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The Struggle for Taiwan: A History of America, China, and the Island Caught Between Hardcover – May 14, 2024

by Sulmaan Wasif Khan (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 71 ratings
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A concise, definitive history of the precarious relationship among the US, China, and Taiwan

Named a Best Book of 2024 by the New Statesman * BBC History Magazine 

As tensions over Taiwan escalate, the United States and China stand on the brink of a catastrophic war. Resolving the impasse demands we understand how it began. In 1943, the Allies declared that Japanese-held Taiwan would return to China at the conclusion of World War II. The Chinese civil war led to a change of plans. The Communist Party came to power in China and the defeated Nationalist leader, Chiang Kai-shek, fled to Taiwan, where he was afforded US protection. The specter of conflict has loomed ever since. 

In The Struggle for Taiwan, Sulmaan Wasif Khan offers the first comprehensive history of the triangular relationship between the United States, China, and Taiwan, exploring America’s ambivalent commitment to Taiwan’s defense, China’s bitterness about the separation, and Taiwan’s impressive transformation into a flourishing democracy. War is not inevitable, Khan shows, but to avoid it, decision-makers must heed the lessons of the past. 

From the White Terror to the Taiwan Straits Crises, from the normalization of Sino-American relations to Trump-era rising tensions, The Struggle for Taiwan charts the paths to our present predicament to show what futures might be possible.  
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  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Basic Books
  4. Publication date
    May 14, 2024
  5. Dimensions
    6.4 x 1.13 x 9.7 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1541605047
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1541605046
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From the Publisher

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A rich and thoughtful book.” ―New Yorker

“A deeply researched and fascinating history.”―Guardian

“Thought-provoking…Perhaps the most powerful lesson of Khan’s book concerns agency. Repeatedly, Khan reminds readers that the path to the present was not inevitable but was rather the product of choices made by leaders in Beijing, Taipei, and Washington. That history should serve as both a cautionary tale and motivation for leaders in all three capitals.”―Foreign Affairs

“A rigorously researched and gripping account… beautifully written.”―Financial Times

“A brilliant example of the use of international history to illuminate a contemporary challenge that we are likely to be hearing a lot more about in 2025.”―New Statesman

“A fascinating, concise history of Taiwan and its relation to the great powers of China and the US.”―New Statesman

“Well written and forcefully argued.”―Washington Free Beacon

“A thorough history of the China-Taiwan conflict and the United States’ role in it… Highly recommended.”―Library Journal (starred review)

“Khan recounts Taiwan’s story in a way that shows the importance of understanding the context of the conflict.”―Kirkus

In its depth of research, command of the field, and assured, fast-moving pace, The Struggle for Taiwan is an extraordinary book.”―Paul Kennedy, author of The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers

“At a moment of extreme tension between the US and its largest global competitor, Sulmaan Wasif Khan has once again produced a brilliant book about China. His superb descriptions of the fraught history of Taiwan capture the essential dilemma over its future, and his exquisite prose—worthy of a novelist—is a joy to read. If you want a single volume that crystalizes the tensions between the US, China, and Taiwan, here it is!”―Admiral James Stavridis, 16th supreme allied commander of NATO

“There can be few more urgent geopolitical issues than the fate of Taiwan, yet western readers still know far too little about how this Asian island became so contentious. There could be no better guide to the Taiwan question than Khan, who brings deep historical and political knowledge to a highly readable account of why Taiwan has become such a flashpoint—and what may happen next.”―Rana Mitter, author of China’s Good War

“Covering eight decades of Taiwan-US-China relations, the book meticulously details how Taiwan has navigated between Washington’s lack of strategic vision and Beijing’s rigid Taiwan policy. What emerges is that Taiwan’s trajectory is shaped not only by leaders in Taipei, Washington, and Beijing but increasingly by the democratic choices of the Taiwanese people. This beautifully written analysis is highly recommended for those who want to learn from history to understand the future.”―Syaru Shirley Lin, University of Virginia

About the Author

Sulmaan Wasif Khan is the Denison Chair in History and International Relations at the Fletcher School, Tufts University. He is the author of Haunted by Chaos and Muslim, Trader, Nomad, Spy. His writing has appeared in the Economist, Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Policy.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 14, 2024
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1541605047
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1541605046
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 1.13 x 9.7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 71 ratings

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Sulmaan Wasif Khan

Sulmaan Wasif Khan

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Sulmaan Wasif Khan is the Denison Chair in History and International Relations at the Fletcher School, Tufts University. He is the author of HAUNTED BY CHAOS and MUSLIM, TRADER, NOMAD, SPY. His writing has appeared in the Economist, Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Policy.

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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • RPP
    4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant but uneven
    Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Khan’s book is a valuable addition to the literature on US-Taiwan-China relations. It illuminates especially well China’s missed opportunities and miscalculations in dealing with Taiwan. The book’s major flaw is failing to address Chiang Ching-kuo’s vital role in setting the stage for Taiwan’s evolution from authoritarianism to full-fledged democracy.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Gabriel
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of Taiwan and China
    Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Well researched and good overview of this subject. Pretty good read if you're interested in this subject but probably boring otherwise.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • geminif4ucorsair
    3.0 out of 5 stars Broad, brushstroke view of the background and current conflict by China over Taiwan
    Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2025
    Format: Hardcover
    The author puts some old history and matches it with recent events - since Oct. 1950 creation of the People's Republic of China - looking at both the historical and some potential outcomes of the current verbal war between Beijing and Taipei.

    The books chapters begin mostly with late-World War II and how Taiwan became the refuge for Chiang Kai-she and his KMT remnant army, on Taiwan. The book is a chronological history that developed into today's perceptions from both Beijing and Taipei's perspectives. The five chapters of the book are as follows:
    * 1 - The Making of th Taiwan Problem, 1943 to 1953
    * 2 - Choosing Between Two Tyrannies: 1953 to 1971 [p. 69]
    * 3 - Toward Another Crisis: 1971 to 1996
    * 4 - The Hardening Line: 1996 to 2020 [p. 165]
    * 5 - After Covid
    This is followed by an Epilogue [p. 247], Suggestions for Further Reading, Aknowledgements, Notes [p. 271] and Index.

    Early in this 'history' the author notes: "To the outside world, the island was a way station along the maritime corridors connecting East and Southeast Asia, a place where pirates, fishermen, and traders would stop before sailing on." [p. 14] The Qing rulers had little concern for this island, except for its disruptive nature on East China trade by the pirates or its on time shelter for a rebellion leader. Jumping to the end of World War II, the author traces some key points of the outbreak of the CCP-KMT civil war, and notes the "228 Incident", as it is known on the island.

    The "228 Incident" was the 1947 outbreak of opposition among Taiwanese over KMT corruptions, mismanagement, and dominance on the island, after Chiang (CKS) fled to the island. Following CKS troops massacre of locals and the establishment of martial law on the island, "anti-government" remained on the island for decades among the Taiwanese (essentially those who were raised under Japanese occupation after 1895). Up the the late-Sixties, there remained a distant schism between the "Taiwanese" and the "mainlanders" - those dependents of CKS's forces who retreated to Taiwan in the mid-Forties.

    Getting thru the pages until China's Premier Xi Jinping's decision to add, by force if necessary, Taiwan to the "outer territories (Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong), is decent historical review by the author. The author in the "After Covid" chapter focuses on the Pelosi visit and its impact, which this reviewer feels is a little overblown in importance in the book. This was just one of many "incidences" along the way since Xi Jinping's assumption of the premiership, in that it did not change the basic policy foundations that Premier Xi had established.

    The books read is easy, easily consumed in a couple nights reading. It is, in my view, too much like reading a master's thesis [the Notes, while good, remind this reviewer of notes from a master's thesis and does not include original Chinese-language sources]. While comprehensive in historical events, the book does not break new ground or perspectives on the issues now facing Beijing, Taipei, or Washington, DC in dealing with today's realities.

    The Notes, while good, remind this reviewer of notes from a master's thesis
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Gabriel Stein
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent and informative. Well written and an easy read on a complicated and crucial topic. Above all, the author shows that there was nothing pre-determined all the many decisions that led to the current situation; nor is Taiwan future pre-determined.
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  • Brian Lait
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I visited Taiwan a number of times when based in Hong Kong many years ago, and experienced a little of the resentment that exists internally between those "originals" and the "new arrivals" ("x" is not Taiwanese, his family is from the mainland, etc.).

    What Mr. Khan has written is a very exhaustive and informative history of the island from the time Chiang retreated there, and it showed me what a mess the USA has created within itself and the island as to how to handle Taiwan.

    I was interested (if not intrigued) in many of the ideas put forward by Mr. Khan in the epilogue even though most are the equivalent of "what ifs". Nevertheless, there is much merit in some of them (such as China simply recognising Taiwan as a separate nation and leaving it alone). Regardless, I cannot see in any way China "releasing" Taiwan while Xi is in charge. If anything I would lay some odds on China taking Taiwan by force and crushing its democracy.

    Thank you Mr. Khan for a very interesting and informative read. It's one of the best books I have read in a long time.
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  • SJP
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly readable
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This is a terrific and highly readable history, making a complex topic easy to understand. A terrific job. The acknowledgement show how hard it was. It is to the author's enormous credit that the book is so accessible.
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