Crosswinds

The establishment of a communist regime in China upended Western plans for the post-WWII Asian order. As the United States of America and Great Britain grappled with the implications of this new China in terms of their strategic and economic interests in the western Pacific, significant divergences also emerged. A newly independent India seeking to define its place and role in the region under conditions of Cold War was hoping to enlist China as partner. This book, based on archival material, outlines India’s efforts to craft a foreign policy in the context of the Anglo–American competition in the Far East. The roles played by the towering personalities of that era—Jawaharlal Nehru, Zhou Enlai, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John Foster Dulles, Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden and Krishna Menon—and the personal chemistry between them are woven into the narrative to paint a picture of the nuts and bolts of Indian diplomacy during the early years of the nation.

For author Ron Watts, the winds of change have been a constant companion. From the story of his life as a mission pilot in Australia's outback, pastor of the church on a Pacific Island and serving as chaplain in major prisons and hospitals, two other constants emerge - Ron's love of flying, and his fidelity to the Cross of Jesus Christ. From childhood fascination to a true 'life on the wing', Crosswinds is the story of how a young boy's dream became a reality beyond expectations.