The Unfinished Revolution

The Unfinished Revolution was a splendid biography of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Although Kayloe seems to be something of a partisan of Dr. Sun's, he absolutely justifies his admiration for the 國父, the “Father of the Nation.” Between Sun's fierce honesty, his seemingly monomaniacal persistence (even after some 6 failed attempts at revolution), and his universally appreciable Three Principles of the People, it is easy to see why Sun is beloved on both sides of the Taiwan Strait nearly 100 years after his death.

Like any good biography, Kayloe's spends a great deal of time exploring the context in which Sun lived. Encroaching Western (and Japanese) imperialism, anti-Manchu nationalism, Qing attempts at reform, the rise of the Beiyang army, and the importance of the huaqiao, overseas Chinese, to Sun's career are all covered in satisfying detail. The activities of Sun himself are followed from Guangzhou to Hawaii, from London to Yokohama. All the uprisings, all the fundraising, all the failures, all the political intrigues. It cannot be doubted that Dr. Sun's life was an extraordinary one.

Many in the West have a hard time understanding why the Chinese state acts as it does. The Unfinished Revolution offers an implicit explanation. During China's “century of humiliation,” during which Sun lived, many of China's greatest cities were handed over to the Great Powers as “concessions” and “treaty ports,” euphemisms for “colonies.” Extraterritoriality allowed all foreign citizens to be immune to Chinese laws, resulting in brazen abuses by Westerners. Forever looming over late Qing China was the prospect of being formally carved up among the Great Powers. This last worry informs the CCP's objective of re-unification with Taiwan. One could make a convincing argument that China isn't fully unified only because of continued imperialism by Western powers.

What ashamed me personally was the absolutely infuriating behavior of American diplomats towards Sun and his entourage. Sun regarded the US as the most respectable of the Great Powers, especially when compared to Britain and Japan. In spite of America's purported “anti-imperialist” stance, in spite of the Constitution stating that “all men are created equal,” America's policies towards Sun were only marginally better than Britain's or Japan's. Sun was an ideological ally of America, and even at a time of strong Wilsonian idealism in the country, the US did nothing for Sun. The countries that ended up doing the most for Nationalist China? Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany. Seriously, I'm not kidding.

I had only two minor disappointments with this book. The first was the dizzying number of names to remember. Kayloe includes a glossary at the beginning, but referring back to it is a little tedious. I don't think this concern should dissuade one from reading this book; seeing so many unfamiliar names simply indicates that there's so much more to learn. My second disappointment regarded a figure who might've only been mentioned once in the book: Hong Xiuquan. I recall reading elsewhere that Sun, in many ways, saw himself as continuing the work of the Heavenly King. Kayloe includes some quotes from Sun on his deathbed, and it was clear to me that Sun was thinking of Hong Xiuquan as he lay dying. I had wished that Kayloe perhaps explored this theme more, but he might have found it insignificant and accordingly omitted the discussion.

Overall, Kayloe's biography of Sun is an excellent introduction to the man and his times. Sun's tragic but inspiring story has earned him the moniker “the kindest of all revolutionaries.” He envisioned a world order based on cooperation rather than competition. Kayloe helps us see the world through Sun's eyes, both in 1922 and in 2022. We can see that the bipolar world we live in wasn't one bit inevitable. The past always has a way of catching up with us.