China Hands: The Adventures and Ordeals of the American Journalists Who Joined Forces with the Great Chinese Revolution

by Peter Rand

A history of the American journalists who covered the Great Chinese Revolution chronicles how these adventurous dreamers brought the attention of the world to these momentous events and shows how their coverage helped shape those events. 10,000 first printing.

Genres: History, China, Journalism

352 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1995

Reviews

[Just1MoreBook]

Peter Rand brings to life the amazing experiences of foreign journalists in China from the 20's to the 40's. What a treasure it is for those studying China during WWII. He successfully captures the camaraderie and romantic adventure they experienced as well as the mysterios addiction to China that so many of them experienced. His book includes a detailed map of China, a helpful Chronology page of significant events in China, and references to the many books written by these fascinating China Hands. Enjoy!

[Susan]

Rand's father, Christopher Rand, was a correspondent in China before, during and after WWII. The book focuses on American journalists in China, especially on their interest in/sympathy for the position of the Communists as it became more and more obvious how tyrannical Chiang Kai-shek was and how undemocratic was the Kuomintang. I've always been interested in the US perception that we "lost China" after the Communist takeover in 1949 and how those deemed "responsible" especially those in the state dept but also the journalists who wrote books. The most notable was Edgar Snow (Red Star Over China, 1944) whom Mao used to get the word out about who the Chinese Communists were. Mao invited Snow to visit him in his camp in the North (after the Long March) and interview the leaders and write about them. Snow--and his wife, Helen Foster Snow--were among those profiled in the book. Others were Rayna Prohm, Harold Isaacs, Theodore H White, and of course Christopher Rand. All spent considerably time in China before the war and wrote extensively about it. All were supremely frustrated with Chiang and at least sympathetic with the Communists who seemed much more the grass-roots hero. All were frustrated that US Policy whitewashed Chiang so thoroughly and never wavered in its support--especially publically. White, who was Henry Luce's darling at first, eventually broke with Luce and with TIME over the issue. This book is well written--Rand is a novelist --and clearly a work of love. Because of his father he got many interviews with the people involved. It's meticulously documented--irritatingly so, like a student research papers with hundreds of footnotes that are only citations with no additional information, but if you wanted to use it as a source I dare say you'd appreciate that. There were only token references to the State Department experts (John Paton Davies, John Stewart Service among others) who bore the real brunt of the US blame for "losing China". This book focused on the journalists and not on the die-hard Communists like Agnes Smedley (though she too is mentioned often) but those who couldn't help be see that Mao and his followers were probably going to be better for China than Chiang. Rating: 7/10

[Liam]

Almost four stars...