Yang Gensi cover

Yang Gensi

Rating 3.9
Word count
50K words
Chapters
29
ISBN
9787514710045

Tags

Summary

Part of the "Stories of Chinese Martyrs" series, this book presents in narrative form the life of Yang Gensi, a Special-Class Hero and member of the Communist Party of China, celebrating his boundless loyalty to the Party and the people and his immense contributions to the revolution and to the people. Highly readable, it recounts in vivid, accessible language Yang Gensi's growth and revolutionary path—from his youth and his joining the New Fourth Army to his heroic sacrifice in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea—through representative episodes whose narrative power and educational significance will help inspire young readers to cultivate and practice the core socialist values.

Editor's review

Compiled by the Party History and Military History Research Center of the PLA Academy of Military Sciences, Yang Gensi is the most authoritative and detailed biography of this super-class hero to appear in recent years. Drawing on a wealth of primary archives, combat histories, and oral accounts by those who were there, and written with rigorous scholarly method, it traces in full the arc of Yang Gensi's life from a poor peasant boy to a super-class combat hero of the Chinese People's Volunteers.

The editors believe the book's core value lies in moving beyond simple recounting of heroic deeds to dig deep into the historical background and spiritual core of the hero's growth. It not only narrates in detail the stirring scene in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, when Yang Gensi led a platoon in holding the Xiaogaoling position and, with ammunition exhausted, seized a satchel charge and perished together with the enemy; it also devotes considerable space to tracing his combat experience during the War of Liberation and the gradual elevation of his political consciousness in the New Type Reorganization Movement and the merit-recognition and model-creation campaigns. This chronological presentation makes the hero's image fuller and more human, enabling readers to understand the inevitable logic behind his choices.

Another highlight is the book's solid documentary foundation. The research team made full use of archives preserved by the Academy of Military Sciences, including combat reports, summaries, and comrades' memoirs from Yang Gensi's unit, many details of which are disclosed here for the first time. For example, the book meticulously traces the formation of his "three disbeliefs" spiritual vow—disbelief that any task cannot be completed, disbelief that any difficulty cannot be overcome, disbelief that any enemy cannot be defeated—showing the historical process by which this creed rose from an individual fighting style to a precious spiritual asset of the entire army and the whole nation.

In narrative style, the book maintains the objectivity and restraint of military history research, with emotional expression subtle and deep, leaving judgment to the reader. It is both a personal biography and a window onto the spiritual forging of the people's army during the revolutionary wars. For readers who wish to understand in depth the people's army's pantheon of heroes and trace the sources of China's revolutionary spirit, this book offers a rare classic case study. Its publication is not only commemorative but also of profound contemporary value; especially today, when heroism is called for and a sense of mission is emphasized, Yang Gensi's story and its spiritual core can still deliver a powerful shock and inspiration.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers with a strong interest in the combat history of the Chinese People's Volunteers and the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea
  • Biography enthusiasts eager to understand in depth the growth and inner world of heroic figures
  • Professionals engaged in Party history and military history research or teaching
  • Educators of youth seeking vivid teaching materials on patriotism and revolutionary heroism

Not a good fit for

  • Readers seeking light entertainment or fictional plots
  • Readers with no interest in military history who prefer purely literary, science fiction, or other genres

Reading tips

  1. Read alongside historical maps or documentaries of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir to deepen understanding of the battlefield environment
  2. Focus on the key turning points in Yang Gensi's ideological transformation at different historical stages to appreciate the hero's growth
  3. The book cites numerous primary documents; pay attention to the endnotes and sources to appreciate the rigor of the research

About the publisher

Xuexi Publishing House China · Founded in 1993

Xuexi Publishing House is a book, audio, and electronic publishing unit under the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, with its publishing focus on promoting and explaining the Party's innovative theories. It has 171 books in the database, commonly classified under law, politics, general biography, and documentary literature. Representative titles include the Study Outline of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, the Study Outline of Xi Jinping Thought on Economics, the One Hundred Questions for Studying the Report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Study Questions and Answers on Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, and biographies of Tan Sitong, Qiu Jin, Ye Ting, and Peng Xuefeng. Its author resources include the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Office of the Commission for Overall Law-Based Governance of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, as well as Zhang Haipeng, Zhao Xingsheng, and Cui Huajie — mostly institutions and researchers in relevant fields, reflecting a publishing profile that gives equal weight to theoretical works and biographies.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 中华先烈人物故事汇《杨根思》编委会
  3. 引子
  4. 01 苦难的童年
  5. 苦难中挣扎的羊庚玺
  6. 上海织地毯的童工
  7. 02 在战火中成长
  8. 参加新四军
  9. 长矛缴钢枪
  10. 江南饥餐“革命草”
  11. 战斗模范
  12. 03 屡建战功
  13. 一门心思跟党走
  14. 18颗手榴弹显神威
  15. 爆破大王
  16. 一级人民英雄
  17. 04 名扬华东
  18. 到战斗一线去
  19. 再进大上海
  20. 攻克文化关
  21. 全国英模会
  22. 05 血洒长津湖
  23. 紧急入朝
  24. 雪域征途
  25. 我就不信有完不成的任务
  26. 血战小高岭
  27. 英雄化金星
  28. 06 尾声
  29. 后记

FAQ

How is this book different from other works about Yang Gensi on the market?
Compiled by an authoritative military research institution, the book's greatest strength is the high authority and completeness of its sources. It is not popular storytelling but an academic biography based on large numbers of declassified archives, unit combat histories, and verified materials from eyewitnesses. Its content is more solid and its details more precise, focusing on restoring the historical context and analyzing spiritual meaning.
Are the battle scenes described too brutally?
The book adheres to the principles of serious historical writing, describing combat objectively and accurately in order to restore historical truth. It avoids excessive depiction of bloodshed and concentrates instead on tactical deployments, fighting will, and heroic conduct. The tone is solemn and respectful, suitable for young readers and above.
How does this book help in understanding the "Yang Gensi spirit"?
The book systematically explains the formation, practice, and transmission of Yang Gensi's "three disbeliefs" spirit. Through detailed portrayal of his life, especially his concrete conduct in successive battles and daily training, it vividly shows that this spirit did not arise from nowhere but grew from firm ideals and convictions, strict military training, and repeated tempering in brutal war. The book also covers the spirit's continuation and development in successor units, demonstrating its vitality beyond its era.

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About the author

The PLA Party History and Military History Research Center of the Academy of Military Sciences is a specialized research institution under the Academy of Military Sciences. Its full name is the PLA Party History and Military History Research Center, and it is affiliated with the Academy of Military Political Work. It mainly performs official duties in compiling history, writing biographies, and editing chronicles, and undertakes major compilation projects such as the Military History of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. It is regarded as one of the "national teams" in Party and military history research. The center has 31 works in the database, focused on documentary literature and comprehensive biography. Its representative works cover figures such as Ye Ting, Peng Xuefeng, Mao Anying, Xiang Ying, Zhao Shangzhi, Zhu Rui, Xie Zichang, and Luo Binghui. Due to limited public information, details of its institutional evolution and staffing are unknown, but based on its existing works, the center emphasizes rigorous historical source organization in presenting the lives of revolutionary figures. Its writing style leans toward documentary and biography, and it has a certain influence in popularizing Party and military history.

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