As a young reporter, he gave first-hand accounts of India's independence from Great Britain, and the creation of Pakistan. He interviewed Gandhi weeks before the pacifist leader was assassinated.
While living and working in south Asia, he often took public transportation to get a more realistic sense of the local cultures. He spoke Urdu and Hindustani.
He received the Padma Shri award from the government of India in 2002, in recognition of his work in US-India relations.
During WWII, he worked in military intelligence in China, Burma, and India.
He received degrees in journalism and political science at the University of Illinois.