A Great Wall: Six Presidents and China: An Investigative History

by Patrick Tyler

Hailed as "absorbing" by the New York Times and "suspense-filled" by Foreign Affairs , Patrick Tyler's A Great Wall became an instant classic; a must-read for anyone concerned with the complicated and combative relationship between the world's biggest and the world's most powerful nations. And no one could tell this story better than Patrick Tyler, veteran journalist and former Beijing bureau chief of the New York Times . Using brilliant original reporting from his years in China; interviews with presidents, secretaries of state, Chinese officials, and other key leaders; and 15,000 pages of newly declassified documents, Tyler illuminates a relationship usually shrouded in secrecy, miscommunication, rivalry, fascination, and fear. A Great Wall is essential reading for anyone interested in China and anyone concerned with the shifting dynamics of post-Cold War geopolitics.

Genres: China, Nonfiction, History, The United States Of America

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone moderately interested in the U.S.-China relationship, this book is pretty amazing. Intimate information on the development of the relationship post 1949.

[Alex Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great and engaging history of 6 American presidents from Nixon to Clinton and their policies towards Communist China.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I learned from this book? Chinese people are incredibly insidious and conniving(j/k), and US presidents are usually stupid/pussies/sellouts when it comes to dealing with China(also j/k). But I already knew that.... Seriously, its a good book, but not for the faint of heart.