The China Mirage

A spellbinding history of US-China relations from the nineteenth century to World War II and Mao’s ascent, by the author of Flags of Our Fathers and Flyboys.

“Bradley is sharp and rueful, and a voice for a more seasoned, constructive vision of our international relations with East Asia.” —Christian Science Monitor

In this engrossing book, bestselling author James Bradley introduces us to the prominent Americans—including Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s grandfather Warren Delano—who in the 1800s made their fortunes in the China opium trade. As these men profited by addicting millions, American churches sent missionaries in search of a myth: noble Chinese peasants eager to westernize.

The media enthusiastically propagated this image, and FDR agreed that US support for Chiang Kai-shek and his glamorous American-educated wife would turn China into America’s best friend in Asia. But Chiang was on his way out, and when Mao Zedong came to power, Americans were shocked, wondering how we had “lost China.” Taking us from the nineteenth century through World War II and to the origins of the Vietnam War, Bradley reveals how American misconceptions about China have distorted our domestic and foreign policies and led to the avoidable deaths of millions. Thrillingly told, The China Mirage dynamically explores the troubled history that defines US-China relations to this day.

“A vivid, bracing, and careful study. . . . Bradley’s valuable book offers a warning about past and future unnecessary entanglements.” —History News Network

“Bradley has produced another gripping historical account with ramifications for today’s world.” —World Affairs Council

“The China Mirage underscored the missed opportunities in our relationship with China—a lesson for our current leaders.” —Portland Press Herald