Customer Reviews

China Hands

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I read this book along with China Hands by James Lilley.

1. Peter Rand's China Hands is a real gem. More people should read it.
2. Rand writes with a novelist's touch. His writing is exquisite. Rand took years researching and writing it. In fall 1991, four years before publication, Rand had a 950 page draft. See foonotes, and Fairbank Remembered.
3. The books focuses on experiences of well-known (Issacs, White, Smedley) and other lesser-known journalists, and I was surprised by how well the story holds up together.
4. In some sense this book is about the author's search for his father.
5. The story appropriately ends with Barbara Stephens.
6. I have the following questions (along with Peter Rand)
a. Why did John Fairbank deny remembering or knowing Barbara Stephens, when evidence indicates that he knew her.
b. If Fairbank did get a chance to read the 950 page manuscript, would that have rejogged his other wise excellent memory? See Rand's contribution to Fairbank Remembered (In September 1991, Fairbank agreed to read the draft, but suffered a heartattack and died).
c. Should an attempt be made to reopen the story behind Barbara Stephen's untimely death?

This book is a fascinating read, well written with great photos