A remarkable story, told with humanity and intelligence all historians of the second world war will be in Mitter s debt. 'Restor a vital part of the wartime narrative to its rightful place. It is a model of clarity and good writing.' Antony Beevor, Times (UK) is a major contribution to the one aspect of the Second World War of which we know far too little, and should know much more if we are to understand the new superpower today. 'Rana Mitter's history of the Sino-Japanese War. General readers curious to learn more about Chinese history should welcome any new book by Mitter.' Daily Beast in placing China's wartime experience in a robustly international framework. Closely examin Beijing's role in the Allied war effort, the heavy and often thankless price paid by the Chinese in their fight against Japan, and the impact of China's wartime traumas on the country's postwar development.

'Rana Mitter s brilliant new book, Forgotten Ally: China s War with Japan, 1937-1945, makes an important and moving contribution to the historical record by illuminating the largely forgotten war that took the lives of millions of Chinese, yet ultimately facilitated the rise of modern China.' - Dr.

'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title. 'In the manner of David McCullough, creates a complex history that is urgently alive.' - Kirkus Reviews More than any other twentieth-century event, World War II was crucial in shaping China's worldview, making Forgotten Ally both a definitive work of history and an indispensable guide to today's China and its relationship with the West. Mitter also recounts the sacrifice and resilience of everyday Chinese people through the horrors of bombings, famines, and the infamous Rape of Nanking. Based on groundbreaking research, this gripping narrative focuses on a handful of unforgettable characters, including Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Zedong, and Chiang's American chief of staff, 'Vinegar Joe' Stilwell. Prizewinning historian Rana Mitter unfurls China's drama of invasion, resistance, slaughter, and political intrigue as never before. Joining with the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain, China became the fourth great ally in a devastating struggle for its very survival. In 1937, two years before Hitler invaded Poland, Chinese troops clashed with Japanese occupiers in the first battle of World War II. 'A book that has long cried out to be written.' - Observer (UK), Books of the Year

Forgotten Ally by Rana Mitter