The Secret File on John Birch [Paperback]

James Hefley (Author), Marti Hefley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 25, 1995

Birch was a young man any American would have been proud to call son. While he's affected thousands, his death could have changed the course of history... except for the massive cover-up by U.S. government officials.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The names of authors James and Marti Hefley have long been associated with courageous truth-telling, and their efforts to set the record straight about the legendary John M. Birch and what he stood for rank as one of their most dedicated and tenacious efforts in literary integrity. They do not attempt to deify Birch but present a balanced, integrated view of this noble young American who died unnecessarily after World War II was already ended. As they tell the little-known story of one who originally set out on Christian mission to the Chinese, their hours of interviewing, poring over records, and dredging up facts becomes apparent again and again. The Hefleys have done all Americans a profound favor in producing this book, revealing the price that one heroic individual paid for the rights and freedoms of many.

From the Author

John Birch is known today mainly by the Society which bears his name. Few other tokens of his life exist. A World War II casualty monument stands at the top of Coleman Hill Park overlooking downtown Macon, Georgia. John's name is on the bronze plaque thereon, along with the names of other Macon men who lost their lives while serving with the Armed Forces. He is further honored by a plaque on the sanctuary of the First Southern Methodist Church of Macon. It was built on land given by his family, taken from a tract purchased with the money John sent home monthly. A building at the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth, where J. Frank Norris was pastor, is named The John Birch Hall. A small street in a housing development in a suburb of Boston is also named for him.

The rolling hills in south Georgia that John Birch loved so much are still in the family. His father had held on to the property tenaciously until his death. The 600 acres are now owned by John's brothers. A few stone walls covered with kudzu are all that remain of the home that burned while John was in China. But the land--the land that John dreamed of while writing his essay War Weary Farmer--remains. And China? His grave monument and the marker erected at the Hwang Kao railroad where he was killed have undoubtedly been destroyed, but surely there are many Chinese who still remember Bey Shang We.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Hannibal Books; Revised Updated edition (June 25, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0929292804
• ISBN-13: 978-0929292809
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #505,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The story the insiders don't want you to know, September 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Secret File on John Birch (Paperback)

This book tells the true story of a real American hero. John Birch was a Christian Missionary serving in China when the Japaneese attacked China. John Birch put together the intelligence network that allowed the Flying Tigers to be effective in cripling the Japaneese supply lines to the war effort. At the end of the war, Lt. Birch was betrayed and was murdered by the soldiers of Mao Tse Tung and the Communist regime.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thrilling biography of one of the greatest Americans., June 1, 2003

By 

Raymond Jensen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret File on John Birch (Paperback)

I found it difficult to put this book down before had I finished it, and I can't say that about many books that I have read.

The Hefleys did a superb job "painting a picture" of the short life of this incredible man. Birch was a very "intense" character; I got the impression he was always working on something, he was non-stop...whether it was the rescue of the Doolittle crew, or setting up an intelligence network across the entirety of China or most importantly, bringing Chinese brothers and sisters to Christ, John never let anything stand in his way.

It has been said (in this book and in other sources) that John's death was a result of his "irrational behavior" which in turn, was a result of 3 years of his non-stop activity behind enemy lines. But from what I read, I understand that John knew something that the rest of these people did not understand. You see, John was a very intelligent man...how many English-speaking people do you know are capable of mastering several Chinese dialects in 6 weeks?

John saw something about these "agrarian reformers--" he saw the pure wickedness within them. So John, at the very end of his life, was willing to sacrifice himself, in order to make a demonstration as to whether the Communists were our friend or our enemy. This very nearly became a tragic mistake--you see, John assumed that if the Communists killed him and thus demonstrated themselves to be our enemy, then the United States would immediately seek retribution and demolish the Communists, at least those in China. This turned out not to be the case. In fact, our US Government sought to cover up John's death. This the government did by listing the murder of Birch as an "accident--" that is, "he was killed by stray bullets" was the lie. And what was the reason for this cover up? Well, the Truman administration and their allies in the press did not want to make the murder public, lest there be resentment held by the American people against the Communists! And why would these conspirators care about something like that happening? Take a wild guess.

In spite of all this, a miracle did happen. A Chinese companion of John Birch, who was left to die with Birch, and who suffered nearly the same wounds as Birch, lived to tell his story. And the truth became known. Not by many people at first, but thanks to the loving dedication of Mr. and Mrs. George Birch (John's parents) and Mr. Robert Welch, the life and death of John Birch began to become known to millions of Americans. If it were not for the work of these three people, I guarantee you you would never have heard of this man John Birch, and neither would I be writing this review.

Unfortunately too many well-meaning Americans (some are even characters in this book) chastise Robert Welch for naming his Society after Birch. They say "John would never approve." From what I read in this book by the Hefleys, I get the impression that John would approve. (John's parents certainly approved!) John may not ever have joined the John Birch Society, however I know that he would have approved the hard work and dedication of Mr. Welch and members of the Society in "getting the word out." This is exactly what John wanted to have happen.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exellent book, November 20, 2007

By 

D. Harper (Wyoming, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Secret File on John Birch (Paperback)

This is a well written book about a hero of WW II who was given the Legion of Merit, and the Distinguished Service Cross. The book reveals his patriotic character as a Christian missionary and a captain in the 14th Air Force Flying Tigers intelligence division and the OSS. John Birch's story is an inspiring account of a man committed to his ideas. It also reveals the political intrigue between the Nationalists, Communists, and America forces fighting the war in China and furthermore contributes to a deeper understanding of the political intrigue that occured in the U.S.A. during the waning yeas of the war. It's a book that can be easily read aloud to elementary aged children.