Description
Book SynopsisIn 1952, John T. “Jack” Downey, a twenty-three-year-old CIA officer, was shot down over Manchuria. He was captured by the Chinese and held for the next twenty years.
Lost in the Cold War is the never-before-told story of Downey’s decades as a prisoner of war and the efforts to bring him home.
Trade ReviewAn engrossing read,
Lost in the Cold War is a testament to one man’s incomparable strength of character and endurance-both physical and mental. Inspiring and enlightening all at once. -- Ret. Lt. Gen. James Clapper, former U.S. director of national intelligence
Most Cold War historians knew that Jack Downey had spent twenty years in Chinese captivity, but because of the low profile he kept following his release, they didn't know him. Now, posthumously, he's introduced himself with an extraordinary account of endurance, perseverance, and ultimately quiet triumph. Highly recommended indeed. -- John Lewis Gaddis, author of
The Cold War: A New HistoryIn this extraordinary book, Jack Downey vividly describes how he, an American POW and an American hero, lived through the horror of twenty years of solitary confinement in Mao’s China. Thomas J. Christensen insightfully narrates the larger background—why and how confrontation was replaced by rapprochement between Beijing and Washington. -- Chen Jian, author of
Mao’s China and the Cold WarThis inviting, smartly observed account of one man’s experience is all the more emotionally palpable because of its unsentimental presentation. The impressive interspersed chapters add perspective that will be invaluable to readers. -- Charles Hayford, former editor of the
Journal of American-East Asian RelationsUnique and worthy of reading. * International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence *
Lost in the Cold War tells what happens to an American who bears the brunt of foolish policymaking. * Foreign Affairs *
Table of ContentsNote to the Reader
1. A Perfect Ambush
2. An American Hero on a Fool’s Mission3. Who I Am, Where I Came From
4. The Korean Watershed: The Cold War Begins for Downey and America5. The Making of a Mission
6. The Flight Over China
7. Interrogation Days in Shenyang
8. Of Soldiers and Spies9. A Man in a Box
10. The Long Confession
11. The Trial
12. B-29 Crew Were Released from China
13. The China I Saw, with America in My Mind
14. “Your Government Does Not Want You Back”: The Failure of U.S.-PRC Negotiations at Geneva15. Prison Life
16. Cellmates
17. Keepers and Comrades
18. A Pinhole View on a Massive Tragedy: 1958–197019. Family Visits
20. U.S.-PRC Rapprochement and Jack Downey’s Release: 1968–197321. Coming Home
Afterword
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
