EasterBlack-owned or founded brands at TargetGroceryClothing, Shoes & AccessoriesBabyHomeFurnitureKitchen & DiningOutdoor Living & GardenToysElectronicsVideo GamesMovies, Music & BooksSports & OutdoorsBeautyPersonal CareHealthPetsHousehold EssentialsArts, Crafts & SewingSchool & Office SuppliesParty SuppliesLuggageGift IdeasGift CardsClearanceTarget New ArrivalsTarget Finds#TargetStyleTop DealsTarget Circle DealsWeekly AdShop Order PickupShop Same Day DeliveryRegistryRedCardTarget CircleFind Stores

Sponsored

Agents of Subversion - by John P Delury (Hardcover)

Agents of Subversion - by  John P Delury (Hardcover) - 1 of 1
$23.41 sale price when purchased online
$34.95 list price
Target Online store #3991

About this item

Highlights

  • Agents of Subversion reconstructs the remarkable story of a botched mission into Manchuria, showing how it fit into a wider CIA campaign against Communist China and highlighting the intensity--and futility--of clandestine operations to overthrow Mao.
  • About the Author: John Delury is Professor of Chinese Studies at Yonsei University.
  • 408 Pages
  • History, Modern

Description



About the Book



"This book explores the covert side of US-China relations during the Cold War and subversion-repression dynamics in both countries. It documents CIA efforts to subvert Mao Zedong's Communist Party rule by recruiting a Third Force during the Korean War, and examines the subsequent two decades of diplomatic standoff, especially over the case of captured secret agent Jack Downey" --



Book Synopsis



Agents of Subversion reconstructs the remarkable story of a botched mission into Manchuria, showing how it fit into a wider CIA campaign against Communist China and highlighting the intensity--and futility--of clandestine operations to overthrow Mao.

In the winter of 1952, at the height of the Korean War, the CIA flew a covert mission into China to pick up an agent. Trained on a remote Pacific island, the agent belonged to an obscure anti-communist group known as the Third Force based out of Hong Kong. The exfiltration would fail disastrously, and one of the Americans on the mission, a recent Yale graduate named John T. Downey, ended up a prisoner of Mao Zedong's government for the next twenty years.

Unraveling the truth behind decades of Cold War intrigue, John Delury documents the damage that this hidden foreign policy did to American political life. The US government kept the public in the dark about decades of covert activity directed against China, while Downey languished in a Beijing prison and his mother lobbied desperately for his release.

Mining little-known Chinese sources, Delury sheds new light on Mao's campaigns to eliminate counterrevolutionaries and how the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party used captive spies in diplomacy with the West. Agents of Subversion is an innovative work of transnational history, and it demonstrates both how the Chinese Communist regime used the fear of special agents to tighten its grip on society and why intellectuals in Cold War America presciently worried that subversion abroad could lead to repression at home.



Review Quotes




An urgently needed, invaluable and deftly written book.

-- "Asia Media International"

A riveting and important case study. Delury retells this remarkable episode in the history of U.S.-Chinese relations with fire and astonishment, using his flair for narrative and his eye for often surreal detail to describe the desperation in Washington in the wake of the Korean War and the fateful decision to use the fledgling CIA to try to undermine Mao's China.

-- "Foreign Affairs"

John Delury has written a beautifully constructed narrative history that moves back and forth between the US and the PRC; Agents of Subversion is a highly readable and entertaining guide to the failure of the CIA's obsessive disruptive mission in China during the 1950s

-- "The China Quarterly"

Agents of Subversion is a compelling and elegantly written narrative of a largely unknown story, ranging from the broad perspectives of foreign policy to the personal tale of one man caught up in it all.

-- "Critical Asian Studies"

An urgently needed book.

-- "South China Morning Post"

Delury blends first-rate storytelling with diplomatic history. For such an expansive and wide-ranging discussion of US-Chinese relations, Delury should be commended for his attention to detail and commitment to bringing to light sources previously underutilized in US writing on China.

-- "LA Review of Books"

The book is above all a compelling read that dives deep into the complexities of the geopolitics around the Korean War and its uncertain aftermath, which still shapes regional tensions to this day.

-- "NK News"

Agents of Subversion is a book that you can easily imagine being filmed, being turned into a television series or being discussed with gusto by members of a book club made up of history lovers.

-- "Five Books"



About the Author



John Delury is Professor of Chinese Studies at Yonsei University. He is the coauthor of Wealth and Power. Follow him on X @JohnDelury.

Dimensions (Overall): 9.2 Inches (H) x 7.7 Inches (W) x .9 Inches (D)
Weight: 1.1 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Sub-Genre: Modern
Genre: History
Number of Pages: 408
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Theme: 20th Century
Format: Hardcover
Author: John P Delury
Language: English
Street Date: October 15, 2022
TCIN: 88967107
UPC: 9781501765971
Item Number (DPCI): 247-17-7459
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.

Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 0.9 inches length x 7.7 inches width x 9.2 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1.1 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Guam (see also separate entry under GU), Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), United States Minor Outlying Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO

Return details

This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 90 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.

Get top deals, latest trends, and more.

Privacy policy

Footer

About Us

About TargetCareersNews & BlogTarget BrandsBullseye ShopSustainability & GovernancePress CenterAdvertise with UsInvestorsAffiliates & PartnersSuppliersTargetPlus

Help

Target HelpReturnsTrack OrdersRecallsContact UsFeedbackAccessibilitySecurity & FraudTeam Member Services

Stores

Find a StoreClinicPharmacyOpticalMore In-Store Services

Services

Target Circle™Target Circle™ CardTarget Circle 360™Target AppRegistrySame Day DeliveryOrder PickupDrive UpFree 2-Day ShippingShipping & DeliveryMore Services
PinterestFacebookInstagramXYoutubeTiktokTermsCA Supply ChainPrivacyCA Privacy RightsYour Privacy ChoicesInterest Based AdsHealth Privacy Policy