RIP: John T. Downey, former prisoner of the Red Chinese

Washington Post

"HARTFORD, Conn. — John T. Downey, a former CIA agent who survived more than 20 years in Chinese prisons during the Cold War before becoming a Connecticut judge, died Monday. He was 84.

Downey was diagnosed with cancer a month ago and died at a hospice facility in Branford, according to his son, Jack Downey, of Philadelphia.

The elder Downey had graduated from Yale University and joined the Central Intelligence Agency a year before his plane was shot down during a botched cloak-and-dagger flight into China in November 1952. He spent the next 20 years, three months and 14 days in Chinese prisons. He was released in March 1973 shortly after President Richard Nixon publicly acknowledged Downey’s CIA connection.

After returning to the United States, he graduated from Harvard Law School and was appointed to the Connecticut bench in 1987.

 ...

Downey and Fecteau [his fellow intelligence officer] were hauled off to prison, interrogated and isolated in separate cells. Each spent long stretches in solitary confinement.

After their release, Fecteau said they would visit occasionally during Downey’s time in law school and split a pint of ice cream, because neither of them drank. He said he admired his friend’s mental strength during their time in captivity. 

“He never weakened. He never felt sorry for himself,” Fecteau, 87, said Monday. “What happened happened and he lived with it as best he could, and I liked that.”"

Great story. Hey, Washington Post! He was a United States Intelligence Officer, not a "CIA agent." The guy he was going to pick up was an "agent" [i.e., a foreign national working clandestinely for the U.S.]. I will settle for "CIA officer." Decades of imprisonment in China, by the way, is what happened to Paul Christopher in the excellent spy novels by Charles McCarry. Christopher also handled it with aplomb.

Was James Bond an alcoholic?

Read the entire "study," which appears in the Christmas edition of BMJ (formerly, the British Medical Journal). Best quote:

Bond is noted to have several drinks, enough to put him well over this limit and then drive. In Goldfinger, for example, he drinks 18 units while having drinks and dinner with Auric Goldfinger before then driving home. In Casino Royale he drinks over 39 units before engaging in a high speed car chase, losing control, and spending 14 days in hospital. We hope that this was a salutatory lesson.

Abstract

Objective To quantify James Bond’s consumption of alcohol as detailed in the series of novels by Ian Fleming.

Design Retrospective literature review.

Setting The study authors’ homes, in a comfy chair.

Participants Commander James Bond, 007; Mr Ian Lancaster Fleming.

Main outcome measures Weekly alcohol consumption by Commander Bond.

Methods All 14 James Bond books were read by two of the authors. Contemporaneous notes were taken detailing every alcoholic drink taken. Predefined alcohol unit levels were used to calculate consumption. Days when Bond was unable to consume alcohol (such as through incarceration) were noted.

Results After exclusion of days when Bond was unable to drink, his weekly alcohol consumption was 92 units a week, over four times the recommended amount. His maximum daily consumption was 49.8 units. He had only 12.5 alcohol free days out of 87.5 days on which he was able to drink.

Conclusions James Bond’s level of alcohol intake puts him at high risk of multiple alcohol related diseases and an early death. The level of functioning as displayed in the books is inconsistent with the physical, mental, and indeed sexual functioning expected from someone drinking this much alcohol. We advise an immediate referral for further assessment and treatment, a reduction in alcohol consumption to safe levels, and suspect that the famous catchphrase “shaken, not stirred” could be because of alcohol induced tremor affecting his hands.

 

 

 

 

 

Weekend reading -- Spy Novels

Since the point of this blog is to encourage more reading by students of clinical psychology, it seems proper and fitting to include "entertainments" as well as Great Books. Not everything worth reading has to be serious (and not everything serious is worth reading). If people are going to read trashy books for pleasure, they might as well read high-quality trashy books. From here on out, I'll just call it "weekend reading."

Here are three excellent books on espionage that I have enjoyed. Every serious reader has four lists: 1) books they have read; 2) books they intend to read; 3) books they pretend to have read; and, 4) books that they have read twice. All three of these books are in that last, exalted category, which is the finest endorsement of them that I can think of. Of course, your tastes might vary and there is no guarantee that you will enjoy what I do.

1. Vengeance by George Jonas. This is the basis for the movie, Munich (Steven Spielberg, dir.) and is the reason I was so terribly disappointed by that movie, which apparently many people liked. The book was tremendous. There is some controversy about the veracity of the account, as there must be in any memoir of an intelligence operation.

2. Saving the Queen by William F. Buckley. This is the first of the Blackford Oakes series of spy novels, which trace the history of the Cold War. Blacky is arguably far cooler than James Bond (who is rather a psychopath, particularly in the Ian Fleming novels and the movie Casino Royale). This first installment involves the initial recruitment and training of Blackford Oakes into the CIA in the 1950s, which author Buckley presumably knew something about, since he was a CIA officer at that time.

3. The Tears of Autumn by Charles McCarry. This one of several spy novels featuring CIA officer Paul Christopher. McCarry's books are often referred to as "the spy novels that real intelligence officers read." Like Buckley, McCarry also has a history of service in the CIA (although apparently more extensive and covert). This book is not only a high quality novel in its own right but presents one of the most interesting alternative explanations of the Kennedy assassination I have ever encountered. Here is a nice review of the book.

Jonathan Kellerman

Jonathan Kellerman, a former clinical psychologist himself, created a memorable detective-psychologist -- Alex Delaware, Ph.D. I read several of these novels as an undergrad and in the first year of grad school. I won't go so far as to say that Alex Delaware is a "heroic ideal" for a clinical psychologist, but Kellerman makes him look pretty good (and thus the profession in general). As I recall, each book's plot involves a different interesting psychological/psychiatric phenonomenom, e.g. Munchausen's syndrome, child geniuses, school shootings, etc. I won't go so far as to say that you will learn a lot about the profession from reading these crime novels, but your interest in the field might increase substantially, as mine did.

Kellerman also wrote a interesting book called Savage Spawn. It was written in the wake of Columbine and said some refreshingly harsh things about child psychopaths. It's a quick, bracing book to read, and much at odds with the usual touchy-feeling stuff offered up by psychologists.


Here are synopses of the first five Alex Delaware novels (I always prefer to read a series in the order in which they were published). It looks as if they are re-issuing the first novel, so the timing of this post is pretty good.

When the Bough Breaks (1985)

Kellerman introduces Alex Delaware, Ph.D., in When the Bough Breaks. Kellerman characterizes Delaware as a successful (albeit retired) child psychologist suffering from burn-out after working on a case of systematic child molestation that culminates when the offender commits suicide in Delaware's office. Detective Milo Sturgis urges Delaware to come out of retirement and interview a seven-year-old child who may have witnessed a crime. Sturgis appoints Delaware as a "special consultant" to the Los Angeles Police Department.^[7] Kellerman's timing in this novel coincided with news stories about child abuse in child care facilities.^[8]

Blood Test (1986)

In Blood Test, Alex Delaware acts as a consultant in the divorce and child custody case of Richard Moody, a bipolar and potentially dangerous father of two. At the same time, Delaware is contacted by a former colleague, Dr. Raoul Melendez-Lynch, of the oncology department at Western Pediatric Medical Center. Dr. Raoul Melendez-Lynch asks Delaware to consult with Mr. and Mrs. Swope whose child, Woody, needs treatment for cancer. Before Delaware has the opportunity to visit Woody, he vanishes from the hospital and the parents turn up murdered. Delaware sorts through a maze of clues to find the child.^[9] Additionally, Kellerman highlights the issue of established medical treatments and new "cult cures" for children.^[8]

Over the Edge (1987)

In Over the Edge, Kellerman presents Delaware's back story as a researcher in the study "Project 160", that involved the treatment of gifted children. As the novel opens, Delaware receives a phone call from Jamey Cadmus, who had been involved in the research project. Jamey has been arrested and accused of being a serial killer who preys on young male prostitutes. Delaware is hired by Cadmus' attorney to investigate. In this novel, Kellerman examines preconceived notions about homosexuality; and he examines how others perceive Delaware because of his friendship with Milo Sturgis. In the course of the investigation, Delaware eliminates the obvious clues and discovers a greater evil than he imagined.^[10] Additionally, Kellerman investigates psychological problems resulting from childhood genius.^[8]

Silent Partner (1989)

In Silent Partner, Kellerman has Delaware involved in a romantic interlude with a former girlfriend. Delaware's lover apparently commits suicide, and he begins an investigation into her death. His lover's identity becomes the focus of the investigation, as Delaware peels away layer after layer to discover a maze of childhood abuse.^[8]

Time Bomb (1990)

Time Bomb highlights a school shooting at a Los Angeles elementary school; although the only fatality is the shooter herself, Holly Lynn Burden. Holly's father contacts Delaware and asks him to perform a psychological autopsy. During the course of the investigation Delaware encounters dysfunctional families and political extremism as he races to unravel the real villain as he pulls together all the threads.^[11]


More here.