Sterling Seagrave

Sterling Seagrave (April 15, 1937 – May 1, 2017) was an American historian. He was the author of The Soong Dynasty, The Marcos Dynasty, Gold Warriors and numerous other books which address unofficial and clandestine aspects of the 20th-century political history of countries in the Far East.

Early life

Born in Columbus, Ohio on April 15, 1937, Seagrave grew up on the China-Burma border, the fifth generation of an American family living in the Orient for nearly two centuries (his father was Dr. Gordon Seagrave, author of Burma Surgeon^[1]). He and his family moved to Corpus Christi, Texas and he attended W. B. Ray Highschool from 1953 to 1955.

Career

As an investigative journalist in Asia, Seagrave contributed to many major newspapers and magazines. His books include The Yamato Dynasty: The Secret History of Japan's Imperial Family, Opération Lys d'or (Operation Golden Lily in English), Yellow Rain: A Journey Through the Terror of Chemical Warfare, and Dragon Lady.

Dragon Lady challenges the notion that the Empress Dowager Cixi used the Boxers in the Boxer Rebellion. Kang Youwei is said to be the source of false stories which stained her reputation. Cixi is portrayed sympathetically, and since Seagrave is sometimes criticized for sensationalism, this debunking of myths about the Empress lends credence to the account.

In its review of Gold Warriors: America's Secret Recovery of Yamashita's Gold, which dealt with allegations that post World War II the CIA had misappropriated billions of dollars of Japanese war loot,^[2] BBC History Magazine noted that whilst "numerous gaps remain.... this is an important story, with far-reaching implications, that deserves to receive further attention".^[3]

Personal life

Seagrave's collaborator and wife of 35 years was Peggy Sawyer Seagrave, who died about a year before her husband.^[4]

Death

Seagrave died on May 1, 2017 in France, where he had been living for more than 30 years with his wife. Seagrave's death was not announced publicly until July 31, 2017.^[4]

Bibliography

• Soong Dynasty, Sidg. & J, 1985, ISBN 978-0-283-99238-4
• The Marcos Dynasty, Harper Collins, 1988, ISBN 978-0-06-015815-6
• Dragon Lady: The Life and Legend of the Last Empress of China, Vintage Books, New York, 1992 ISBN 0-679-73369-8.
• Lords of the Rim, Putnam publishing, 1995, ISBN 978-0-552-14052-2
• The Yamato Dynasty: The Secret History of Japan's Imperial Family, Broadway Books, 2000, ISBN 978-0-7679-0496-4
• Gold Warriors: America's Secret Recovery of Yamashita's Gold, co-written with Peggy Seagrave, Verso, 2003 ISBN 978-1-85984-542-4.

References