James Lilley, RIP

Long live James Lilley, one of the great “Old China Hands” of our times.  There aren’t many left with his combination of insight and experience.  I was fortunate enough to meet the old man in Cleveland, Ohio, where after a well-received speech at the Cleveland Press Club, he happily spent almost an hour talking with me and a big group of Hiram College students I brought in tow.   He was a gem of a man.

Lilley’s obituary in the Washington Post hardly does him justice, but his memoirs get close.

1 Comment

  1. Adam,

    I actually got his autograph, when he was the US ambassador to China. But the more I learned about the man the more I grew to dislike him. He was truly a great spymaster though.

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