Yuan Shikai
Book description
Yuan Shikai (1859-1916) has been both hailed as China's George Washington for his role in the country's transition from empire to republic and condemned as a counter-revolutionary. Yuan Shikai: A Reappraisal sheds new light on the controversial history of this talented administrator and modernizer who endeavoured to establish a new…
Why read it?
1 author picked Yuan Shikai as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Very few people outside China have even heard of Yuan Shikai, the last prime minister of the Qing Empire who became president of the Republic of China before briefly declaring himself to be a new emperor. If it hadn’t been for Yuan, however, China would look very different today. He held the country together for a few crucial years after the revolution but then took some decisions that split it apart. He has been vilified ever since as a buffoon and a dictator, but this book asks us to take him seriously as a neglected and important figure in China’s…
From Bill's list on the emergence of modern China.
Want books like Yuan Shikai?
Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Yuan Shikai.
5 book lists we think you will like!
Interested in China, the Qing dynasty, and presidential biography?
10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about China, the Qing dynasty, and presidential biography.