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Robert Ford, Prisoner of the Communists in 1950s Tibet, Gets a Pulping

Posted: February 1st, 2017 | 1 Comment »

Robert Ford (1923- 2013) was a radio operator and British diplomat who worked in Tibet in the late 1940s. He was one of the few Westerners to be appointed by the last independent Tibetan government before the 1950 Chinese communist takeover. Ford was arrested in 1950 by the advancing Chinese army, accused him of espionage and spreading anti-communist propaganda. He spent nearly 5 years in jail, in constant fear of being executed, and was subjected to interrogation. Only in 1954 was he allowed to send a letter to his parents. At the end of 1954 his trial was held and he was sentenced to ten years jail. He was eventually released and expelled in 1955. In 1994, he declared that during the five years he spent in Tibet, he “had the opportunity to witness and experience at first hand the reality of Tibetan independence.” In 1957, he published a book, Captured in Tibet (U.S. title Wind Between the Worlds), about his experience.

What I didn’t know is that later, to reach a wider audience, a pulp cover version of the book was also published….


One Comment on “Robert Ford, Prisoner of the Communists in 1950s Tibet, Gets a Pulping”

  1. 1 Jeanne demund said at 1:23 am on February 2nd, 2017:

    Thanks for interesting post..will subscribe to your blog. My interests also China then and now.


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