Interpersonal Relationships and Politics in Correspondence: Reading the Exchange Letters between Hu Hanmin Held in the Harvard-Yenching Library

Author: Chen Hongmin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: The author, by chance, was able to identify, punctuate, and transcribe over 2,600 pieces of the "Correspondence and Telegrams between Hu Hanmin" preserved in the Harvard-Yenching Library. He completed this tedious and arduous task in the United States over eight months, further advancing his Hu Hanmin research, which had been interrupted due to a lack of materials. This book explores eight aspects, including Hu Hanmin's relationships with Chiang Kai-shek and Zhang Xueliang, and the "New Kuomintang," presenting and discussing significant historical issues during the complex and enigmatic period from the September 18th Incident in 1931 to the Xi'an Incident in 1936. The material is detailed and reliable, the writing is meticulous, the conclusions are cautious and calm, and the book is full of challenges. Former Director of the Institute of History at National Taiwan University, Jiang Yongjing, remarked that this book "utilizes primary sources, employing microscopic and precise research and analysis methods to uncover what previous scholars had not discovered, bringing numerous innovations and elevating the study of 'Hu Studies' to a new academic realm."