John Birch : A Life read EPUB, MOBI
9780190262891 English 0190262893 John Birch is a totemic figure in American life, and the society named after him is one of the most famous right-wing organizations in American history. The John Birch Society was founded in the midst of anti-communist hysteria during the early years of the Cold War, and its influence on the American far right to this day remains significant. Indeed, traces of its influence are clearly evident in the Tea Party. Yet despite the fame of the society that bears his name, Birch himself remains an obscure figure - until now. Terry Lautz, a distinguished scholar of US-China relations, has combed obscure archives, spoken with Birch's remaining relatives, and marshaled his deep knowledge of mid-century China to produce a definitive account of the mysterious-and dramatic-life of John Birch. After growing up steeped in the South's burgeoning Bible Belt culture in the years after World War I, Birch became a missionary in China in the tumultuous era of the 1930s and 1940s, when it was rocked by civil war, a long conflict with Japan, and-finally-revolution. Along with his missionary work, he fought with Claire Chennault's famed Flying Tigers against the Japanese amidst a series of on-again and off-again romances. After the war ended, he re-committed himself to his missionary activities but was killed by communist guerrillas in an altercation a couple of weeks after the war ended, in September 1945. No one could have predicted what happened next to this truly obscure figure. A few years after his death--after China fell to the communists and anti-communists in Congress looked to cast blame-his afterlife as a martyr began. Robert Welch-a candy manufacturer in New England-formed the John Birch Society, an extreme right-wing organization whose influence is still visible in the Tea Party movement. In John Birch: A Life, Lautz covers Birch's life in full and places it in the broad contexts of religious revival in the American South and chaos in interwar and wartime China. He also explores his afterlife as a paragon of the far right, juxtaposing the myth with the reality. A critical biography of a legend whose fame arrived only posthumously, Lautz cuts through the mythology to expose John Birch-the man and the political phenomenon., John Birch is a totemic figure in American life. The society named after him is one of the famous far-right organizations in American history. It was also a paradigmatic example of anti-communist hysteria during the Cold War, and its influence on the American far right to this day remains significant. Yet despite his posthumous fame, Birch himself remains an obscure figure. Terry Lautz, a longtime scholar of US-China relations, has spoken with all of Birch's remaining relatives, found shoeboxes filled with letters from one of his former lovers, and visited the various sites in China where he worked. The result is the first authoritative biography of this fascinating figure, who continues to haunt the political fringes of American life. Birch grew up in the rapidly growing Bible culture of the post-World War I period, and then became a missionary in China in the tumultuous period of its war against the Japanese and the escalating conflict between nationalists and communists. He fought with Claire Chennault's famed Flying Tigers and had a number of romantic relationships with women along the way. After the war ended, he committed himself to resuming his missionary activities in China, but was killed by communist guerrillas in an altercation a couple of weeks after the war ended in September 1945. A few years after his death, when China fell to the communists, anti-communists in Congress latched onto his life and promoted him as a martyr. Within a few years, Robert Welch, a candy manufacturer in New England, formed the John Birch Society, an extreme right-wing organization whose influence is still visible in the Tea Party movement. Lautz covers Birch's life and his afterlife, and also places him not merely in the context of the American far right, but in the revolutionary war that consumed China in the 1930s and 1940s. In this critical study of a figure who has reached near-legendary status, Lautz cuts through the mythology to expose John Birch-both the man and the political phenomenon., John Birch was better known in death than life. Shot and killed by Communists in China, he posthumously became the namesake for a right-wing organization whose influence is still visible in today's Tea Party. This is the remarkable story of an American missionary-turned-soldier who wanted to save China, but became a victim instead. Terry Lautz, a longtime scholar of US-China relations, has spoken with Birch's remaining relatives, found letters written to the women he loved, and visited sites in China where he lived and died. The result is the first authoritative biography of this fascinating figure who continues to haunt the fringes of American political life. Birch grew up in the rapidly growing Bible culture of the post-World War I period, and then became a missionary in China in the tumultuous time of the Second World War. He served with Claire Chennault, commander of the famed Flying Tigers, and operated behind enemy lines as an OSS intelligence officer. He committed himself to resuming his missionary activities in China after the war, but was killed by Communist troops in an altercation soon after Japan's surrender. Several years after his death, when the Korean War had broken out, the prominent Republican senator William Knowland promoted him as a martyr. Within a few years, Robert Welch, a candy manufacturer from New England, formed the John Birch Society, one of the most influential and polarizing organizations of the Cold War era. Lautz covers Birch's life and his afterlife, and places him not only in the context of anti-communism, but in the longstanding American quest to shape China's destiny. In this critical study of a figure who has reached near-legendary status, Lautz cuts through the mythology to explain John Birch-both the man and the political phenomenon.
9780190262891 English 0190262893 John Birch is a totemic figure in American life, and the society named after him is one of the most famous right-wing organizations in American history. The John Birch Society was founded in the midst of anti-communist hysteria during the early years of the Cold War, and its influence on the American far right to this day remains significant. Indeed, traces of its influence are clearly evident in the Tea Party. Yet despite the fame of the society that bears his name, Birch himself remains an obscure figure - until now. Terry Lautz, a distinguished scholar of US-China relations, has combed obscure archives, spoken with Birch's remaining relatives, and marshaled his deep knowledge of mid-century China to produce a definitive account of the mysterious-and dramatic-life of John Birch. After growing up steeped in the South's burgeoning Bible Belt culture in the years after World War I, Birch became a missionary in China in the tumultuous era of the 1930s and 1940s, when it was rocked by civil war, a long conflict with Japan, and-finally-revolution. Along with his missionary work, he fought with Claire Chennault's famed Flying Tigers against the Japanese amidst a series of on-again and off-again romances. After the war ended, he re-committed himself to his missionary activities but was killed by communist guerrillas in an altercation a couple of weeks after the war ended, in September 1945. No one could have predicted what happened next to this truly obscure figure. A few years after his death--after China fell to the communists and anti-communists in Congress looked to cast blame-his afterlife as a martyr began. Robert Welch-a candy manufacturer in New England-formed the John Birch Society, an extreme right-wing organization whose influence is still visible in the Tea Party movement. In John Birch: A Life, Lautz covers Birch's life in full and places it in the broad contexts of religious revival in the American South and chaos in interwar and wartime China. He also explores his afterlife as a paragon of the far right, juxtaposing the myth with the reality. A critical biography of a legend whose fame arrived only posthumously, Lautz cuts through the mythology to expose John Birch-the man and the political phenomenon., John Birch is a totemic figure in American life. The society named after him is one of the famous far-right organizations in American history. It was also a paradigmatic example of anti-communist hysteria during the Cold War, and its influence on the American far right to this day remains significant. Yet despite his posthumous fame, Birch himself remains an obscure figure. Terry Lautz, a longtime scholar of US-China relations, has spoken with all of Birch's remaining relatives, found shoeboxes filled with letters from one of his former lovers, and visited the various sites in China where he worked. The result is the first authoritative biography of this fascinating figure, who continues to haunt the political fringes of American life. Birch grew up in the rapidly growing Bible culture of the post-World War I period, and then became a missionary in China in the tumultuous period of its war against the Japanese and the escalating conflict between nationalists and communists. He fought with Claire Chennault's famed Flying Tigers and had a number of romantic relationships with women along the way. After the war ended, he committed himself to resuming his missionary activities in China, but was killed by communist guerrillas in an altercation a couple of weeks after the war ended in September 1945. A few years after his death, when China fell to the communists, anti-communists in Congress latched onto his life and promoted him as a martyr. Within a few years, Robert Welch, a candy manufacturer in New England, formed the John Birch Society, an extreme right-wing organization whose influence is still visible in the Tea Party movement. Lautz covers Birch's life and his afterlife, and also places him not merely in the context of the American far right, but in the revolutionary war that consumed China in the 1930s and 1940s. In this critical study of a figure who has reached near-legendary status, Lautz cuts through the mythology to expose John Birch-both the man and the political phenomenon., John Birch was better known in death than life. Shot and killed by Communists in China, he posthumously became the namesake for a right-wing organization whose influence is still visible in today's Tea Party. This is the remarkable story of an American missionary-turned-soldier who wanted to save China, but became a victim instead. Terry Lautz, a longtime scholar of US-China relations, has spoken with Birch's remaining relatives, found letters written to the women he loved, and visited sites in China where he lived and died. The result is the first authoritative biography of this fascinating figure who continues to haunt the fringes of American political life. Birch grew up in the rapidly growing Bible culture of the post-World War I period, and then became a missionary in China in the tumultuous time of the Second World War. He served with Claire Chennault, commander of the famed Flying Tigers, and operated behind enemy lines as an OSS intelligence officer. He committed himself to resuming his missionary activities in China after the war, but was killed by Communist troops in an altercation soon after Japan's surrender. Several years after his death, when the Korean War had broken out, the prominent Republican senator William Knowland promoted him as a martyr. Within a few years, Robert Welch, a candy manufacturer from New England, formed the John Birch Society, one of the most influential and polarizing organizations of the Cold War era. Lautz covers Birch's life and his afterlife, and places him not only in the context of anti-communism, but in the longstanding American quest to shape China's destiny. In this critical study of a figure who has reached near-legendary status, Lautz cuts through the mythology to explain John Birch-both the man and the political phenomenon.