In this episode of the Spybrary Spy History Podcast, host Adam Brookes interviews Barry Werth author of Prisoner of Lies: Jack Downey's Cold War.
This remarkable true cold war spy story of the longest-held prisoner of war in American history, John Downey, Jr., a CIA officer captured in China during the Korean War and imprisoned for twenty-one years.
We invite you join our host the author and former BBC reporter Adam Brookes and guest Barry Werth on the Spybrary Spy History Podcast as they dive deep into the harrowing Cold War saga of Jack Downey in Prisoner of Lies.
Discover the untold stories of espionage, resilience, and international diplomacy that shaped U.S.-China relations. Unveil the gripping narrative of Jack Downey's capture, imprisonment, and eventual release, set against a backdrop of covert operations, political machinations, and the enduring human spirit. Don't miss this thrilling exploration of “Prisoner of Lies” and the profound impact of espionage on international affairs in Barry Werth's latest book.
More about Jack Downey Jr.
In 1952, 23-year-old CIA officer Jack Downey Jr's mission took a devastating turn when his plane was shot down over Manchuria during the Korean War. Surviving the crash that claimed the pilots' lives, Downey and his fellow agent, Richard Fecteau, were seized by Chinese forces.
What followed was a grueling two-decade ordeal of interrogations, isolation, reeducation camps, and staged trials, as they were paraded as symbols of political propaganda. While other prisoners of war found freedom, Downey and Fecteau remained trapped, their fate tied to a diplomatic stalemate. It wasn’t until Nixon’s groundbreaking visit to China in 1971 that hope emerged, leading to Fecteau’s release that same year and Downey’s eventual return in 1973.
Watch this conversation with Barry Werth about Jack Downey Jr. on Spybrary TV!
Episode Summary:
In this riveting episode, Adam Brookes sits down with Barry Werth to delve into the extraordinary story of Jack Downey, a CIA officer captured and imprisoned in communist China during the height of the Cold War. Werth's meticulous research for his book Prisoner of Lies provides a gripping account of Downey Jr's endurance, complex diplomatic maneuvers, and early CIA covert operations.
Key Episode Highlights:
- Captured and Shackled: Discover the harrowing details of how CIA officer Jack Downey, Jr and was captured, shackled, and interrogated by the Chinese. Hear how he endured life in shackles and isolation, maintaining their resilience under harsh captivity conditions.
- Confession and Survival: Learn about Downey. Jr's strategic delay in confessing his CIA affiliation, spanning eleven months, and culminating in a 3,000-page document meant to obscure pertinent details amidst a surplus of information.
- Bureaucratic Blunders and Family Heartbreak: Understand the critical role of the US government's denial of Downey. Jr's involvement, how this impacted his detainment, and the anguish faced by the families.
- Negotiations and Diplomacy: Explore how the convoluted politics and diplomatic negotiations for their release spanned multiple US administrations, revealing the significant impact of these efforts on US-China relations leading up to their normalization in the early 1970s.
- Jack Downey Jr's Resilience: Barry Werth highlights Downey's unyielding spirit, maintaining rigorous routines and an idealistic outlook despite his prolonged imprisonment. His story underscores the importance of resilience and patriotism.
- CIA’s Early Covert Operations: Gain insights into the CIA’s early initiatives, the risks and challenges involved, and the broader historical context, including the Cold War tensions post-World War II and the initial failures of CIA operations.
- Influence of Yale: Reflect on Yale University's influence on Downey and his peers, shaping their leadership qualities and driving their patriotic stoicism, influenced further by the experiences and aftermath of World War II.
Special Segment:
Barry Werth discusses the complex and skilled diplomacy by President Nixon and Henry Kissinger, examining how Downey's release was eventually facilitated, signaling a subtle yet significant shift in US policy towards China.
Exclusive Look into the Book:
“Prisoner of Lies: Jack Downey's Cold War” by Barry Werth, offering an in-depth narrative and analysis drawn from extensive research and personal accounts.
Listen now on your favorite podcast platform or on Spy TV our YouTube Channel. Don’t forget to subscribe for more captivating stories from the shadowy world of spies and books.
More About Prisoner of Lies: Jack Downey's Cold War
A “riveting” (The Economist), “gripping” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) true story of the longest-held prisoner of war in American history, John Downey, Jr., a CIA officer captured in China during the Korean War and imprisoned for twenty-one years.
John (Jack) Downey, Jr., was a new Yale graduate in the post-World War II years who, like other Yale grads, was recruited by the CIA. He joined the Agency and was sent to Japan in 1952, during the Korean War. In a violation of protocol, he took part in an air drop that failed and was captured over China. His sources on the ground had been compromised, and his identity was known. Although he first tried to deny who he was, he eventually admitted the truth.
But government policy forbade ever acknowledging the identity of spies, no matter the consequences. Washington invented a fictitious cover story and stood by it for four administrations. As a result, Downey was imprisoned during the decades that Red China, as it was called, was considered by the US to be a hostile nation, until 1972, when the US finally recognized the mainland Chinese government. He had spent twenty-one years in captivity.
Downey would go on to become a lawyer and an esteemed judge in Connecticut, his home state. Prisoner of Lies is based in part on a prison memoir that Downey wrote several years after his release. Barry Werth fluently weaves excerpts from the memoir with the Cold War events that determined Downey’s fate. Like a le Carré novel, this is a “thrilling, richly informative” (Stephen Kinzer, author of The Brothers) story of one man whose life is at the mercy of larger forces outside of his control; in Downey’s case as a pawn of the Cold War, and more specifically the Oval Office and the State Department. His freedom came only when US foreign policy dramatically changed. Above all, Prisoner of Lies is an inspiring story of remarkable fortitude and resilience.
Buy it here.
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