[mojito]

Good review of what sounds to be an interesting new biography of Chiang Kai-shek that largely rehabilitates his reputation as a statesman and strategist.

[Sudetenland]

Despised by commie Liberals, he means. Most Americans revered him during his war with Mao.

[kenavi]

His diplomatic corps were capable Chinese patriots who manned embassies with little in resources.

[RJL]

This is an important, controversial book.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...

This tells me all I need to know, it's a liberal revision of history.

[iowamark]

Author reveals her bias:

The book does gloss over a few things -- Chiang's tolerance of corruption and his role, in concert with his wife, in the infamous China Lobby, which helped jumpstart the notorious McCarthy witch hunts.

[Cicero]

I thought that Chang Kai-Shek was a pretty good guy, a real patriot. Unfortunately, he was undermined by FDR and his good pal Uncle Joe Stalin, and then by Harry Truman, with Marshall acting as point man.

So, basically, the Commies who infested our government at that time threw China to Mao—and condemned unnumbered millions of Chinese to suffering and death, as well as destroying an ancient Chinese culture that had survived the Mongols and numerous other invaders over the centuries.

Whether China will ever recover from that disastrous betrayal remains a question. But it sure as hell wasn’t Chiang Kai-Shek’s fault.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

The book does gloss over a few things -- Chiang's tolerance of corruption . . . [Maoists and their Western supporters denounced Chiang as] a "bandit" and a "running dog of the American imperialists."

Hmmm, corruption, bandits, and too much American [foreign] influence.. throw in horrendous human suffering from pollution, massive unemployment -- that's growing and growing, little or no social "safety net" (no more an iron rice bowl).. and what do you get?

Today's Red China. Ripe for revolution. Where's Mao when you really need him?

[arthurus]

Chiang’s new respectability in China mandates a respectful biography from an American leftist.

[Clemenza]

For a TRULY great Chinese leader (albeit in the diaspora), may I suggest you look up Lee Kwan Yew sometime. Far superior to anyone associated with the KMTG.

[aculeus]

The left destroyed his reputation.

[hobbitslikepotatoes]

This book is too fond of Chiang Kai-Shek. In my opinion, Chiang was mostly another terrible dictator in China's history , though much less terrible than his rival Mao. But the fact is both the course of Chiang and Mao's rising to power were manipulated by Soviet Union. Chiang once was just a warlord in south China, with and only with the providings of equipments and fundings from communist, he launched a war and successfully overthrowed the half-democratic government in that time and became the sovereign of China. Somehow later on, Soviet Union decided to abandon Chiang and raise another pet instead, which was the Chinese Communist Party.

Though Chiang made him an allie to US in WWII, but I don't think US like him very much. Because when he was on the edge of defeat in war against Mao, Truman's government refused to give him a hand, they just stood by an watched whole China turned red. Not like the similiar situation in Korean about 3 years later.