Stanley K. Hornbeck and the Open Door Policy, 1919-1937

(Hardback)

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Key to an understanding of many U.S. foreign policies, including the Open Door Policy, American extraterritoriality in China, the Stimson Doctrine, and the economic embargo against Japan, Hornbeck had more influence on policy toward Asia than any other official in the State Department from Wilson to FDR. In a book based on solid research of archival materials and the current literature in English and Chinese, Hu brings a Chinese perspective to an examination of Hornbeck's career and American policy in Asia. The book not only fills a vacuum in the study of Sino-American relations, but also corrects some traditional misperceptions and misinterpretations in the field. In Hu's view, Hornbeck has been misinterpreted by his contemporaries and by scholars. His policy was based on his perception of American interest in China, his changing views on the Chinese nationalist revolution, the relative strength of Japan, and his evaluation of the China market. Hornbeck's major weakness was a lack of understanding of the internal affairs of China. In illustrating Hornbeck's changing views on China and the East Asian situation, Hu disproves many misconceptions in current scholarship about Hornbeck being either pro-Chinese or pro-Japanese and about his consistent support for the Open Door Policy.

Reviews

.,."a valuable corrective to previous views of Hornbeck as the pro-Chinese, anti-Japanese (and vice versa) architect of American Far Eastern policy, 1928 to 1944. The author's argument is persuasive, his documentation is exhaustive, and his subtle handling of Hornbeck's apparently unwitting ethnocentrism, relentless careerism, and occasional political blindness is impressive. The book is also a succinct study of the relation of domestic to foreign policies in both the US and China. Upper-division undergraduates and above."-Choice
...a valuable corrective to previous views of Hornbeck as the pro-Chinese, anti-Japanese (and vice versa) architect of American Far Eastern policy, 1928 to 1944. The author's argument is persuasive, his documentation is exhaustive, and his subtle handling of Hornbeck's apparently unwitting ethnocentrism, relentless careerism, and occasional political blindness is impressive. The book is also a succinct study of the relation of domestic to foreign policies in both the US and China. Upper-division undergraduates and above.-Choice
..."a valuable corrective to previous views of Hornbeck as the pro-Chinese, anti-Japanese (and vice versa) architect of American Far Eastern policy, 1928 to 1944. The author's argument is persuasive, his documentation is exhaustive, and his subtle handling of Hornbeck's apparently unwitting ethnocentrism, relentless careerism, and occasional political blindness is impressive. The book is also a succinct study of the relation of domestic to foreign policies in both the US and China. Upper-division undergraduates and above."-Choice

Author Bio

SHIZHANG HU is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and the author of articles on Chinese history.