Forgotten Ally : China's World War II, 1937-1945

University Lecturer in History and Politics of Modern China Rana Mitter
Houghton Mifflin
 9780544334502
0-544-33450-7

An Economist Book of the YearA Financial Times Book of the YearA book that has long cried out to be written. Observer (UK), Books of the YearIn 1937, two years before Hitler invaded Poland, Chinese troops.

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clashed with Japanese occupiers in the first battle of World War II. Joining with the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain, China became the fourth great ally in a devastating struggle for its very survival. Prizewinning historian Rana Mitter unfurls Chinas drama of invasion, resistance, slaughter, and political intrigue as never before. Based on groundbreaking research, this gripping narrative focuses on a handful of unforgettable characters, including Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Zedong, and Chiangs American chief of staff, Vinegar Joe Stilwell. Mitter also recounts the sacrifice and resilience of everyday Chinese people through the horrors of bombings, famines, and the infamous Rape of Nanking. More than any other twentieth-century event, World War II was crucial in shaping Chinas worldview, making Forgotten Ally both a definitive work of history and an indispensable guide to todays China and its relationship with the West.In the manner of David McCullough, [Mitter] creates a complex history that is urgently alive. Kirkus Reviews