Chasing Chi
The FBI’s Groundbreaking Pursuit of China’s Most Prolific Spy Family
by James E. Gaylord
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Pub Date 2 Dec 2025 | Archive Date 31 Oct 2025
Globe Pequot | Prometheus Books
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Description
Espionage, betrayal, and the FBI’s historic victory—this is the true story of the hunt for Chi Mak and his spy ring.
It began as furtive tip, grew to fevered investigation, and climaxed with midnight airport arrests to prevent US military secrets from being lost forever, and it all centered around a diminutive, bespectacled engineer from Kwang-Tung, China.
Who was Chi Mak? A brilliant immigrant engineer, eager to live in the West and enjoy the fruits of his labor? Or Mao’s Marxist soldier, itching to steal US Navy secrets to leapfrog China’s navy to parity with, and eventual supremacy over, America’s Seventh Fleet?
Chasing Chi is a compelling read and first-person account of the trailblazing investigation and prosecution of Chi Mak and his family and friends. For decades, they stole sensitive US military and commercial technologies for the Peoples’ Republic of China. FBI Special Agent James Gaylord, who directed the investigation, recounts this mesmerizing tale by drawing upon his eyewitness experiences and notes, case evidence, investigative files, and court records to weave a fascinating spy thriller detailing Chi Mak’s betrayal. This incredible true-life story highlights behind-the-curtain intrigues, obstacles, betrayals, and hard-won victories, while pointing out the heroes and villains along the way.
Overcoming bureaucratic friction, cowardice, and sabotage jeopardizing their efforts at every turn, Special Agent Gaylord and his squad, call sign “SARA-4,” persevered, breaking the FBI’s historic string of failures, producing the most successful prosecution of China’s spies ever, and re-writing the manual for convicting foreign agents. At a time of great calamity across our globe, Chasing Chi is crucial reading.
Advance Praise
“China is the United States number one threat economically and militarily. Chi Mak was a Chinese spy who penetrated America's Defense Industry and helped build China’s “blue water” Navy. James Gaylord was the FBI’s “Case Agent” for the espionage investigation to uncover Chi Mak and his entire spy ring. He has written Chasing Chi, a book about the investigation and prosecution of Mak. It is compelling, honest and lays bare all the frustrations, nuances, setbacks, failures, and victories of the investigation. It is a rare, detailed and unique look into the world of espionage and counterintelligence . . . the story reads like a LeCarre novel with one important distinction: it is all real.”
~David Szady, FBI Assistant Director, Counterintelligence (retired), VP, Allied Universal
“When Chinese American spies infiltrated U.S. military and space programs, they handed Beijing priceless advantages—until one relentless FBI agent and his team turned the tide. In a race against time, they tracked, outmaneuvered, and dismantled an espionage network that compromised national security at the highest levels. With unprecedented access and gripping detail, this book takes you inside one of the most successful counter espionage operations in American history.”
~H. Keith Melton, best-selling author and historian, and founding board member of the International Spy Museum
“The public rarely gets to learn the details of counterintelligence investigations that keep America safe from its enemies. Chasing Chi offers a rare and unique look into one of the most complex and consequential spy cases of our times. Gaylord’s riveting account could only have been produced by an author who has both lived the story and knows how to tell it compellingly. This book is a gift to those interested in national security, Chinese espionage, and geopolitics.”
~Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, Author of the New York Times bestseller, The Spy Who Couldn't Spell
Marketing Plan
Social Media/Website
The author has a website dedicated to promoting the book.
https://www.chasingchibook.com/
Previous Coverage
The case has been covered by many different media outlets:
The New Yorker:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/670c09e2ca516b76f77f6fe6/t/6801b3fe0478683dfa9375a0/1744942092093/The+New+Yorker+_+May+05%2C+2014.pdf
https://archive.is/N0LPZ
The New York Times Magazine:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/670c09e2ca516b76f77f6fe6/t/6801b553edd7ac76735fbca5/1744942423847/The+Daring+Ruse+That+Exposed+China%E2%80%99s+Campaign+to+Steal+American+Secrets+-+The+New+York+Times.pdf
The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/11/espionage-arrest-of-nuclear-engineer-fuels-us-suspicions-of-chinese-tactics
NBC News:
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23781459
The author has been interviewed for various speaking opportunities:
Office of the Director of National Security (YouTube):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_83_fVgdTkA
US Embassy Vienna (YouTube):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNwejmM9j9Y
Spycraft 101interviewed the author about the case previously and will re-broadcast the episode one month ahead of the publication date.
https://spycraft101.com/podcast-episode-12-life-in-fbi-counterintelligence-with-james-gaylord/
Events
The author has a personal connection at the International Spy Museum (Washington, D.C.) and will host a launch party, tentatively set for January 2026.
The author is also targeting the Retired FBI Agent Associations in Orange County, Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, San Diego, and San Francisco.
The author is also interested in setting up signings at Barnes and Noble bookstores in Fullerton, Orange, Santa Ana, etc.
Planned Outreach
National Security & Intelligence Media
The Grapevine (Publication of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI)
The Cipher Brief
Just Security
Lawfare
Intelligence and National Security
The Diplomat
Foreign Policy
The Lawfare Podcast
Worldly
Defense One
The National Interest
The Diplomat
Spycraft 101
SpyCast
SpyTalk
National Media
The Washington Post
The New York Times
NPR
Axios
ProPublica
The Atlantic
The Wall Street Journal
Reuters
Associated Press
China-Focused & Asia-Pacific Publications
ChinaFile
SupChina
The China Project
The Jamestown Foundation
South China Morning Post
China Digital Times
Asia Times
The China Quarterly
Trade Publications
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly
Library Journal
Booklist (ALA)
Shelf Awareness
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781493091966 |
| PRICE | US$39.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 392 |
