Owen Lattimore and the "Loss" of China (Philip E.Lilienthal Books)
Newman has undertaken a thorough look at the life of the late Lattimore, a distinguished professor of Chinese studies at Johns Hopkins University who had served with the Chinese Nationalist and U.S. governments during World War II. In March 1950 Lattimore was accused by Senator Joseph R. McCarthy of being a top communist agent. Lattimore became McCarthy's scapegoat to be blamed for the "loss" of China to communism sponsored by the Soviets and their U.S. sympathizers. Newman proves conclusively that there was no case against Lattimore. He bases his research on superb primary sources: the 38,900-page FBI Lattimore file, and the latter's private papers. The blizzard of nearly five decades of material presented requires careful reading of this well-written biography. At times Newman is somewhat melodramatic: "This book is not just a biography; it is a study in American political demonology." This valuable book is recommended for general collections and academic libraries holding U.S. diplomatic/Cold War history collections. (Photos not seen.)-- Thomas G. Anton, Evanston Hosp . Corp. Lib., Ill.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.