"An absorbing narrative of American successes and failures after World War II." -- Library Journal

"This book should be required reading for all journalism students and international policymakers." -- Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication

"The book is a feast for students of history who want to know not just how things turned out, but also how it actually happened." -- Associated Press

"Topping draws important historical lessons as a signpost for today's policy makers." -- American Journalism

"A notable contribution to the history of the Cold War as seen by an astute observer." -- Journal of Cold War Studies

"The new autobiography from an international correspondent during the Cold War provides a fresh angle on some epoch-making events in American foreign relations." -- International History Review

As a correspondent for the International News Service, the Associated Press, and later for the New York Times, Seymour Topping documented on the ground the tumultuous events during the Chinese Civil War, the French Indochina War, and the American retreat from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. In this riveting narrative, Topping chronicles his extraordinary experiences covering the East-West struggle in Asia and Eastern Europe from 1946 into the 1980s, taking us beyond conventional historical accounts to provide a fresh, first-hand perspective on American triumphs and defeats during the Cold War era.