Biography of Shen Chang
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Summary
Shen Chang was born in 1905. His childhood coincided with the 1911 Revolution, and his youth with the May Fourth Movement. In that era of awakening, he organized lectures and founded free schools, striving to rouse the people, while seeking China's way forward with like-minded friends. In those turbulent years, when the nation faced peril, he shirked neither suspicion nor resentment, devoting himself utterly and serving the country with loyalty and courage, fighting on the front lines of the resistance against Japan until the very last moment of his life.
With a plain, approachable style and detailed, reliable historical sources, the author Zhang Jianming relates Shen Chang's winding and remarkable life, along with the stirring events of that era, one by one, and offers a fact-based analysis and account of Shen Chang's contributions.
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Biography readers interested in the lives and choices of modern Chinese intellectuals
- Local-history enthusiasts concerned with Tongxiang and Jiangnan clan culture
- Readers researching or studying popular mobilization and local figures during the War of Resistance
- General readers who prefer evidence-based biographies with restrained judgment
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting novelistic narrative, extensive psychological description, and invented scenes
- Readers interested only in national political and military events who have no patience for local figures' details
- Readers hoping for strong emotional appeal or legendary hero stories
Reading tips
- Before reading, familiarize yourself with the timeline of modern history from 1905 to the victory of the War of Resistance so as to situate Shen Chang's personal experience within its era.
- Pay attention to the historical sources cited and the measured way the author analyzes Shen Chang's contributions, and trace the figure's key choices as you read.
- For local background such as Tongxiang and the Zhaxi Shen clan, read alongside local gazetteers or clan materials to deepen your understanding of the environment in which he grew up.
About the publisher
Sino-Culture Press is known for publishing in history, social sciences and traditional Chinese culture, with a further reach into literary appreciation, classic works and foreign literature. Its library of 489 titles includes such works as The Road to Dongpo: The Evolution of Su Shi's Poetic Style, The Poetry and Life of Du Fu, The History of Qin and Han, and Six Hundred Years of the Forbidden City (collector's edition), while A Preliminary Survey of Ancient Architecture in Shanxi and Fen: Hand-drawn Records of Architectural Remains reflects an interest in documenting architectural heritage. Van Loon's Collected Classics and guided-reading editions of works such as Call to Arms and Notre-Dame de Paris serve general readers and classroom use. Its authors include scholars and popular writers such as Fu Junmai, Chen Linlin, Van Loon, Wang Longlin and Guan Ranrong, and biography is another direction. As public information is limited, this note focuses on the publishing profile shown by the titles in the library.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 内容简介
- 作者简介
- “桐乡历史文化丛书”(第五辑)编委会
- 人间正道是沧桑(代序)
- 第一章 柞溪祖泽
- 故乡炉头
- 辉耀家世
- 祖父善蒸
- 父亲沈纮
- 母亲高氏
- 姐弟情深
- 第二章 觉悟时代
- 童年就学
- 多舛中学
- 上下求索
- 赴美留学
- 第三章 初露锋芒
- 建设上海
- 执掌镇江
- 婚姻家庭
- 参谋水利
- 第四章 绩纪扶轮
- 初掌铁路
- 整顿平绥
- 泽被西北
- 蒙辱请辞
- 第五章 筚路蓝缕
- 奔赴西南
- 筹建叙昆
- 接管滇越
- 铁道司令
- 远征将军
- 鞠躬尽瘁
- 附录
- 沈昌年表
- 柞溪沈氏思源堂宗谱
- 参考文献
- 后记
FAQ
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About the author
Zhang Jianming is an author about whom publicly available information is currently limited. Details of his life, such as nationality, dates of birth and death, education, and professional career, are not recorded in the available materials and remain to be verified. One work is known under his name: the biography Shen Chang Zhuan (A Biography of Shen Chang), which falls under the general category of biography. The book follows the subject's life as its main thread and belongs to documentary-style biographical writing, focusing on Shen Chang's life experiences and the historical context in which he lived. Based on the available information, Zhang Jianming draws on real people for his writing, with an emphasis on organizing historical facts and portraying character. His style is plain and restrained, and he seeks to restore a person's image on the basis of concrete materials. Because the number of his known works is small, a full picture of his writing and development is difficult to present, and readers may turn to the content of Shen Chang Zhuan to understand his approach to sources and narrative in biographical writing.