The Zhongshan Warship cover

The Zhongshan Warship

Rating 3.7
Word count
304K words
Chapters
76
ISBN
9787811357530

Tags

Summary

The Zhongshan Warship is a warship that rendered outstanding service to China's democratic revolution and its people. It successively experienced the Constitutional Protection War, Chen Jiongming's rebellion, the Zhongshan Warship Incident, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and other major events in modern Chinese history. Through one twisting and perilous legendary story after another, and the reappearance of flesh-and-blood figures of various kinds in this historical period, the book fully displays the indomitable and unyielding patriotic spirit of the Chinese people.

Editor's review

Zhongshan Warship is a work of historical nonfiction set against the background of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary career and unfolded through the perspective of the Zhongshan Warship as a historical witness. This book is not a simple history of an artifact or a technical history of a warship; rather, it places the Zhongshan Warship within the grand transformations of modern Chinese history and examines its 26-year course from birth, service, and combat to final sinking. Through a large number of archival documents and oral accounts of eyewitnesses, the author, Chen Lihua, meticulously reconstructs key historical moments in which the Zhongshan Warship participated, including the Constitutional Protection Movement, Sun Yat-sen's ordeal in Guangzhou, and the Zhongshan Warship Incident, making this warship a three-dimensional coordinate linking the politics, military affairs, and diplomacy of the Republic of China.

As a work of historical nonfiction, the value of this book lies in balancing academic rigor with narrative readability. The author not only sorts out the physical changes of the Zhongshan Warship but also deeply analyzes the political maneuvering and personal vicissitudes surrounding this warship—from its awkward position during the Beiyang government period, to its symbolic significance as Sun Yat-sen's "mobile presidential office," and then to its role as a focus of contradiction during the period of Kuomintang-Communist cooperation and split. The book's pluralistic interpretation of the "Zhongshan Warship Incident" deserves particular attention: by comparing records from the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, Soviet advisers, and officers and soldiers on board, the author presents the complex texture of the historical event.

When reading this book, readers are advised to focus on two dimensions: first, how the Zhongshan Warship, as tangible cultural heritage, carried the changes in political symbolic meaning; second, how micro-level warship history reflects macro-level national destiny. The appendices included in the book, such as hull structure diagrams, historical photographs, and crew lists, provide valuable references for professional researchers, while the personal destiny narratives running through the book allow ordinary readers to touch the temperature of history through the rust on its steel plates.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers interested in modern Chinese history, especially the political and military history of the Republic of China
  • Narrative enthusiasts who like to view macro history through specific artifacts
  • Professionals engaged in museums, archaeology, or cultural heritage research
  • Biography readers who wish to learn details of Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary activities

Not a good fit for

  • Readers expecting pure military technical history or warship engineering details
  • Readers seeking light, entertaining reading experiences

Reading tips

  1. Readers may first read the historical chronology and warship specifications in the appendices to establish a spatiotemporal framework before entering the main text
  2. Pay attention to the notes at the end of each chapter, which often contain extended information from original archives
  3. Reading alongside biographies of Republic of China figures can better help understand the background of the political maneuvering in the book

About the publisher

Jinan University Press China · Founded in 1989

Jinan University Press is a comprehensive university press known for publishing in language and writing, history and culture, and medicine. Judging from the 2,481 titles in the database, its publishing focuses on language and writing research, the compilation of unearthed documents, Chinese culture and Eastern philosophy, traditional Chinese medicine, and grassroots medical standards. Representative books include the Chinese Dictionary (Second Edition), the series on the collected interpretation and modern translation of Warring States documents from the Language Services Series and the series on the language of unearthed documents, Chinese Cultural Psychology (6th Edition), Illustrated Compendium of Traditional Chinese Medicine Processing Techniques, and Construction and Technical Standards for Standardized Bronchoscopy Rooms in Primary-Level Pediatrics. In terms of authors, scholars such as Zhu Cheng, Zhang Yujin, Wang Fengyan, Zheng Hong, Cao Hui and Ma Zhiguo form its author base in language and documents, cultural psychology, and traditional Chinese medicine. In terms of publishing characteristics, the press emphasizes the collected interpretation and modern translation of unearthed documents and language service research, while also systematically organizing cultural psychology and medical techniques. Public information on specific matters such as overseas Chinese-language education is limited and is therefore not elaborated here.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 自序
  3. 第一卷 护法舰队
  4. 一、暗杀海军司令
  5. 二、永丰舰上的搏斗
  6. 三、蛇岛海战
  7. 四、午夜的阴谋
  8. 五、兵发海南岛
  9. 六、大败龙济光
  10. 七、炮击观音山
  11. 八、暗杀风波
  12. 九、吴雪梅遇难
  13. 十、教训莫荣新
  14. 十一、林葆怿出走
  15. 十二、杀机四伏
  16. 十三、劫船
  17. 第二卷 陈炯明叛乱
  18. 十四、矛盾重重
  19. 十五、邓铿之死
  20. 十六、暗杀朱执信
  21. 十七、谋杀与反谋杀
  22. 十八、阴云密布
  23. 十九、廖仲恺蒙难
  24. 二十、郑仙祠内的阴谋
  25. 二十一、炮击总统府
  26. 二十二、海军参战
  27. 二十三、炮战
  28. 二十四、何香凝的忧虑
  29. 二十五、联俄联共
  30. 二十六、阴谋破产
  31. 二十七、温树德的威胁
  32. 二十八、强袭车歪炮台
  33. 二十九、活捉徐直
  34. 第三卷 中山舰事件
  35. 三十、廖仲恺的境遇
  36. 三十一、杀手入境
  37. 三十二、廖仲恺遇刺
  38. 三十三、李之龙
  39. 三十四、雨夜阴谋
  40. 三十五、蒋介石出手
  41. 三十六、逮捕李之龙
  42. 三十七、清党
  43. 三十八、智斗
  44. 第四卷 血染长江
  45. 三十九、可怕的敌人
  46. 四十、舰炮的力量
  47. 四十一、战局恶化
  48. 四十二、安庆空战
  49. 四十三、血战宁海舰
  50. 四十四、威宁号血染长江
  51. 四十五、激战平海舰
  52. 四十六、突袭日军机场
  53. 四十七、两舰殉国
  54. 四十八、敢死队
  55. 四十九、逸仙舰殉国
  56. 五十、喋血建康舰
  57. 五十一、血战海军基地
  58. 五十二、水雷杀敌
  59. 五十三、笕桥空战
  60. 五十四、击毙丰田
  61. 五十五、巫山台阵地
  62. 五十六、冯玉祥的愤怒
  63. 五十七、处死韩复榘
  64. 五十八、大通歼灭战
  65. 五十九、艇战
  66. 六十、义胜号
  67. 六十一、突袭波田司令部
  68. 六十二、歼灭松下骑兵
  69. 六十三、敌空军的罪恶
  70. 六十四、噩梦来临
  71. 六十五、血染长江
  72. 附录一:护法舰队
  73. 附录二:金口血战中山舰阵亡官兵
  74. 附录三:金口血战中山舰幸存者
  75. 附录四:中山舰大事年表
  76. 难忘今宵——与中山舰幸存者在一起的日子

FAQ

What are the features of this book compared with works on similar subjects?
This book breaks through the limitations of traditional artifact introductions by writing the Zhongshan Warship as an active historical participant. It not only verifies physical changes but also deeply analyzes the flow and contestation of its political symbolic meaning, having methodological significance in the intersection of artifact history and political history.
Does the book offer new views on the "Zhongshan Warship Incident"?
Through mutual verification of multilingual archives, the author points out that the incident was not only the flashpoint of Kuomintang-Communist contradictions but also the result of multi-party maneuvering among Soviet advisers, the Guangdong naval faction, and Chiang Kai-shek's power network, making an important supplement to traditional narratives.
Can non-specialist readers understand the content of this book?
The author provides historical background introductions at the beginning of each chapter, key terms are explained in accessible language, and the main narrative line is clear. It is recommended for readers with a basic understanding of Republic of China history; those with no foundation at all may first browse the chapter summaries.

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About the author

陈立华 Author

Chen Lihua is an author about whom little public information is currently available. Judging from the three works held in the collection, his writing spans several fields, including documentary literature, education, and military and war history. The Legend of 1911: Bloodshed in Wuchang City and Zhongshan Warship both draw on major events in modern Chinese history: the former focuses on the dramatic events surrounding the Wuchang Uprising, while the latter centers on the warship Zhongshan, a vessel that carries the memory of its era. Together they show the author's interest in historical subjects and a steady, fact-oriented approach to narrative. The educational work The Daxia Book Series: 58 Key Lessons in Primary School Mathematics addresses frontline teaching practice and reflects the author's experience and thinking in designing primary school mathematics lessons. Because biographical details are unavailable, his birthplace, education, and professional background cannot be confirmed; the existing works alone sketch a writer who combines historical concern with practical work in education.

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