Xiang Ying

Name: Xiang Ying
ISBN: 9787514711035

PLA Party History and Military History Research Center, Academy of Military SciencesXuexi Publishing House · ChinaSep 2025

4.1

Word count: 62K words
Chapters: 28
ISBN: 9787514711035

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Summary

This book is part of the "Stories of Chinese Martyrs" series. In narrative form, it portrays the illustrious life of Xiang Ying, an outstanding proletarian revolutionary, a renowned activist of the workers' movement, one of the early leaders of the Party and the Red Army, and a founder and principal leader of the New Fourth Army. It celebrates his boundless loyalty to the Party and the people, and his tremendous contributions to the revolution and to the people. Written in lively, accessible language, the book traces Xiang Ying's growth and revolutionary path; the narrative, woven from representative stories, is highly engaging and profoundly educational. It helps Party members, cadres, and the general public understand and study Party history, and serves as vivid material for carrying forward the great founding spirit of the Party.

Editor's review

Compiled by the PLA Party History and Military History Research Center of the Academy of Military Sciences, Xiang Ying is a biography grounded in rigorous historical research that combines scholarly depth with narrative readability. Rather than merely listing the details of a personal life, the book examines Xiang Ying's revolutionary career within the grand historical contexts of the early development of the CPC, the founding of the Red Army, the three-year guerrilla war in the south, and the formation of the New Fourth Army. Drawing on a wealth of primary archives, historical documents, and the latest research, the author team offers an objective assessment of Xiang Ying's complex contributions in fields such as the workers' movement, Soviet area construction, and military command. They affirm his historical status as an important early leader of the Party and the army while not shying away from his controversial decisions before and after the Southern Anhui Incident. The book is solidly grounded in historical sources and argued with prudence; its restoration of historical details about Xiang Ying's perseverance in the southern guerrilla war under extremely harsh conditions, in particular, fills a gap in public understanding. The value of reading this book lies in how it helps us understand the twists and turns of the revolutionary course and the multiple dilemmas faced by leaders at historical junctures. It is a serious work that deepens our understanding of modern Chinese history, especially military history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a strong interest in CPC and PLA history, especially the history of the Agrarian Revolutionary War
Researchers or enthusiasts seeking an objective, in-depth understanding of the complex life, merits, and faults of Xiang Ying as a historical figure
Readers interested in specific historical events such as the founding history of the New Fourth Army and the three-year guerrilla war in the south
Readers who wish to understand the relationship between the individual and the organization in macro-historical processes through the fate of a specific person

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light, entertaining reading; this is a serious historical biography
Readers lacking basic background knowledge of modern Chinese history, who may find the complex threads difficult to follow

Reading tips

It is recommended to read this alongside background materials on the Long March history of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and the history of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression to build a more complete historical picture
While reading, focus on the shifts in Xiang Ying's roles and mindset at different historical stages, and reflect on how the environment of the times profoundly shaped personal choices
The book involves a large number of historical events and figures; taking notes as appropriate will help clarify the threads and deepen understanding

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.

版权信息
中华先烈人物故事汇《项英》编委会
引子
01 工人运动领袖
积极从事工人运动，走上革命道路
领导二七大罢工，参加党的二大、三大
领导沪西二月大罢工，参加党的四大
转战武汉、上海，参加党的五大
出任中共江苏省委书记，参加党的六大
任总工会委员长和军委长江局书记
02 领导中央苏区
筹备中华苏维埃第一次全国代表大会
重视舆论作用，当好红色的宣传家
关心群众疾苦，抓好政权建设
在中革军委的领导岗位上
03 坚持游击战争
留守苏区，掩护主力红军转移
分散游击，开展“反叛”斗争
审时度势，领导红军游击队改编
亲赴延安，向党中央汇报
04 转战大江南北
为新四军的组建呕心沥血
挺进敌后，开辟苏南抗日战场
再赴延安，参加党的六届六中全会
制定“总方针”，坚守皖南抗日阵地
局势逆转，血战皖南
05 尾声
后记

FAQ

Does this book evaluate Xiang Ying in an entirely negative or entirely positive way?

The book adopts a historicized, objective assessment. It systematically reviews Xiang Ying's important role and contributions in the early Chinese revolution, especially the workers' movement, Soviet area construction, and the southern guerrilla war, while also analyzing, based on historical sources, his responsibility and mistakes in the Southern Anhui Incident, striving to present a three-dimensional, complex historical figure rather than a simple verdict.

As a non-specialist reader, can I understand this book?

Although written by a professional research institution and grounded in solid historical sources, the book strives for clear and fluent writing, with important background explained. As long as readers have high-school-level knowledge of modern Chinese history and patience, non-specialists can fully follow the narrative and grasp the main content. It is more like a bridge book that guides readers into professional historical thinking.

How does this book differ from other works on Xiang Ying on the market?

Its most prominent features are authority and systematicity. As a research achievement of the Academy of Military Sciences, it draws on a large number of primary archives and internal materials, and its arguments are more rigorous. Compared with some works that lean toward literary dramatization or a single perspective, this book pays more attention to balanced narration within a complete historical framework and is highly academically rigorous—a highly valuable version for understanding this figure.

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About the author

PLA Party History and Military History Research Center, Academy of Military Sciences 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.