I am indebted to numerous wise and generous individuals who contributed to the creation of this book. Foremost, Audrey, my wife and journalistic partner, for her recollections of our life experience and for sharing her field reporting as a photojournalist and writer on behalf of such publications as the New York Times and National Geographic magazine. I am also grateful to her for making available the extensive private papers of her father, Chester Ronning, ambassador-at-large for Canada, a central figure in the diplomacy which reordered Asia. My profound thanks to my editor, John Maxwell Hamilton, for his vision and devoted editing of my book in form and content. I am also indebted to Professor Lawrence Sullivan of Adelphi University for his painstaking reading and many useful suggestions, particularly in the China sections of the book, and to Grace Carino for her meticulous, thoughtful line editing of my manuscript. I extend my gratitude also to Henry Graff, professor emeritus of history at Columbia University and editor of The Presidents: A Reference History, for lending his unique historical perspective. My appreciation also to Donald Shanor for his encouraging early read. I am very much indebted to Professor Li Xiguang, executive dean of Tsinghua University’s School of Journalism, and his staff for facilitating my research during my tours of China. I feel most fortunate in that the distinguished Louisiana State University Press, directed by MaryKatherine Callaway, elected to publish my book and provide the valued services of Catherine Kadair, senior editor, and the designer, assistant director Laura Gleason. Patiently, during the years of composition, my friend and computer wizard Sonal Vaidya faithfully transcribed sections of my manuscript, and I offer her my thanks once again. The reader will find in my Notes and Bibliography lists of others who were most helpful together with citations of books and documents which I consulted.