in intrigue, candid, credible, and masterfully told." (Andrew Burstein, The Advocate)