The Rise and Fall of Chiang Kai-shek (Volumes 1 and 2)

Author: Li Li, Xia Chao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: Jiang Jieshi, "a formidable figure of his generation," dominated the Chinese political scene for nearly half a century, sowing seeds of both good and ill, which both contemporaries and later generations have experienced. Some cursed him, placing him in the "Nine Hells," searching for actions worthy of condemnation; others praised him, elevating him to the "Nine Heavens," seeking deeds worthy of commendation. Even for the same event—such as the assassination of Tao Chengzhang, the expulsion of Xu Chongzhi, the "Zhongshan Incident," the "April 12th Political Turmoil," or smaller matters like stock trading in the exchange to larger ones like the "internal pacification and external containment"—there are conflicting accounts, with people holding diametrically opposed views. The only criterion for testing truth is practice, not anything else. Now, from the city of stone, looking across the Yangtze River to the south and north, the dust has settled; "Last night the west wind withered the green trees," Jiang Jieshi's remains are cold; "The swallows return," the winds in the southeastern waters are not fierce. Reflecting on the present and recalling the past, we attempt to give a "cool treatment" to the past events, wiping away the grease and dust smudged on the face of this person. This book is a critical biography of Jiang Jieshi. Since it is a "biography," it strives to reflect the facts more accurately—"The Son of Heaven does not speak of the strange, the powerful, the chaotic, or the divine"; but it does not write a "daily chronicle." With a smooth and flowing pen, this book truthfully and vividly records Jiang Jieshi's life from his birth in Xikou, Zhejiang, to his death in Taiwan. The book is well-researched, with many materials being revealed in mainland China for the first time. Written in the style of historical documentation, it objectively describes the thoughts, mentality, actions, and ways of dealing of Jiang Jieshi, who was active in Chinese politics for nearly a century, experienced ups and downs, and ultimately ended up in Taiwan.