Reddit reviews The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China

An astute and ruthless military leader, the problem is that he lacked the vision, charisma, and connection to the needs of the people necessary to be an effective statesman. Later in life, he became a much better leader in Taiwan, but a little too late at that point. I would suggest reading the book Jay Taylor did on Chiang Kai Shek which reexamines his life in light of new documents available, and dispels myths about him. I think he could have expelled Bolsheviks while allowing council communists a seat at the table, so to speak. The early KMT wasn't completely against socialism, after all.

For those who are actually interested in doing some reading, I suggest this book. It's written by veteran foreign service officer Jay Taylor who also wrote many other excellent books. After doing careful research he was able to provide a objective account for a complicated man in a complicated time.

I hope you're ready to do a lot of reading because every book I've bought on the subject has been at least a couple inches thick, save for the book on the rape of nanking which is about one specific event during WWII.

I'd recommend reading the [Soong Dynasty] (http://www.amazon.com/Soong-Dynasty-Sterling-Seagrave/dp/0060913185/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371141873&sr=8-1&keywords=soong+dynasty) I found it to be a good overview of china from the late 1800's to the end of WWII. I'd also recommend [Generalissimo] (http://www.amazon.com/Generalissimo-Chiang-Kai-shek-Struggle-Modern/dp/0674060490/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371141896&sr=1-1&keywords=generalissimo) as a good biography for Chiang Kai Shek, as well as telling the story from perspective of the nationalists. Wild swans is also a very good book.

Taiwan historically doesn't want an end the to One China policy either. In fact Ma Ying-jeou, the president from 2008 to 2016, was elected on the basis that he would never declare Taiwan independence. And that has been the policy of his party (the famous KMT) since Chiang Kai-Shek fled to Taiwan. The thing is that both Taiwan and China consider themselves to be the One China: the former want to get the mainland back from the communists and the latter want to get Taiwan back. For most people in both places, declaring two Chinas would be the worst possible outcome to this old conflict.

I just finished reading the biography of Chiang Kai-Shek and it's quite enlightening to read about his often conflictual relationship with the US. And his relationship with the US was never as tense as when they were trying to push him towards a two-China policy: it was always Chiang Kai-Shek's biggest red line.

So it is not a story about poor little Taiwan who wants to be independent but big bad China won't let it, like the US seem to want us to believe.