Victorious in Defeat, Alexander V. Pantsov
Victorious in Defeat, Alexander V. Pantsov
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Victorious in Defeat
The Life and Times of Chiang Kai-shek, China, 1887-1975

Author: Alexander V. Pantsov, Steven I. Levine

Narrator: Rick Adamson

Unabridged: 25 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 08/01/2023


Synopsis

An extensively researched, comprehensive biography of Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek, one of the twentieth century's most powerful and controversial figures

Chiang Kai-shek (1887–1975) led the Republic of China for almost fifty years, starting in 1926. He was the architect of a new, republican China, a hero of the Second World War, and a faithful ally of the United States. Simultaneously a Christian and a Confucian, Chiang dreamed of universal equality yet was a perfidious and cunning dictator responsible for the deaths of over 1.5 million innocent people.

This critical biography is based on Chiang Kai-shek's unpublished diaries, his extensive personal files from the Russian archives, and the Russian files of his relatives, associates, and foes. Alexander V. Pantsov sheds new light on the role played by the Russians in Chiang's rise to power in the 1920s and throughout his political career—and indeed the Russian influence on the Chinese revolutionary movement as a whole—as well as on Chiang's complex relationship with top officials of the United States. It is a detailed portrait of a man who ranks with Stalin, Roosevelt, Hitler, Churchill, and Gandhi as leaders who shaped our world.

About Alexander V. Pantsov

Alexander V. Pantsov is a professor of history and holds the Edward and Mary Catharine Gerhold Chair in the Humanities at Capital University. He lives in Westerville, Ohio.


Reviews

Another Dictator If I die as a dictator, I will go down in history like all dictators… Thus Mr. Chiang documented in his journal, and so history recalls him. We perceive China as a dominant power today, yet this was far from the truth in the early 20th century. Chiang, in his attempt to protect a fr......more

Goodreads review by Carlos

轉型正義在台灣一直緩緩的執行中,其中一項就是移除全島上的蔣介石雕像,這個遍佈在學校、營區等地方的威權殘餘,是很多人的眼中釘,肉中刺。但不管那些反對他的人如何厭惡,都無法改變的一個事實是,蔣介石對歷史的影響,左右了多少人的命運。也因此,關於這位獨裁者的研究著作、傳記等也是多如過江之鯽。個人幾年前讀過陶涵的作品,具體內容忘的差不多了,印象中這位作者對蔣的評價是比較「寬容」的。聯經出的這本《蔣介石》傳記,作者是俄國人潘佐夫,他之前也寫了毛澤東跟鄧小平,標榜的特色就是用了很多蘇聯過去的檔案資料,而就是這點吸引我買來拜讀。 不過,坦白說,看完之後覺得這個賣點也還好。蘇方觀點除了一些人物評論的歧異,還有給的......more

Goodreads review by David

Victorious in Defeat starts off very strong. It correctly introduces the troubled historiography of Chiang and commits itself to finding a balance between the old negative judgments of his character, and the more recent lionization of him in the 2000s. The first 266 pages are about Chiang's youth to......more

Goodreads review by Javier

I felt at some points it was too sympathetic towards Chiang and very biased against the communist or "anti-Chiang" characters. Despite this, enjoyable to read. I feel the part after he goes to Taiwan is weaker. If Goodreads allowed scores over 10 it would be a 7 (or 3.5 stars).......more

Goodreads review by Fanchen

2023-08-08 He has so many names! 2023-08-11 Despite all the meditation, self-disciplinary writings, and a "firm as a rock" name chosen by himself, Chiang Kai-shek in the 1910s-1920s was anything BUT firm as a rock. Hysterical, unable to work with others who held higher ranks than him, thinking of himse......more