China: 100 Years of Revolution

by Harrison E. Salisbury, J.C. Suares (designer)

A panoramic history of revolution in China documents the exploitation of the Chinese by both the West & Chinese warlords, dramatic changes in politics & policy, diverse factions & political leaders.
China's Sorrow
The Heavenly Kingdom
At Last, Revolution
The Students Rise
Moscow Takes a Hand
Borodin
Chiang Kai-shek Emerges
The Long March
The Yenan Way
The Red Star Rises
Revolution Victorious
The Luan of Chairman Mao
The Fall of Lin Piao
The Gang of Four
Index

Genres: History, China

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Harrison E. Salisbury (November 14, 1908 - July 5, 1993) was a long time reporter and editor at The New York Times.

Earlier in his career he had worked for the United Press, which he joined after earning a B.A. at the University of Minnesota in 1930. He began his career in journalism as a part-time reporter for the Minneapolis Journal during 1928-29.

Although he served in many different positions and places during his long career at the Times, Mr. Salisbury is perhaps most famous for his work as Moscow correspondent, covering the U.S.S.R. during the early years of the Cold War. After serving as the Times' Moscow Bureau Chief from 1949 to 1954, he returned to the U.S. and wrote a series of articles for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1955.

He spent a great deal of time concentrating on Asia during his later years at the Times, covering the Vietnam War as well as many different issues and events having to do with China.

Reviews

[Erik Graff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This coffee table book was quite a surprise. I bought it for the pictures at the May Day sale of the Illinois Labor Arts Council. They are many, often quite large and usually quite interesting. I didn't expect much from the text. There, I was wrong. Harrison Salisbury is, for an American, very sympathetic to the Chinese, their (last) revolution and its (mostly) Communist leadership, particularly Chou En Lai. As he tells the story, the primary enemies of Peoples China were Chiang Kai-shek and Joseph Stalin. Stalin was interested in a weak neighbor and expected Mao to become another Tito, too independent to control. Consequently, important elements of the Chinese Communist Party, including Chou and probably Mao himself, wanted an alliance with the United States and the West. That eventuality was scotched by Truman and a conservative congress. The wars in Korea and Southeast Asia need never have happened but for the American Right and an irresolute president unversed in foreign affairs.

In addition to the historical treatment of China in the period from the late nineteenth century throught the death of Mao, there is also quite a bit of personal information about the Chinese leadership and the families. Treatment of the Long March and Yunan hideout is particularly colorful.