China Confidential

Rating:
Summary: A Misleading Reference Book
Review: Having served in the State Dept. in Shanghai from 1947 thru 1950
and in Taiwan for 15 years and elsewhere in Asia thru 1976 and
knowing most of those providing the oral histories for this book as well as many of the Chinese principals, I am appalled by the poor proofreading and editing which permited many, many factual inaccuracies to slip through. Also, many of the quoted oral statements are surprisingly superficial and fallacious. Therefore, this book makes very dangerous reading for today's Asian and China scholars since it purports to be the real inside
story straight from the horses mouths whereas its errors can only
generate incorrect history.

If the book is read with this caveat, it does provide very useful background insights for this most important part of 20th. Century experience as well as of the complexities nations face in developing and administering foreign policy. The book is well
laid out and gives a great amount of background information but
the reader should retain a healthy skepticism and draw his own
conclusions realizing that he is reading other's opinions, many
of them recollections of events and years long gone by.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Review of Sino-American Relations
Review: This book is a comprehensive review of Sino-American relations from the birth of the PRC to the end of Clinton's first term. From early controversies during the relationship, such as the expulsion of American diplomats in NE China in 1949 and America's involvement in the Chinese Civil War, to more recent crisises such as the 1996 Taiwan Strait missle exercises, this book reviews the dynamics of the Sino-American relationship and how individual diplomats and statesmen made such crucial differences in the conduct of the relationship. Kissenger and then Brzezinski's roles were especially important and the author explores the personal nature of how diplomacy was conducted, include how both men, who were Nationa Security Advisor to their respective presidents, outmanuevered their Secretary of State and the State Department. A very good read and overview of an important topic.