A History of the Beiyang Warlords (Three-Volume Set)

Yuan Shikai, Duan Qirui, Feng Guozhang, Zhang Zuolin, Wu Peifu…

Warlords clash, military strongmen rule, and the imperial system gives way to a new order.

Coups, assassinations, student movements, labor movements, and political struggles.

From 1895 to 1928, China underwent the historic transition from empire to republic. Warlords from all sides successively took the stage of history, becoming powerful political forces that shaped events from the late Qing to the early Republic. The complex threads of history have, in subtle ways, made it harder for people to understand this momentous period.

Drawing on the personal experiences of Tao Juyin, a journalist during the Republic of China, and the wealth of historical material he collected, Anecdotes from the Era of Beiyang Warlord Rule reconstructs the details of the age. Taking advantage of its account of contemporary history by those who lived through it, the book gives readers an expansive, objective, and rational portrait of the times, unfurling the story of a turbulent era. With keen insight and vivid prose, Mr. Tao Juyin recounts more than three decades of warlord upheaval. The book not only highlights the connections between historical events, but also offers subtle portraits of human nature and the coldness of the world. It combines a tightly reasoned narrative with a history that feels close to the reader.