Orphans Of The Cold War: The United States, China, And The Tragedy Of Modern Tibet

by John Kenneth Knaus

Chronicles the efforts of Tibetan insurgents and CIA operatives in defense of Tibet against Chinese repression

Genres: History, China, Asia, Nonfiction

416 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1999

Reviews

[Sarah Klein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author was a CIA special operative in the early days of the Cold War and recounted the mission designed to promote Tibetan unrest against an encroaching Chinese Communist Party. Details the circumstances that led to the Dalai Lama's flight from Tibet, the Chinese army occupation, and the international attention the Tibet government-in-exile attracted in India. Lays out some details of the CIA training camp (Hale) in Colorado, the failed missions in Tibet, India's eventual and reluctant role in the Tibet-China dynamic, and cultural, political lessons learned from what pretty much became a debacle.

[Ramesh Shrestha]

This book by the CIA operative encouraged and trained the Khampas to take on the Chinese army to thwart its aim in Tibet. The CIA was also using Nepal’s territory without informing the government for training and arming Khampas.

[Prodipto Goswami · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. Revealing insight into Indo US Tibet China relationship.

[Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative book, but the structuring of information could use some work

[Mer · Rating 3 out of 5]

my review https://hardcover.app/books/orphans-o...

[Amitava Mazumdar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like I do with many books I read, I picked this one up because of issues arising in current events. I harbored some sympathies with the plight of the Tibetans and wanted a better understanding of the issues. (Honestly, I was inspired to pick up a book after watching Brad Pitt's movie about the Nazi mountain climber.) This book provides an excellent history on the involvement and motivation of the United States, as well as that of India. More importantly, it offers a wonderful narrative about naive and unwordly (but nevertheless capable of scheming) Tibetans being drawn into international diplomacy for the sake of their homeland. Much of the book focuses on CIA assistance to Tibetan rebels, which also provides an entertaining sense of adventure: parachuting CIA spies, Tibetan training camps in Colorado, armed resistance in Tibet, and covert operations in Nepal. Unlike fiction, however, history does not always provide exciting climaxes. In this case, with gradual abandonment by the United States, the Tibetan resistance movement eventually just vanished, leaving only the Dalai Lama's government in exile in India. The United Stated does not discuss Tibet much and, as such, our relationship with Tibet is unclear. Essentially, the United States has tacitly recognized Chinese sovereignty but has never actually retreated on its support for Tibetan self-determination. Such ambivalence, following our strong support for Tibetan resistance, can not be describe as anything but betrayal.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the book that inspired The Lord of Death by Eliot Pattison and really was a major disappointment for me. I thought it would be more about the CIA operatives and the Tibetan Resistance. However, it was a yawning, dry diplomatic history of modern Tibet. If you can call it diplomacy as it was the duplicity of China, Taiwan, India, Britain, and the USA towards the Dalai Lamai that was simultaneously interesting and revolting. Say one thing but mean another, no we didn't say that, etc... One takeaway was the existence of many factions within Tibet: the oligarchs in Lhasa actually sought accomodation with the Chinese while the revolt was from the peasants. There was not this monolithic presence behind the Dalai Lama. The author as a CIA officer had lots of personal involvement and even met the Dalai Lamai but this book reads like your typical book written by an academician. Some great pics of Tibetans training in Colorado but no real stories about them. After almost five weeks I made it to page 204 before I said "no mas."

[Pasang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had recently just finished reading The Road Ahead by Dawa Norbu which was a recount of a Tibetan refugee who had experienced the re-education camps in Tibet by colonial Chinese. This book felt like the perfect backdrop of the political landscape in the world, and Tibet’s role in relation to the containment of Communism. I appreciated the authors attempt at fair judgement in the role the CIA and America played in Tibet. This book dismantled some misconceptions that I held about Tibet in the 1950s, and the events that unfolded.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book would be more of the story told by the CIA operative that was involved in the training of Tibetan guerilla's fighting the Chines but it wasn't quite that. There's a lot of history and context and less "story".
A bit of a tough read but definitely worth it.

[Kurishin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Diplomatic and cover procedural operational review of foreign involvement in Cold War Tibet. This procedural writing style made this tremendously difficult to wade through for me. The narrative arc, as it was, was frequently lost in diplomatic rabbit holes.

[Raza]

I want to read this book