The Long March 1934-35 : The Rise of Mao and the Beginning of Modern China : The Long March 1934-35 : The Rise of Mao and the Beginning of Modern China

The Long March 1934-35 : The Rise of Mao and the Beginning of Modern China : The Long March 1934-35 : The Rise of Mao and the Beginning of Modern China
ISBN: 9781472834010
Publication Date: 1 October 2019

Every nation has its founding myth, and for modern China it is the Long March. In the autumn of 1934, the Chinese Nationalists under Chiang Kai-shek routed the Chinese Communists and some 80,000 men, women and children left their homes to walk with Mao Zedong into the unknown.

Mao's force had to endure starvation, harsh climates, and challenging terrain whilst under constant aerial bombardment and threatened by daily skirmishes. The Long March survivors had to cross 24 rivers and 18 mountain ranges, through freezing snow and disease-ridden wilderness to reach their safe-haven of Yan'an. In military terms, the Long March was the longest continuous march in the history of warfare and it came as a terrible cost - after one year, 6,000 miles and countless battles, fewer than 4,000 of the original marchers were left.

Illustrated with stunning full-colour artwork, this enthralling book tells the full story this epic display of resilience, and shows how, from the desert plateau of Yan'an, these survivors would grow the army that conquered China 14 years on, changing history forever.

About the Author

Benjamin Lai was born in Hong Kong, educated in the UK, and went on to serve as an officer in the British Territorial Army in the 1980s and 1990s. Fluent in both Chinese and English, he currently works as a development and business consultant in China.

About the Illustrator

Adam Hook studied graphic design, and began his work as an illustrator in 1983. He specializes in detailed historical reconstructions and has illustrated Osprey titles on subjects as diverse as the Aztecs, the Ancient Greeks, Roman battle tactics, several 19th-century ...