The Great One Jiang Jieshi (Volume 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 arena 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 "below the nine earths," searching for actions worth cursing; others praised him, elevating him "above the nine heavens," seeking deeds worth praising. 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," from minor activities like stock trading in exchanges to major conflicts like "internal pacification and external suppression"—there are conflicting accounts, with people holding opposing views as if they were at odds with water. 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 sea are not fierce. Reflecting on the present and the past, we attempt to give a "cool treatment" to the past events, wiping away the grease and dust painted 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 truth of the facts more accurately, "The son does not speak of the strange, the powerful, the chaotic, or the divine"; but it does not serve as a "record of daily events." 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-documented, with much of the information being revealed in mainland China for the first time. Moreover, in the style of historical record, it objectively describes the thoughts, mentality, actions, and ways of handling affairs of Jiang Jieshi, who was active in the Chinese political arena for nearly a century, experienced ups and downs, and ultimately ended up in Taiwan.