This book is designed to provide both general readers and specialists with a concise, single-authored review and analysis of the military history of China from 1644 to the present. It emphasizes the critical role of war and the military in China's modern history.
Peter Worthing is Associate Professor of History at Texas Christian University. He has a PhD in modern Chinese History from the University of Hawaii. He is the author of Occupation and Revolution: China and the Vietnamese August Revolution of 1945 (2001) and several articles on Chinese military history in journals such as The Journal of Military History, Modern China, and The Journal of American-East Asian Relations.
Armed struggle has played an important role throughout the history
of China. The majority of China's imperial dynasties rose and fell
due to success or defeat upon the battlefield. The 20th century saw
the conflict between Nationalist and Communist forces that resulted
in today's divided China: the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and
Taiwan. It also witnessed China's intervention in the Korean War
and border clashes with its neighbors India, the Soviet Union, and
Vietnam. Worthing offers a basic introduction to the military
history of China from the Shang Dynasty (c. 1750-1050 BCE) to the
present, intended for both specialists and casual readers. The
text's 14 chapters are organized along thematic and chronological
lines, e.g., Warlords and the Northern Expedition, 1916-1927, The
Chinese Civil War, 1945-1949, and The Chinese Military since 1980.
Worthing focuses on recurring issues, such as the military as the
arbiter of internal and external security, significant military
campaigns, and the ongoing effort to acquire weapon systems that
would allow the PRC to compete militarily with the major Western
powers, notably the US. Highly recommended. Upper-division
undergraduate and graduate collections.
*Choice*
Peter Worthing's book is a welcome addition to the literature on
modern China. In cogent, brisk chapters, he takes on a huge
subject, and covers it with great thoroughness. His book will give
the Chinese military its proper place in modern Chinese history,
and in international military history, as part of the Praeger
series on military history. Worthing's book will also provide, for
the many non-academics who need to know about the Chinese military,
an excellent introduction to the contemporary Chinese military and
its origins.
*War in History*
[T]he book is a succint and highly readable account of the history
of wars and military institutions in China from the late imperial
period to the present day. The extent of its coverage distinguishes
itself from other similar surveys. . . . [C]ollege teachers should
find it very useful.
*The Historian*
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