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The Soong Dynasty [Paperback]

Sterling Seagrave (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 544 pages
  • Publisher: Corgi Books; New edition edition (7 Nov 1996)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0552141089
  • ISBN-13: 978-0552141086
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.2 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 883,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Sterling Seagrave
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Product Description

Product Description

The story of the Soong family whose power and wealth have dominated China and American policy towards Asia in the 20th century. It chronicles the family's roots from the middle of the 19th century and their rise to power thereafter. Descendants of a runaway, they grew up in America under the protection of the Methodist church and returned to their homeland to make a fortune selling Western bibles. The Soong family became the principle rulers of China during the first half of the 20th century. The book describes the intcricate rise to power of Charlie Soong and his children, whom he married to some of China's most powerful men to create a network of power and influence which was to last for over 50 years. It is a tale of power, money, corruption and greed.

From the Back Cover

The Soong Dynasty is the first full behind-the-scenes account of the extraordinary Soong family whose power and wealth have dominated China and American policy towards Asia this century. It is an extraordinary work of historical detection which traces the family's roots from the middle of the last century and their explosive rise thereafter.

Descendants of a runaway, they grew up in America under the protection of the Methodist church and returned to their homeland to make a fortune selling Western bibles. The Soong Family became the principal rulers of China during the first half of the twentieth century. In The Soong Dynasty, Sterling Seagrave describes for the first time the intricate and fascinating rise to power of Charlie Soong and his children, whom he married to some of China's most powerful men to create a network of power and influence which was to last for over fifty years. It is a classic tale of power, money, corruption and greed with elements of tragedy and comedy.

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The legend of Charlie Soong is a masterpiece of twentieth-century invention. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
The author seems to very fascinated with Soong Ching-ling. If its just for the fact that she was the only one that died a pauper, then I am afraid the author may be missing something here. The book also disregard in total Soong May-ling's contribution to that of modern China and the fact that the ultimate failure of Chiang Kai-shek to crush the Communist has as much to do with the apathy of the Western political powers as with his own imcompetence. I am by no means an admirer of Chiang Kai-shek but as for Soong May-ling, one should also look at the contribution she made to China in her long and ardous fight against the Japanese in terms of raising much needed funds as well as other forms of support. By going on a witch hunt against every one except for Soong Ai-ling, I am of the impression that the author is trying to make the latter look good when the fact is she is very much a traitor to modern China. Of course, the problems with China began with Sun Yat-sen's invitation to the Soviet Union to help in structuring China's political as well as governmental structure. Michael Borodin very aptly took the opportunity to set up the Communist Party in China in 1921 and for a country as big and as populous as China, it is most difficult if not impossible to run. So, with all those illusions of equality for all as preached by the Communists, what do you think the peasants and the idealistic students will be drawn to. History has proven that Communism remains just an idealistic myth. The author failed to recognise that Soong Ching-ling is a traitor by allowing herself to be used by the Soviets in its propanganda war against China and then by allowing them to betrayed her and the country she claims she loves. She alone brought more shame to China than anyone else with the exception of maybe Mao Tse-tung and Chao En-lai.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I read it long ago and couldn't put it down. I've recommended it to others and they too, couldn't put it down. A friend of my wife's husband was ill, wanted someting to read. I gave her the Soong Dynasty. The next day she said her husband wasn't interested. The following day she said he'd started reading it. Two days later she said he had hardly slept and had finished it and agreed that it was great. This isn't much of a review but I think the above speaks for itself. I've yet to get a complaint from someone I've recommended it to.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Controversial as the subject matter may be, Sterling Seagrave's 1982 book, "The Soong Dynasty" certainly is an interesting and behind-the-scenes view of the gangs and warlords that Chiang Kai-shek relied on to attain power and to stay in power in Nationalist China before the Revolution of 1949.

Sterling Seagrave rightly comes by his ability to dig behind the scenes on the subject matter of the book. He is an investigative journalist and was raised in the Orient. All of his books deal with oriental subjects and are written in an attractive manner which keeps the reader anxious to read more.

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