Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the China He LostFollowing his acclaimed studies of the state of modern France and how Hong Kong has changed since the 1997 handover, Jonathan Fenby now turns his attention to one of the most interesting yet under-reported figures of twentieth-century history. Chiang Kai-shek was the man who lost China to the Communists. As leader of the nationalist movement, the Kuomintang, Chiang established himself as head of the government in Nanking in 1928. Yet although he laid claim to power throughout the 1930s and was the only Chinese figure of sufficient stature to attend a conference with Churchill and Roosevelt during the Second World War, his desire for unity was always thwarted by threats on two fronts. Between them, the Japanese and the Communists succeeded in undermining Chiang's power-plays, and after Hiroshima it was Mao Zedong who ended up victorious. Brilliantly re-creating pre-Communist China in all its colour, danger and complexity, Jonathan Fenby's magisterial survey of this brave but unfulfilled life is destined to become the definitive account in the English language. |
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Abend adviser ally American attack battle bombs Borodin British Burma called campaign Canton capital Chen Chieh-ju Chennault Chiang Kai-shek China Chinese Chungking commander Communists defenders diary Donald enemy Farmer Feng fighting flew forces foreign front Furaya Generalissimo Governor Green Gang Guangdong Guangxi H. H. Kung head headquarters Hong Kong Hunan Hurley Japan Japanese Jennie Jiangxi killed Kung Kuomintang leader Li Zongren Manchuria March Meiling military million Minister Moscow moved Nanking Nationalist northern officers opium organised party peasants Peiping planes police political province Red Army regime reported revolution river Roosevelt Russian sent Shaanxi Shanghai Sichuan soldiers Soviet Stilwell Stilwell's Sun Yat-sen T. V. Soong Tokyo told took train troops United victory Vinegar Joe Wang Jingwei warlord Washington Whampoa White wife wrote Wuhan Xi'an Yan'an Yangtze Young Marshal Yuan Yunnan Zhang Zhou Enlai Zongren