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Forgotten Ally is a brilliant introduction to the Second Sino-Japanese War. Mitter confers some truly invaluable insights into the great figures of the time (one of my favorites: Chiang Kai-Shek, Mao Zedong, and Wang Jingwei, for all their differences, all had one goal in mind: an autonomous, unified, nationalist China). And besides just the “Greats,” many biographies of an “average citizen” are told, whether that's a middle class Chinese Christian who nearly loses her family in their chaotic flight from the Japanese invaders, an American missionary remaining under Japanese occupation in Shandong, or even a Henan family who gives their last bit of grain to the tax collectors during a famine, then jumping to their deaths moments later. I cannot help but feel that this book does an excellent job capturing the experiences of the period.
In addition to these precious stories of individual families, Mitter relates countless insightful judgments about the contested questions of the period. No, Chiang was not simply a horribly incompetent and corrupt military autocrat. No, Mao and the Communists didn't just sit back and let the Japanese grind the Nationalists to powder. No, Wang wasn't just a collaborationist traitor. Mitter explores the nuanced situations each of these figures found himself in.
The human tragedies are also examined in satisfying detail. The Nanjing Massacre (and the state of the city under Japanese occupation), the bombing of Chongqing, the destruction of the Yellow River dam, and the Henan famine. I greatly appreciate how much Mitter covers these events, and he discusses them in a very balanced and smooth fashion.
It is useful to note that this is not a book solely about the military campaigns between the Chinese and Japanese. The campaigns are referenced and detailed frequently, to be sure, but only as long as they can bring value to understanding the period and the human experiences as a whole. This is not to say the book felt lacking. The book feels comprehensive, engaging, and well-written.
I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about China. I found this book through Dan Carlin's Hardcore History podcast, and reading it has deepened my understanding of the period greatly, while keeping my attention at every page. 5/5.
