On the Front Lines of the Cold War: An American Correspondents Journal from the Chinese Civil War to the Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam (From Our Own Correspondent)
''This book is terrific. Few journalists have ever witnessed as many epic turning points in history from the front line. There's no substitute for having a first-rate mind on the scene. No one in government or the press over the last half century has confronted the haunting lessons of leadership--success and failure--better.'' ----Tom Curley, President and CEO, The Associated Press''All old Asia hands have their stories. Seymour Topping's were gathered at the most important crossroads of two epochal civil wars into which our country blundered. He tells them with authority and, as if they happened yesterday, an eyewitness's sense of immediacy. We can all be grateful.'' ----Joseph Lelyveld, former executive editor of theNew York Times''Seymour Topping was truly an eye-witness correspondent to many of the decisive events and turning points of the Cold War. His courageous reporting from all quarters of the globe helped newspaper readers understand the wars and revolutions and rivalries of the tumultuous twentieth century. He also witnessed the mistaken judgments that too often undercut America's best intentions. Topping's memoir makes clear his belief that a vigorous and skilled press has no higher obligation than to candidly cover national security issues.'' ----James F. Hoge, editor ofForeign Affairs''In his fascinating memoir, Seymour Topping brings to the recounting of history the personal touch of a distinguished foreign correspondent with vast experience.'' ----Neil Sheehan, author ofA Bright Shining Lie, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award''Seymour Topping's book is eye-witness history of rarest quality. In telling what he saw of the Cold War, Topping engages the reader with intimate details nowhere else to be found. As the preeminent foreign affairs journalist of the last half of the twentieth century he shows us not only what happened but also where the United States often misunderstood what was going on and in consequence misperformed. The work is indispensable for everybody who now studies or writes upon this epic period of world history.'' ----Henry F. Graff, editor ofThe Presidents: A Reference History''For half a century, Seymour Topping chronicled the rise of Communism as it swept across Asia from China down through the Indochinese peninsula, ensnared capitals from Berlin to Havana, enslaving much of Eastern and Central Europe. Now, in this magisterial book Top, as he's known to friends and colleagues alike, has brought it all together--weaving a compelling and intricate tale of global events, where he had a ringside seat, with personal stories of heroism and humor. The sweeping photo gallery alone is worth the price of admission. Of all the books on communism and the cold war, journalistic careers and derring-do, this is the one worth reading.'' ----David A. Andelman, Editor,World Policy Journal''Topping's remarkable AP andNew York Timescareer brought him interviews with Mao on the battlefields of the Chinese Civil War, with Castro a few days after the Cuban Missile Crisis, and with just about every major figure in Asia from 1945 onward. Densely packed with personal recollection, this is very much a memoir rather than a history. Nevertheless, it's an absorbing narrative of American successes and failures after World War II.'' ----Library Journal(4/1/10)