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"The Collapse of Nationalist China: How Chiang Kai-shek Lost China's Civil War" by Parks M. Coble is a book that revisits the reasons behind the Kuomintang's (KMT) defeat in China's civil war. Coble focuses on Chiang Kai-shek's fiscal policies, which led to hyperinflation and corruption, alienating the urban population and compromising the morale and combat effectiveness of the KMT's armies. The book draws on primary sources such as Chiang's diaries and the papers of KMT leaders T.V. Soong and H.H. Kung. Coble argues that Chiang's financial policy was a disaster, attributing it to his belief in the importance of a large army and his habit of covering budget deficits by increasing the money supply. The book also acknowledges the complexities of economic recovery in the aftermath of Japanese occupation and the legacy of colonialism. Overall, this concise and engaging reassessment of the KMT's defeat will be of interest to historians and accessible to students. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents discussion concerning the book "The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China," by Jay Taylor, its potential influence as a historical biography, and the nature of popular historical reception in the United States. The author points out how popular historical works, particularly revisionist ones, are successful only in relation to how they interact with the dominant ideologies and narratives of the culture. Analysis is then given evaluating whether Taylor's depiction of the Chinese military and political leader Chiang Kai-shek successfully confronts U.S. preconceived biases towards the figure.