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Madame Sun Yat-Sen: Soong Ching-Ling
The history of modern China and the life of Mme. Sun Yat-sen (Soong Ching-ling) are closely aligned. Her husband, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, was the revered founder of the first Chinese Republic. At his side, and alone, after his death in 1925, she worked to bring order to the chaos of postImperial China, a task made all the more complex by her sister's marriage to Kuomintang General Chiang Kai-shek. Her story, which has often been told (mostly recently in The Soong Dynasty, is without question fascinating. But because the history of China in the 20th century is so vast and sprawling, this dry and sometimes fawning account of her life (written from secondary sources and running scarcely over 100 pages) has a tough time even setting the stage for her accomplishments. Though meant only as an introduction (the latest in the Lives of Modern Women series), this brief biography owes readers more than it delivers.
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 1986
About the author
Jung Chang
10 books1,629 followersJung Chang (Chinese: 張戎) is a Chinese-British writer now living in London, best known for her family autobiography Wild Swans, selling over 10 million copies worldwide but banned in the People's Republic of China.
Her 832-page biography of Mao Zedong, Mao: The Unknown Story, written with her husband, the Irish historian Jon Halliday, was published in June 2005.
Her 832-page biography of Mao Zedong, Mao: The Unknown Story, written with her husband, the Irish historian Jon Halliday, was published in June 2005.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 23, 2024
Overall, Chang's writing, as always, is sharp, fluid, and digestible, but the constant reference to Edgar Snow was a little unnerving, given his later work. Enough about how incredibly emotional and timid and beautiful Soong Ching-Ling is, I want to know about this woman's war crimes.
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