Overview

At the end of World War II, General George Marshall took on what he thought was a final mission—this time not to win a war, but to stop one. In China, conflict between Communists and Nationalists threatened to suck in the United States and escalate into revolution. Marshall’s charge was to cross the Pacific, broker a peace, and prevent a Communist takeover, all while staving off World War III. At first, the results seemed miraculous. But as they started to come apart, Marshall was faced with a wrenching choice—one that would alter the course of the Cold War, define the US-China relationship, and spark one of the darkest-ever turns in American political life. The China Mission offers a gripping, close-up view of the central figures of the time—from Marshall, Mao, and Chiang Kai-shek to Eisenhower, Truman, and MacArthur—as they stood face-to-face and struggled to make history, with consequences and lessons that echo today.

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9780393356861

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Reviews

In gripping, crystalline detail, Kurtz-Phelan has given us a vital new chapter on American statecraft. The lessons from what he calls the `unsettled world' of the early Cold War are urgently relevant today. The China Mission will be read for years to come as a window on the origins of American power-and the limits of its reach. -- Evan Osnos, New Yorker staff writer and author of Age of Ambition Was America's greatest statesman to blame for America's greatest diplomatic failure? In this wonderfully written book, Daniel Kurtz-Phelan sheds a bright light on a crucial but dimly understood chapter in U.S. foreign policy. His portrait of General George Marshall is a model of empathetic but clear-eyed biography and a memorable lesson in the limits of power. -- Evan Thomas, author of Ike's Bluff and coauthor of The Wise Men The China Mission has much to teach us about both the past and future of American leadership-and about what individual leadership means in the face of hard choices. I have rarely read such a vivid account of how diplomacy really works. -- Madeleine Albright, former secretary of state The China Mission is a must-read for foreign-policy makers practicising diplomacy in Asia. -- Globe and Mail [A]t once a character study of the charismatic and dedicated Marshall; a narrative account of the mission's miraculous early successes and prolonged, painful collapse; and a meditation on the impossibility of reconciling parties that are determined to remain enemies. -- Foreign Affairs [Marshall's China mission] has been brilliantly described in the detail it deserves by Daniel Kurtz-Phelan... who seems to have consulted all relevant primary and secondary sources.... Kurtz-Phelan is particularly good at using his various sources to bring Marshall's personality to life. -- Roderick MacFarquhar - New York Review of Books Deeply researched and written with verve, [The China Mission] ought to be read by any U.S. foreign-policy maker practicing diplomacy in Asia.... Mr. Kurtz-Phelan has performed a service in reviving this important episode with such aplomb, rigor and pace. -- Wall Street Journal [A] compelling portrait of a remarkable soldier and statesman, and an instructive lesson in the limits of American power, even at its zenith. -- Economist The best character study of Marshall I've yet seen. He comes alive here as in nothing else that's been written about him. A major achievement. -- John Lewis Gaddis, author of George F. Keenan and professor of history, Yale University Thoroughly researched and compellingly written, [The China Mission] is at once a revealing study of character and leadership, a vivid reconstruction of a critical episode in the history of the Cold War and an insightful meditation on the limits of American power even at its peak. -- New York Times Book Review

America has always sought to convert rather than understand China, whether to Christianity or capitalism. In this brilliant historical study, Daniel Kurtz-Phelan focuses on the pivotal moment of misunderstanding between these two very different countries. As a bonus, he provides a beautifully written portrait of George Marshall, a statesman of such integrity that he seems as far removed from Washington, D.C., today as would an ancient Roman. -- Fareed Zakaria, CNN host and author of The Post-American World Kurtz-Phelan has written a marvelous narrative about General George Marshall's valiant effort to bring Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong together at the end of WWII and head off a civil war and a Communist takeover of China.... But apart from the engrossing China saga, what makes this books so absorbing-and sometimes even touching-is that it draws the reader into the life of a truly great American, reminding us of a different time in America's odyssey when a sense of modesty, service to mankind, and duty to country were enthroned and esteemed. -- Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations In gripping, crystalline detail, Kurtz-Phelan has given us a vital new chapter on American statecraft. The lessons from what he calls the `unsettled world' of the early Cold War are urgently relevant today. The China Mission will be read for years to come as a window on the origins of American power-and the limits of its reach. -- Evan Osnos, New Yorker staff writer and author of Age of Ambition Was America's greatest statesman to blame for America's greatest diplomatic failure? In this wonderfully written book, Daniel Kurtz-Phelan sheds a bright light on a crucial but dimly understood chapter in U.S. foreign policy. His portrait of General George Marshall is a model of empathetic but clear-eyed biography and a memorable lesson in the limits of power. -- Evan Thomas, author of Ike's Bluff and coauthor of The Wise Men The China Mission has much to teach us about both the past and future of American leadership-and about what individual leadership means in the face of hard choices. I have rarely read such a vivid account of how diplomacy really works. -- Madeleine Albright, former secretary of state [A]t once a character study of the charismatic and dedicated Marshall; a narrative account of the mission's miraculous early successes and prolonged, painful collapse; and a meditation on the impossibility of reconciling parties that are determined to remain enemies. -- Foreign Affairs Deeply researched and written with verve, [The China Mission] ought to be read by any U.S. foreign-policy maker practicing diplomacy in Asia.... Mr. Kurtz-Phelan has performed a service in reviving this important episode with such aplomb, rigor and pace. -- Wall Street Journal [A] compelling portrait of a remarkable soldier and statesman, and an instructive lesson in the limits of American power, even at its zenith. -- Economist The best character study of Marshall I've yet seen. He comes alive here as in nothing else that's been written about him. A major achievement. -- John Lewis Gaddis, author of George F. Keenan and professor of history, Yale University Thoroughly researched and compellingly written, [The China Mission] is at once a revealing study of character and leadership, a vivid reconstruction of a critical episode in the history of the Cold War and an insightful meditation on the limits of American power even at its peak. -- New York Times Book Review

Astute and surprisingly entertaining ... A superb researcher, Kurtz-Phelan ably narrates an exasperating story featuring a genuinely peerless hero doing his best in a no-win situation. The definitive history of a failure from which the U.S. seemingly learned nothing. -- Kirkus This deeply researched, gripping account is enhanced by the author's striking portrayals of [Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek]. ... [A] page-turning narrative of an important chapter in Cold War history. -- Library Journal (starred) Kurtz-Phelan has written a marvelous narrative about General George Marshall's valiant effort to bring Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong together at the end of WW II. But apart from the engrossing China saga, what makes this books so absorbing - and sometimes even even touching - is that it draws the reader into the life of a truly great American, reminding us of a different time in America's odyssey when a sense of modesty, service to mankind, and duty to country were enthroned and esteemed. -- Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations An outstanding book on a very important subject: how to use American power judiciously and effectively in a rapidly changing world. -- Odd Arne Westad, S. T. Lee Professor of US-Asia Relations, Harvard University Was America's greatest statesman to blame for America's greatest diplomatic failure? In this wonderfully written book, Daniel Kurtz-Phelan sheds a bright light on a crucial but dimly understood chapter in US foreign policy. His portrait of Marshall is a model of empathetic but clear-eyed biography. -- Evan Thomas, author of Ike's Bluff and coauthor of The Wise Men The best character study of Marshall I've yet seen. He comes alive here as in nothing else that's been written about him. A major achievement. -- John Lewis Gaddis, author of George F. Kennan and professor of history, Yale University In gripping, crystalline detail, Kurtz-Phelan has given us a vital new chapter on American statecraft. The lessons from what he calls the `unsettled world' of the early Cold War are urgently relevant today. The China Mission will be read for years to come as a window on the origins of American power-and the limits of its reach. -- Evan Osnos, New Yorker staff writer and author of Age of Ambition The China Mission has much to teach us about both the past and future of American leadership-and about what individual leadership means in the face of hard choices. I have rarely read such a vivid account of how diplomacy really works. -- Madeleine Albright, former secretary of state America has always sought to convert rather than understand China, whether to Christianity or capitalism. In this brilliant historical study, Daniel Kurtz-Phelan focuses on the pivotal moment of misunderstanding between these two very different countries. As a bonus, he provides a beautifully written portrait of George Marshall, a statesman of such integrity that he seems as far removed from Washington, D.C., today as would an ancient Roman. -- Fareed Zakaria, CNN host and author of The Post-American World The story Kurtz-Phelan tells is a gripping one [and] does a splendid job of delineating Marshall's evolving relationships. ... an enormous contribution to our understanding of Marshall. -- The Washington Post [B]oth a compelling portrait of a remarkable soldier and statesman, and an instructive lesson in the limits of American power, even at its zenith. -- Economist Deeply researched and written with verve, [The China Mission] ought to be read by any U.S. foreign-policy maker practicing diplomacy in Asia. ... Mr. Kurtz-Phelan has performed a service in reviving this important episode with such aplomb, rigor and pace. -- Wall Street Journal

Author Information

Daniel Kurtz-Phelan is the executive editor of Foreign Affairs. He previously served in the US State Department as a member of the secretary of state’s Policy Planning Staff. His reportage and analysis have appeared in publications including the New York Times and The New Yorker.

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