Chiang Kai-shek's Secret Past: The Memoir Of His Second Wife [Paperback]

Ch'en Chieh-ju (Author), George H Y Chan (Author), Margaret Eastman (Author), George Hy Chan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0813318254 | ISBN-13: 978-0813318257 | Publication Date: September 1, 1994

This engrossing memoir tells the fascinating story of one of China's great leaders during the Nationalist revolution of the 1920s and of the woman who paid a staggering price so that he could attain his ambition. The tale begins in 1919 when the thirty-two-year-old Chiang Kai-shek met the naïve thirteen-year-old whom he would call Ch'en Chieh-ju. He pursued her relentlessly for two years until she finally agreed to marry her brash and forceful suitor. Chieh-ju was at her husband's side constantly for the seven years of their marriage, which enabled her to chronicle with immediacy and vivid detail his single-minded pursuit of power in the Kuomintang (KMT).So explosive were her revelations that the KMT used threats and bribes to block U.S. publication plans in the 1960s. Now, her long-suppressed memoir finally reveals Chiang Kai-shek's human side, which has been shrouded in myth. Chiang Kai-shek emerges as a lustful, ill-tempered, quarrelsome, stubborn, and boundlessly ambitious man. In pursuit of his goals, he abandoned the young wife he seemingly loved to make a politically expedient alliance with Soong Mei-ling, now famed as Madame Chiang. Despite his betrayal, Chieh-ju's love for her husband is clearly evident. She paints here a stirring portrait of their personal life as well as of the infighting and intrigue that marked her husband's early political career. Above all, her story conveys a keen sense of the texture of upper-class life in the China of that period, a quality academic studies rarely capture.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In his own time, Chiang Kai-shek had already become larger than life, yet he had another side that most people still do not know. He left his first wife to marry Ch'en Chieh-ju when she was 15 and then left her to gain political and financial backing from the powerful Soong family by marrying Soong Mei-ling. Eastman (history, Univ. of Illinois), who edited this memoir by Chiang's second wife, points out in the introduction that its historical value is questionable; it includes long conversations that Ch'en had to dredge up from 40 years in the past. The manuscript, however, is valuable for the insight it gives into daily life for the upper class in China from 1919 to 1927. The personal views of figures such as Michael Borodin, Sun Yat-sen, and, most important, Chiang Kai-shek during the years of his rise to power also make the book valuable. Recommended for academic libraries.
- Dennis L. Noble, Lewistown P.L., Mont.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Ch'en Chieh-ju was the wife of Chiang Kai-shek from 1921 to 1927. Lloyd E. Eastman was professor of history and Asian studies at the University of Illinois. Ch'en Chieh-ju was the wife of Chiang Kai-shek from 1921 to 1927. Lloyd E. Eastman was professor of history and Asian studies at the University of Illinois. Ch'en Chieh-ju was the wife of Chiang Kai-shek from 1921 to 1927. Lloyd E. Eastman was professor of history and Asian studies at the University of Illinois. Ch'en Chieh-ju was the wife of Chiang Kai-shek from 1921 to 1927. Lloyd E. Eastman was professor of history and Asian studies at the University of Illinois.

Product Details

• Paperback: 306 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813318254
• ISBN-13: 978-0813318257
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,502,494 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but dissappointing premature end., March 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Chiang Kai-shek's Secret Past: The Memoir Of His Second Wife (Paperback)

This book had much to offer, but unfortunately, it ends when Ms Chen is sent to the United States. It completely ignores the rest of the Chiang Kai Shek 'rule' as president of the Republic of China. Chen Chieh Ju does give a clear insight into the personality of Chiang Kai Shek(prone to outbursts of violent temper, power hungry, ruthless, et c.) but seems to show a very soft heart for him. The Soong Sisters, however are another matter and are shown to be scheming and very power hungry(nothing not already known). I would recommend reading "The Soong Dynasty" either prior of subsequent to this work. Lots of questions are left unanswered. Was there more to the manuscript which has been lost or withheld from publication?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Chiang Kai-Shek's Secret Past, June 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Chiang Kai-shek's Secret Past: The Memoir Of His Second Wife (Paperback)

The book started slow but I really enjoyed it once I was further into it. His personality, both strengths and weaknesses, clearly came through. He rose to great power through single minded determination and ambition.

Even though her marriage ended in 1927 it would have been interesting to have a chapter at the end giving an overview of his life from 1927 until his death.