The Last Battle cover

The Last Battle

Rating 3.0
Word count
344K words
Chapters
43
ISBN
9787573613929

Tags

Summary

This book follows Sizi, a young man skilled in martial arts and especially adept with a short blade, who rescues Bai Xue, a girl being harassed by a traitor. The two form a deep bond, but after the Japanese invaders take Yucheng, the unyielding Bai Xue is killed.

Sizi vows revenge for Bai Xue, setting off a series of dramatic manhunts against his enemies. Amid the resistance struggle he grows into an Eighth Route Army soldier and finally takes his revenge in the climactic Battle of Yucheng.

Editor's review

Taking the 1949 Yangtze River Crossing Campaign as its narrative core, "The Last Battle" is not only a meticulous replay of a magnificent piece of history but also a profound analysis of a turning point of an era. As an expert in Party history research, Chen Puping draws on his deep academic grounding and rigorous textual research into historical sources to unfold this decisive battle that determined China's fate layer by layer, from grand strategic deployment to the micro-level stories of soldiers. The book avoids simple judgments of victory and defeat, focusing instead on the political maneuvering and military contest between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party on the eve of the campaign, as well as the choices and fates of ordinary people caught in the tide of history. Its value lies in the fact that it transcends the conventional paradigm of military history writing and incorporates a large number of perspectives from social history and observations of human nature, allowing readers to feel the weight of history while also touching the warmth and light of individuals. For readers hoping to understand the formation of modern China, this book provides a solid and illuminating entry point.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • History enthusiasts interested in the history of the War of Liberation, especially the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign.
  • Readers who wish to understand the complex political and military situation in the later stage of the Chinese Civil War.
  • Those who enjoy reading grand narrative nonfiction based on detailed historical sources.
  • Readers interested in stories of individual fates intertwined with social change at historical turning points.

Not a good fit for

  • Readers seeking light entertainment or fast-paced fiction with a strong storytelling character.
  • Readers with only a general interest in modern Chinese history or who prefer a completely neutral third-party historical perspective.

Reading tips

  1. It is recommended to read the preface or afterword first to grasp the author's core historical viewpoint and writing intent before entering the main text.
  2. The military advance sections can be read alongside maps (if included in the book or found separately) to enhance spatial orientation.
  3. While reading, pay attention to the book's depictions of ordinary soldiers and grassroots people to appreciate the subtle echoes within the grand historical narrative.

About the publisher

Qingdao Publishing House China · Founded in 1987

Founded in 1987, Qingdao Publishing House has long focused on education, science and technology, children's books, and lifestyle titles, while steadily publishing classical and foreign literature. Its 827 titles in the catalog reflect a balance between making classics widely accessible and serving young readers. They include the four great classics of Chinese literature—Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Dream of the Red Chamber, and Journey to the West—as well as foreign literary translations such as Sei Shōnagon's The Pillow Book, works associated with Zhou Zuoren, and Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. The press also offers a color-illustrated series of recommended classics for primary and secondary school Chinese curriculum reading, using pictures and text to support student readers. Its common categories cover classical literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, folk literature, and foreign literature, with authors including Luo Guanzhong, Shi Nai'an, Cao Xueqin, Gao E, Wu Cheng'en, Sei Shōnagon, Zhou Zuoren, and Victor Hugo. Public information is limited, so this profile emphasizes the publishing directions shown by the catalog.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 前言——禹城大战:鲜为人知的中日最后一战
  3. 引子 追寻
  4. 上篇 国仇家恨
  5. 第一章 宝刀
  6. 第二章 进城
  7. 第三章 出刀
  8. 第四章 绝技
  9. 第五章 轰炸
  10. 第六章 阻敌
  11. 第七章 沦陷
  12. 第八章 统战
  13. 第九章 抗争
  14. 第十章 独立
  15. 第十一章 屠村
  16. 中篇 铁血英豪
  17. 第十二章 破裂
  18. 第十三章 突围
  19. 第十四章 低潮
  20. 第十五章 夺刀
  21. 第十六章 新区
  22. 第十七章 突围
  23. 第十八章 苦斗
  24. 第十九章 养伤
  25. 第二十章 劳工
  26. 第二十一章 仇杀
  27. 第二十二章 分合
  28. 第二十三章 拉网
  29. 第二十四章 血拼
  30. 第二十五章 设伏
  31. 第二十六章 锄奸
  32. 第二十七章 殉国
  33. 下篇 最后一战
  34. 第二十八章 扩军
  35. 第二十九章 反击
  36. 第三十章 毒刺
  37. 第三十一章 攻城
  38. 第三十二章 巷战
  39. 第三十三章 截击
  40. 第三十四章 拼刺
  41. 第三十五章 格杀
  42. 尾声
  43. 主要参考文献

FAQ

Are the historical sources in this book reliable?
The author, Chen Puping, is a professional Party history researcher. The book is based on multiple primary and authoritative secondary sources, including archival documents and participants' memoirs, and its narrative is relatively rigorous and highly credible.
Is this book purely military history?
Not entirely. While it recounts the course of the campaign in detail, it devotes considerable space to analyzing the pre-war political situation, economic conditions, and the direction of popular support, making it a work that integrates military, political, and social history.
Do I need a lot of historical background knowledge before reading?
A basic background knowledge of the War of Liberation will help with understanding, but the author provides necessary context for key events and figures in the text, so general readers can also follow the narrative and gradually enter into it.

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About the author

陈璞平 Author

Chen Puping is an author devoted to documentary literature and biography. Publicly available information about him is limited, and details such as his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background remain unclear. Judging from the five works held in the collection, his writing focuses on the revolutionary history and military themes of the Bohai region. The three works Bohai Women Soldiers' Westward Expedition, Soldiers Out of Bohai Bay: The Westward Legend of Eight Thousand Shandong Heroes, and The Westward Expedition echo one another, narrating the history of soldiers from the Bohai Bay area of Shandong marching westward, combining a broad grasp of collective destiny with attention to individual experience. General's Tears: The Life Legend of a Corps Commander portrays a military figure's life in biographical style, while The Last Battle continues the military and historical theme. His works are commonly classified as documentary literature, social fiction, and biography, reflecting a writing approach that seeks balance between historical narrative and literary expression and offering some reference value for understanding the revolutionary history of the Bohai region.