Twenty-first century China is emerging from decades of war and revolution into a new era. Yet the past still haunts the present. The ideals of the Chinese Republic, which was founded almost a century ago after 2000 years of imperial rule, still resonate as modern China edges towards openness and democracy. Diana Lary traces the history of the Republic from its beginnings in 1912, through the Nanjing decade, the warlord era, and the civil war with the Peoples' Liberation Army which ended in defeat in 1949. Thereafter, in an unusual excursion from traditional histories of the period, she considers how the Republic survived on in Taiwan, comparing its ongoing prosperity with the economic and social decline of the Communist mainland in the Mao years. This introductory textbook for students and general readers is enhanced with biographies of key protagonists, Chinese proverbs, love stories, poetry and a feast of illustrations.

‘With Professor Lary's well-written text, Republican China has finally been given the treatment it deserves. She examines this historically rich and colorful period for its intrinsic value - and not just as an interregnum between the Qing dynasty and the founding of the People's Republic of China. The portraits of key personalities like Mme. Chiang Kaishek or General Li Zongren are keenly drawn and punctuate a fast-moving narrative of basic events and military history. As a result, Lary succeeds in bringing back to life for the student and specialist alike a balanced view of this complex era that does not overemphasize the rise of the Communists and collapse of the Guomindang.’

Stephen R. Mackinnon - Arizona State University

'… an accessible, compelling narrative that brings the military aspects of a century of bloodshed back to the forefront, in contrast to a long-standing emphasis on cultural confrontation and ideological change during the period.'

Source: Journal of China Quarterly