A Military History of China, edited by David Graff and Robin Higham

This is a anthology of sixteen China scholars which adds to 302 pages. I've read a number of books on Chinese history. This book give me much work to do because it contain much that for me is new. At Amazon.com it is reviewed by only three persons, one of whom describes the book's contributors as leading experts and praises them for questioning the sources and validity of other works on China and describes the writing as concise and fluid. The second reviewer describes it as " brilliant book.. well-researched" and "destined to be a classic."

The book delves into political events, politics and military matters being bound together. What I've read so far is a debunking of myths about Mao Zedung's contributions to military theory and his contribution to China's revolution. What I've read is sound, in my opinion, in addition to revealing various points about which I've been ignorant.

I was opposite the Chinese military during a period from June 1952 to May 1953, and I found the book describing these eleven months, on a much broader front than that occupied by the 1st Marine Division, in about twelve lines. In a book covering more than 2,000 years one cannot expect much detail for an eleven-month period. But the twelve lines, in my opinion, adequately covered essential details well enough. But it points out a limitation with macrohistory: skipping details that bring to life human drama. Macrohistory is an overview, a summary. And because of its details, this is the best summary of Chinese history that I've read.