John T. Downey (1930–2014) was the longest-held prisoner of war in U.S. history. He went on to serve as commissioner of the Department of Public Utilities for the state of Connecticut and as a Connecticut Superior Court judge. In 2013, the CIA awarded Downey the Distinguished Intelligence Cross, the agency’s highest honor.Thomas J. Christensen is the James T. Shotwell Professor of International Relations and the director of the China and the World Program at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. He served as deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2006 to 2008, and his books include The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power (2015).Jack Lee Downey is the John Henry Newman Professor of Roman Catholic Studies at the University of Rochester. He is the author of The Bread of the Strong: Lacouturisme and the Folly of the Cross, 1910–1985 (2015).

An engrossing read, Lost in the Cold War is a testament to one man’s incomparable strength of character and endurance-both physical and mental. Inspiring and enlightening all at once.

• Note to the Reader1. A Perfect Ambush2. An American Hero on a Fool’s Mission3. Who I Am, Where I Came From4. The Korean Watershed: The Cold War Begins for Downey and America5. The Making of a Mission6. The Flight Over China7. Interrogation Days in Shenyang8. Of Soldiers and Spies9. A Man in a Box10. The Long Confession11. The Trial12. B-29 Crew Were Released from China13. The China I Saw, with America in My Mind14. “Your Government Does Not Want You Back”: The Failure of U.S.-PRC Negotiations at Geneva15. Prison Life16. Cellmates17. Keepers and Comrades18. A Pinhole View on a Massive Tragedy: 1958–197019. Family Visits20. U.S.-PRC Rapprochement and Jack Downey’s Release: 1968–197321. Coming HomeAfterwordAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

John T. Downey (1930–2014) was the longest-held prisoner of war in U.S. history. He went on to serve as commissioner of the Department of Public Utilities for the state of Connecticut and as a Connecticut Superior Court judge. In 2013, the CIA awarded Downey the Distinguished Intelligence Cross, the agency’s highest honor.Thomas J. Christensen is the James T. Shotwell Professor of International Relations and the director of the China and the World Program at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. He served as deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2006 to 2008, and his books include The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power (2015).Jack Lee Downey is the John Henry Newman Professor of Roman Catholic Studies at the University of Rochester. He is the author of The Bread of the Strong: Lacouturisme and the Folly of the Cross, 1910–1985 (2015).

An engrossing read, Lost in the Cold War is a testament to one man’s incomparable strength of character and endurance-both physical and mental. Inspiring and enlightening all at once.

• Note to the Reader1. A Perfect Ambush2. An American Hero on a Fool’s Mission3. Who I Am, Where I Came From4. The Korean Watershed: The Cold War Begins for Downey and America5. The Making of a Mission6. The Flight Over China7. Interrogation Days in Shenyang8. Of Soldiers and Spies9. A Man in a Box10. The Long Confession11. The Trial12. B-29 Crew Were Released from China13. The China I Saw, with America in My Mind14. “Your Government Does Not Want You Back”: The Failure of U.S.-PRC Negotiations at Geneva15. Prison Life16. Cellmates17. Keepers and Comrades18. A Pinhole View on a Massive Tragedy: 1958–197019. Family Visits20. U.S.-PRC Rapprochement and Jack Downey’s Release: 1968–197321. Coming HomeAfterwordAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex