The Hefleys did a superb job "painting a picture" of the short life of this incredible man. Birch was a very "intense" character; I got the impression he was always working on something, he was non-stop...whether it was the rescue of the Doolittle crew, or setting up an intelligence network across the entirety of China or most importantly, bringing Chinese brothers and sisters to Christ, John never let anything stand in his way.
It has been said (in this book and in other sources) that John's death was a result of his "irrational behavior" which in turn, was a result of 3 years of his non-stop activity behind enemy lines. But from what I read, I understand that John knew something that the rest of these people did not understand. You see, John was a very intelligent man...how many English-speaking people do you know are capable of mastering several Chinese dialects in 6 weeks?
John saw something about these "agrarian reformers--" he saw the pure wickedness within them. So John, at the very end of his life, was willing to sacrifice himself, in order to make a demonstration as to whether the Communists were our friend or our enemy. This very nearly became a tragic mistake--you see, John assumed that if the Communists killed him and thus demonstrated themselves to be our enemy, then the United States would immediately seek retribution and demolish the Communists, at least those in China. This turned out not to be the case. In fact, our US Government sought to cover up John's death. This the government did by listing the murder of Birch as an "accident--" that is, "he was killed by stray bullets" was the lie. And what was the reason for this cover up? Well, the Truman administration and their allies in the press did not want to make the murder public, lest there be resentment held by the American people against the Communists! And why would these conspirators care about something like that happening? Take a wild guess.
In spite of all this, a miracle did happen. A Chinese companion of John Birch, who was left to die with Birch, and who suffered nearly the same wounds as Birch, lived to tell his story. And the truth became known. Not by many people at first, but thanks to the loving dedication of Mr. and Mrs. George Birch (John's parents) and Mr. Robert Welch, the life and death of John Birch began to become known to millions of Americans. If it were not for the work of these three people, I guarantee you you would never have heard of this man John Birch, and neither would I be writing this review.
Unfortunately too many well-meaning Americans (some are even characters in this book) chastise Robert Welch for naming his Society after Birch. They say "John would never approve." From what I read in this book by the Hefleys, I get the impression that John would approve. (John's parents certainly approved!) John may not ever have joined the John Birch Society, however I know that he would have approved the hard work and dedication of Mr. Welch and members of the Society in "getting the word out." This is exactly what John wanted to have happen.
Good reading for any Christian and especially any Independent Baptist.reviews: page 1, 2Most Americans recognize the name of John Birch because of the high-profile and often controversial anti-communist John Birch Society founded in his honor. But few people know the true story of this courageous Christian missionary and United States intelligence agent to whom countless American airmen in China during World War II owe their lives. James and Marti Hefley's book reveals the background of this patriotic young man who was gunned down and mutilated by Chinese Communists 12 days after the war ended and who many believe was the true unsung hero of the China War Theater in World War II. The truth of who John Birch was and what he stood for negates the preconceived notions many Americans may have of this World War II figure and depicts him as the crackerjack whom Chennault sent out to rescue American airmen who were shot down in remote areas of China. Birch's strong view of patriotism, coupled with his romance with a Scottish nurse, give a sense of joyous release when victory is won in China. This contrasts vividly with the visualization of his mutilated body and the ensuing cover-up of his murder, theoretically to keep Americans from rising in their wrath and vetoing further appeasement of communism in that post-World War II China era. The file, for decades marked Secret and placed under lock and key, finally was declassified in 1972 through the Freedom of Information Act. Through countless interviews with military officials, Birch's officer colleagues, members of the Birch family, and other organizations, the Hefleys piece together an unprecedented look into the life of this intriguing and misunderstood war hero. The Hefleys do not attempt to deify Birch but present a balanced, integrated view of this noble young American who died unnecessarily. They have done all Americans a profound favor in producing this book, which reveals the price that one heroic individual paid for the rights and freedoms of many.