Customer Reviews

China Hands: Nine Decades of Adventure, Espionage, and Diplomacy in Asia

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Ambassador Jim Lilley is one of a very small set of children who grew up in pre-Mao China. Unlike most of them who were missionary kids, Lilley was the son of a prominent businessman. Those tumultuous early years formed the moral core of his character which served him in excellent stead throughout his adult career. Throughout a life that spanned revolution, war and terror, Jim Lilley has remained faithful to his ideals, his country and his family. This book reflects the extraordinary breath and depth of his experience, always filtered through his confidence of knowing what was the proper thing to do in situations that were often confusing and challenging.
Jim Lilley always drew the tough assignments. He served during the fractious days of war in Indochina while a CIA employee, under the intense limelight of the Seoul Olympics, through a painful democratization process in South Korea, and during the brutality of the Tienamin Square crackdown by Chinese forces. Regardless of the challenges he has always represented himself and his country faithfully and well. He was a cerebral and consummate diplomat and a tough, loyal soldier. His deeds shine from the pages despite the self-effacing tone with which he writes.
This book is a great read. Whether you are a student of Asia or simply trying to get your arms around a difficult but most critical area of the world, you need to have Lilley's book. It is written with style and grace, and includes drama, tragedy and humor. This is a book you will want to keep on your shelf and recommend to friends. Buy it today; you'll be glad you did.

The first thing to make clear is that this is, first of all, an autobiography. While it provides an interesting insight into the life of a CIA agent who later became a diplomat, it does not provide a comprehensive historical account of the political events mentioned in the book. So, historians may feel that this book is incomplete but may still find this book interesting as it inevitably presents a different perspective from other books.

James Lilley was born and raised in China while his father, who worked for an American oil company, was assigned to its China office, so he had an interest in China from childhood. Throughout the book, it is clear that James belongs to a close-knit family. It is possible that you may find too many early chapters devoted to his childhood and the eventual suicide of one of his brothers. You can, of course, skip these chapters but they help to set the context for James' career.

His career took him to a number of Asian countries, originally as a CIA agent but later as a diplomat. He was USA representative to Taiwan in the early eighties, USA Ambassador to Korea in the mid-eighties and USA Ambassador to China during the late eighties. His account of the troubles in Tiananmen Square is therefore particularly interesting, as is his perspective on relations between China, America and Taiwan - a very complex issue.

In his earlier career with the CIA, James explains the difficulty of working there during the fifties and sixties, when China was all but closed to the outside world. He also acknowledges the importance of Richard Nixon in breaking the ice between America and China, though he correctly points out that deteriorating Chinese relations with the Soviet Union made Nixon's task easier than it would otherwise have been.

In the mid seventies, he met George Bush (Senior), who also worked for the CIA at the time, thus establishing what would become an important working relationship, ultimately leading to James' appointment as Ambassador to China by George, when he eventually became President.

If you enjoy biography with some politics and history added into the mix, you will surely enjoy this. If you are really only interested in the history and politics, you may find other books that suit you better.

Lilley is an impressive man whose life took him to interesting places and important events. However, this book is probably most suitable for those with a serious, even scholarly, interest in modern Asian history or similar fields. Parts of the book on growing up in pre-WW II China, on service with the CIA in Laos during the war in Viet Nam (but no derring-do for you spy fans), on political events in Korea and China in the 1980's--all these will be of interest. One minor surprise for me was that Lilley, after spending his childhood in China, could only speak a little 'street Chinese' he learned from his 'ama' and had to actually learn the language in the US.

Unfortunately for me, between these parts are prolonged intervals of almost diary-like, detailed accounts of diplomatic dealings, meetings, memos, conversations, personal and family life, etc that markedly dulled the book for me. Also, as Lilley says, it is indeed a personal memoir, so there is a lot about his family and, most especially, his older brother who clearly had a huge and, unfortunately, saddening influence on him. So much so that much of the first section of the book centers around the remarkable but flawed brother rather than the author, who then returns to this topic several times later on, quoting repeatedly from the brother's letters and diaries.

If you are interested in foreign affairs, you'll like reading of the famous events the author witnessed, even played a role in, but I found that much of the book dragged through excessive detail that will bore all but serious diplomacy buffs. I respect the author's grief over his beloved brother but found it much too personal for my own enjoyment.

This book is part autobiography, part family history, part spy thriller, and part diplomatic history. James Lilley's life and family was shaped by the collapse and rebirth of China. Even his tours in the CIA in Laos and the Philippines and his tour as the Ambassador to Korea seemed to be shaped by the giant leviathan that is modern China.

Prior to 1800, China was about 25% of the world's economy. By the time that Ambassador Lilley's father worked in China prior to World War II, China was a broken country - occupied by Japan and exploited by western powers. The United States, perhaps uniquely, had an interest in China both as a venue for evangelical Christians to recruit and as a potential trading partner. As the child of a prominent business man, that was the world where James Lilley grew up.

Today we have a China that is the regional hegemon in East Asia. The United States has a vested - some would say symbiotic - trade relationship with China. In terms of virtually every other issue with China, we find ourselves in a tight adversarial dance in terms of Taiwan, human rights, intellectual property, and China's own war on terrorism against Chinese Uighurs.

In the case of Taiwan, the Republic of China views itself as the rightful descendent of Sun Yat-Sen's successful revolt against the last Emperor. Likewise, by emphasizing Sun Yat-Sen's socialistic leanings, the People's Republic of China considers itself the rightful "one China" and Taiwan as some sort of breakaway province.

How we got from the reality of a weak dysfunctional China in 1939 to the current balance of power in East Asia is discussed in the form of a very personal family history by James Lilley.

Ambassador Lilley missed World War II and the attempt at a unified Chinese government negotiated by Gen. Marshal. However, with those exceptions, he was like the Forest Gump of Chinese American relations throughout the 20th Century, constantly being on the spot as history was being made.

This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

Lilley's "China Hands" is an excellent work and insightful look into one family's nine-decade history in China. Included is Lilley's career as a CIA agent in Asia as well as his years in diplomacy in Asia and notably China, culminating in his role as American ambassador to China during the first Bush adminstration. The only drawback I cite is his constant reference to his brother (who committed suicide just after World War II) throughout the book. Lilly's constant musing - often long - about what his brother might have thought in certain situations etc. gets tiring quickly and actually takes away from the narrative quality of the book.

However, I recommend this book for an intriguing read and as a primer on Chinese studies.

I really appreciate Mr. Lilley's effort and achievement on his CIA and diplomat career. There were always struggles among the State Department, Defense Department, CIA, Security Adviser and White House. In this book we have the opportunity to know the profiles of the persons Mr. Lilley dealt with and Mr. Lilley gave us his generic view of these characters.

On page 170 and 171 Mr. Lilley provides his view about the Middle Kingdom. He is very brave by saying " I did not feel guilty about the historical role of foreigner in China". I fully agree with him. I like the other people in Taiwan was brain washed by KMT by shifting the responsibility of their failure in mainland China to United States. KMT also took the credit of "Defeating" Japan in World War II in the history text books of Taiwan. The credit shall go to United States and the Americans sacrificed in World War II.

When the author was in Taiwan the association with womem's Garden and Art Club is an interest contrast to the mood of these Chinese mainlander in Taiwan now. Becuase president George W. Bush authorizes the selling of submarines and newer version of Patriot missles to defend Taiwan from China's aggression, and he declares US will to protect Taiwan if China attacks Taiwan. These mainlanders in Taiwan and United States consider that United States are not their friend anymore. You can feel it by reading the newspaper China Times, United Daily News in Taiwan and World Journal in United States. The KMT government was anxious to get FX fighters in early 80', and they got two submarines from Holland, six Lafayett destroyers and Mirage 2000 jet fighters from France, finally 150 F-16 from US. Now the Taiwanese mainlanders against the acquirement of the weapons needed to deter China's M-9 missles aimed at Taiwan and the submarines to break China's blockade. President of Taiwan Chen Shuibien promises not to declare formal independence of Taiwan, but will that stop China's invasion? China intends to press Taiwan to accept it is part of China. Will this become the excuse of China's aggression? Will China set a deadline of "Reunification"? Can Mr. Lilley answer these questions? But I believe he is right "Positive results could come from China if the U.S. carefully managed solid backing for Taiwan", page 231.

On page 230 and 231 the strategy views of China, Taiwan and Japan are very intrinsic contemplation. China keeps harassing Japan these days because Japan is a strong ally of United States in East Asia. The Japanese and Taiwanese have the mutual trust that is because 50 years of Japanese management of Taiwan Taiwanese can see the difference between the Chinese mainlanders and Japanese. Japan is going to grant Taiwanese tourist free entry. Japanese songs can be sung freely and publicly without someone condemns on you in Taiwan. The Chinese mainlanders are in the opposite and try to agitate the anti-Japanese movement for the interest of China.

Lilley's tale of a life begun within a prostated China of the 1930's reads well to the eye but uneasy on reflection. As son of an American oil man Lilley lived a privileged life amidst a devestated society. Following his older brother to Yale Lilley learned a different path. Rather than questioning the troubling issues of post WWII American power Lilley embraced a real politic view and joined the Yale/CIA connection that grew at this time. After stints practicing his operational craft in Japan, Korea and Cambodia Lilley landed in the backwater of Laos in the mid 1960's. Hear Lilley casually describes the growing engagement with the North Vietnamese as the war spills over the border and covert activities become overt. With few details Lilley gives the picture of the CIA trying hard to find motivated locals to fight. Not much reflection upon the Vietnam war which tore apart the country and American political society political. The narrative moves ahead to the Nixon breakthrough in relations with China. Here Lilley's historical claims of relevancy and assiduously developed relationships begin to come into play. With Lilley's posting in Taiwan and Hong Kong he becomes facile to the barriers of viable intelligence within China. After a period home he becomes an unwitting ally of Kissinger in his efforts to circumvent the state department and engineer high states, high level diplomacy with the PRC. This begins an ongoing saga of conflict between the two contesting China foreign policy camps. During the Ford administration Lilley begins to cultivate a relationship with fellow Yaley George H. Bush as he became head of the CIA and later ambassador to China. This partisan republican association is emphasized by how Lilley much he makes of one incident during the Carter administration. In moving toward recognition of the PRC, following Kissinger's modus op, Brzezinski operated under established organizational rader screens and additionally left Taiwan out of the loop. The outcome was a congressional statute that reigned in normalization to include Taiwan armament and security concerns. This event though pales in comparison to the bumbling that occured with the entry of the Reagan administration to the PRC issue. Here Lilley seems to show that Bush and fellow travelers like Wolfowitz turn the tide and save Reagan policy towards a 'balanced' approach. The book culminates with Lilley's assumption to his career peak as ambassador during he tragic crackdown of Tiananmen Square. Again Lilley's lessons of accommodation, this time primarily to the realities of vast commericial interests seem to govern his world view of future China/American relations. Overall the light and easily going narrative reveal beneath the lines troubling questions of American power and the use of intelligence in our foriegn policy.

China Hands by James Lilley is a surprisingly poorly written book filled with disingenuous recollections and littered with propagandist sleights against the US Democratic Party and State Department. The prose is often times sloppy, juvenile and very cliched. It is completely uninspired writing. I would love to show example after example but it is so awful that I dont want to look at it anymore or spend anymore time thinking about it.

James Lilley comes across as a sort of genial half-wit with just a cursory knowledge of the Chinese language and a philistinic attitude toward Chinese culture.
This was a stunning disappointment and frequently, an angering book. I feel that he was an embarrassment to the US diplomatic corps and the nation.

It was also a boring book. There was no interesting cloak and dagger stuff or even behind-the-scenes intelligence revelations, just one little vapid what-I-did-on-my-Summer-vaction report after another. This book is a total waste of time for anyone except the most masochistic of scholars with some need of research in the field.

Ambassador James Lilley was born in Qingdao (Tsingtao), Shandong Province of China. Together with his father, brother and other relatives, the Lilleys have a deep connection with China, positively or negatively, for nearly 9 decades. His golden childhood was spent in Qingdao, even though the Japaness aggression into China was imminent, he could still enjoy an idyllic line, just because he was a American middle-class merchant's son and seemed immune to the Japanese Army's atrocity on China's soil.

Mr. Lilley later joined the CIA, carried out secret intelligence acts in Hong Kong, Laos and not so secret parts in Beijing, until later he became Head of American Institute in Taiwan, Ambassador to ROK and PRC.

He personally witnessed and got involved with some historical events, such as Kwangju massacre under Chun Doo Hwan's administration and the Tian'anmen event in 1989. He advocated democracy in these so-called totalitarian countries, yet made compromises and used subertufuges, out of the state interests of the U.S.

One may not unconditionally agree with Mr. Lilley's points as to Sino-U.S. relations and how to advance American interests. But his book does serve as a kind of reference as to how the policy-making procedures were formulated during those crucial and confusing times.

Mr. Lilley admires his elder brother, Frank Lilley, who committed suicide out of an American military camp in Kure, Japan. His recalling of his brother is sincere and touching. And personally I found this the best part in the book.

First of all, some clarification. This book doesn't really cover nine decades. I don't think the title is deliberately misleading, but it really is the autobiography of one man. James Lilley does tell a little bit about how his father came to China, and I guess the background information is useful, but it covers no more than three pages in the book. This, then, is the autobiography of James Lilley, former U.S. ambassador to China.

The book is helpful in several respects. I guess I relate to it more than some, because I was an expat child myself. My parents were missionaries in northern Japan. James Lilley grew up in the pretty coastal town of Qingdao. For those who are not familiar with Qingdao, a brief explanation: Before the revolution of 1949, China had been carved up by foreign powers who each helped themselves to different parts of China and notified the other powers to keep their distance. The British dominated Shanghai, and actually signed treaties that exempted British citizens from Chinese law. The Germans controlled Qingdao (which was called "Tsingtao" at that time).

Lilley's upbringing is significant in a couple respects. He downplays his language ability, telling his superiors that he could speak Chinese "like a four-year-old." I can relate to this, because I grew up in Japan, and I would certainly not consider myself fluent. Nevertheless, he was, in fact, a native speaker, and thus possessed an ability to learn Chinese that was far above average. Because he grew up in Asia, he was able to deal with Asia more effectively than other Americans, especially given the fact that Americans have not understood Asia well. America's foreign policy vis-à-vis Asia has been weak, to say the least. American diplomats and leaders hove not understood Asia well. Those who did were the exceptions who proved the rule. MacArthur was successful in large part because he had grown up in the Philippines. Nixon grew up among Chinese Americans in California. Lilley's idyllic childhood in Qingdao, running around in a big house with lots of servants, gave him a good feeling about China.

But Lilley was born to privilege. He did not live in an ordinary Chinese community. He was American, but he did not grow up in a normal American community. He was a "third culture kid," but a kid whose life was remote from both larger cultures. In many ways, he was ideally suited to the job, because of his background. But he does seem to be more critical of the Chinese way of life than perhaps he would have been if he had not been quite so remote from it. Still, compared to most Americans, Lilley had a huge advantage, because of his childhood experience in China.

Lilley was profoundly influenced by the suicide of his older brother, who took his own life while a young man in the military in post-war Japan. This experience hugely overshadows the book, and obviously, his life. It's interesting, because Lilley did have another older brother, but he says very little about him. Reading between the lines, it seems evident that Frank's death influenced Jack as much as it did James himself, and may be part of the reason Jack had some difficulties adjusting in his adult life, and may explain why James Lilley was not close to Jack, the older brother who survived.

This book is most useful because of the time period that it covers. James Lilley was the ambassador during the Tiananmen crisis. But he was also there during the first Gulf war, and describes how Saddam Hussein sent hit squads to China to take him out. And although he ended his career as a diplomat, he spent the first part of his adult life as a CIA agent, and thus is able to give lots of insight into American clandestine activity during the Cold War. It's a personal narrative, not an exhaustive history. But if you can take it for what it is, I think you will find it to be a useful addition to the history of the period.