A very good book about an important and oft-overlooked part of history. Covering the momentous year when Mao's armies swept across China and took control of the centres of power, Peraino expertly details not only events in China, but also the American response from the Truman administration.

Recommended to all with an interest in American history, Chinese history, US-China relations, and also the early Cold War years.

An elegant, nicely written account of a little-known period in twentieth-century history. I knew little about the facts behind China's Communist revolution and the US response in 1949 and beyond. The author paints a detailed picture of events, as well as highly readable character portraits of such individuals as Secretary of State Dean Acheson and his heavily waxed mustache. I greatly enjoyed this examination of powerful international forces still at work today.

As stated in the epilogue, this very well is the story of the "bastard legacy of 1949." As Chinese (and North Korean) tensions enter the news, A Force So Swift tells the story of how we got to here - and a story that needs to be told, because it has been much forgotten. Mao, Truman, Chiang, Acheson, and Johnson's decisions in this fateful year have shaped the world in which we live today. Peraino writes a well researched story that is as captivating as it is informative. He shows the human sides of these characters as well as the legacy of their decisions made in the heat of battle. This, like any great history book, has left me ready for the next fix as I explore further down the rabbit hole of the things I need to learn.

Copy courtesy of NetGalley and Crown Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

There are so many figures and such a packed mass of happenings covered in this single book. However, not once did I ever find myself information-swamped in any way. Far from it, instead I finished “A Force So Swift” to find myself honestly amazed by just how clear a view I was given of the incredible array of complexities that the Truman administration had to manage and maneuver against in the face of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China and the mighty changes in the post-WWII global setup that came in its wake. Peraino, simply put, does nothing less than a first-rate job of bringing clarification to a particularly complicated (not to mention very relevant) slice of history and putting it within magnificently easy and comprehensible grasp.

This is an excellent history of Truman and his administration as they try to forge an American policy for how to deal with China in 1949. American ally Chiang Kai-shek was worn out from WWII, and his troops were being destroyed by Mao Zedong's Communist armies all across China. Secretary of State Dean Acheson, the realist, recognized early on that Mao was going to win, and wanted to focus on building a relationship with his new Republic of China government. Minnesota congressman Walter Judd, totally believed in China, and fought to keep American funds going to the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek, their former ally. And Madame Chiang Kai-shek, the famous first lady of the Republic of China, came to America to lobby for her husband, his government, and her home. Taken from Russian, Chinese, and declassified CIA documents, this book is crammed with all kinds of background info and facts, but you're never overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information. I found this book extremely interesting, some of the machinations fascinating, and the subsequent consequences of the Vietnamese and Korean wars very informative. This is a very interesting look at China in general, particularly in light of current Chinese and N Korean actions. Many thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the arc. Highly recommend! 4.5 stars!

I think the title of A Force So Swift actually undersells what the book is about. While factually correct in that it's about the process that led Harry Truman to acquiesce to a Communist China, it is really a very detailed look at how the process came about. There are warring factions both on the ground in China and the halls of government in DC, Some backed the Nationalists, while others appeared indifferent or resigned to the eventual fate of China. The reader is introduced to the often very personal nature of this fight--friendships became strained or broken, while in other cases, people's faith in the entire country was shattered.

While the author tries to link it up with the events occurring since then, this is really a tiny section compared to the comprehensive coverage that the year Truman quit mainland China receives. An enjoyable read.

Who Lost China?


Occasionally people ask me why I read so much non-fiction. The answer is quite simply, that there is so much that I don’t know, and there is even more that I don’t know that I don’t know. This book falls into the latter category. I consider myself reasonably well-versed on history, especially of the 20th century--- and yet I found myself having “aha moments” throughout this book.


=== The Good Stuff ===

* The Peoples Republic of China didn’t just show up one day. It was created over a period of years, and after great struggle between a popular revolutionary movement and a somewhat hated existing government. Along the way, the nations of the world, particularly the US, had to come to grips with having little or no influence over the emergence of a new Chinese government. Concurrently, the schism between the US and USSR was in full swing, and the world-wide conspiracy of communist government to overthrow democracies was driving US foreign policy. In short, the conditions were set for a major conflict between the US and Stalin’s new ally, Mao Zedong.

* Kevin Peraino does an excellent job of putting the US/China relationship into the context of the times. US internal politics, the personalities of those involved, fears and paranoia of citizens and leaders of the world, changing technologies all affected how the US viewed China. Further the actions of Chaing Kai Shek and his wife were designed to influence US policy, and they were not above lobbying Congress and Cabinet Officials. Peraino pulls the whole story together and gives it some organization and clarity.

* The book helps to explain some of the later history of Asia. For example, China has historically tried to surround itself with friendly governments to enhance its own security. As Beijing sought to install friendly governments in Korea and Vietnam, the stage was set for further conflict with the US. As a second example, the Nationalist Chinese were very effective at identifying themselves in the US mindset as the former allies of WWII, leading to a long delay in the US recognizing the Peoples Republic.

* It was very interesting to see the strategic visions of various US leaders, especially President Truman and Secretary of State Dean Acheson. To briefly summarize, the feeling was that China would likely not remain “communist” for long, and that Mao’s policies would eventually be swept away. As we watch China industrialize and become a leader in world commerce, you can’t help but wonder if it is too early to settle this argument- and if the Peoples Republic does not already have a “capitalist” system. One description of Mao’s reign was it served as a “forest fire”, which prepared the ground of China for a burst of new growth.

=== The Not-So-Good Stuff ===

* It is almost impossible to write a detailed book on a subject such as this without it getting a bit dry. For the most part, Periano keeps the book lively and moving at a rapid pace, and writes in a clear and easy-to-read style. However, as Truman fights yet another political battle with selected Congressmen, it does get a bit repetitive.

* You can almost feel Periano struggling with how much of an omniscient narrator he wants to be. Obviously, it is easy to look back from 2017 and pass judgement on the decisions and opinions expressed in 1950, but to understand the history it is necessary to judge these in the context of the times. For the most part, the author avoids being too judgmental, but it is certainly tempting.


=== Summary ===

The book describes a series of events which, I believe, many historically literate Americans are ignorant of. And yet as China continues to grow in strength and influence, many of their actions suddenly become clearer understand the historical context. China’s obsession with owning small rocky outcroppings in the ocean makes more sense when you picture Mao nursing his new-born country through its first weeks…with an American naval force and troop carriers parked off his shoreline.

I gained a lot of insight from the book, and it helps put many of the seeming paradoxes of modern China into a better perspective. The book stops short of getting into the later disasters of Mao’s rule, and t would be nice to see a follow-up volume on those times. But the book improved my knowledge of reent Chinese history, and I found its material as important to understanding China as the history of the American Revolution is to understanding the US.