Forgotten Ally - China's World War II 1937-1945 (Rana Mitter, 2013)

I overlook just how long China was caught up in what became known as World War II - well into year five before Pearl Harbor was bombed.  Also hadn't appreciated that all this action was draining on Japan as well - some rationing was already underway there prior to Pearl Harbor.  Which helps make the Pearl Harbor gamble, and other adventures, somewhat more understandable from their perspective.

China - what a mess.  Chiang Kai Shek trying to lead a nationalist government starting in late 1920s (following Sun Yat-Sen) after the humiliations over the years (opium wars, Boxer Rebellion, foreign concessions, etc.).  But little national feeling; and insufficient centralized power.  Warlords still control territories.  CKS spends time in Soviet Union and comes away strongly anti-Communist.  But back home in China - Communists are making headway; but Nationalists are somewhat stronger.  Communist remnant forced in 1934 to undertake the now-mythologized "Long March" to isolation in the northwest.  Where Mao gained influence over the years.

Communists and Nationalists worried about Japan, but more worried about each other.

CKS blows up a dam to slow down the Japanese - with breathtaking disregard for the lives of his own people.  Nationalist forces arrogant; civilians starve while they commandeer.  All this ultimately benefits Mao.

Chinese military thoroughly unimpressive despite some modernization efforts.  After Pearl Harbor, US is interested in keeping China in the war as a distraction for Japan.  But no trust develops among the allies.  Gen. Stillwell (US Army) installed as chief of staff but mostly fights with CKS, not effective.  CKS's wife a force for propaganda in U.S. (as discussed, interestingly, in this book).  In the end, some Japanese forces were tied down.

Mao's Cultural Revolution of the 1960s did not come out of nowhere - already in the late '30s and early '40s he was demonizing non-peasants up in his northwest-China power base.  Main butchery to come.  Just one of several absolutely astonishing 20th century killing machines.

Young Stalin (Simon Sebag Montefiore, 2007)

Subject matter seemed interesting, and I had much liked what the author did with this book.  So gave this one a try.  Not great - but interesting, entertaining, worthwhile.  Stalin is a completely amazing character.  Book is based in large part upon relatively newly-available material as state archives open up (somewhat) in Russia and Georgia.

Some thoughts:

1.  Georgia is really far away from Moscow or St. Petersburg.  Stalin grew up in a very different world.

2.  Georgia was a pretty wild place in those days; probably still is.

3.  Bolsheviks needed money, and Stalin had a knack for organizing large-scale heists with his trusted, and so-wild, Georgian comrades.  A bank robber before a politician.

4.  His oft-noted seminary days - possibly a religious calling, mostly because this was the one place where some education could be obtained.  Stalin was not good at obeying authority.  Forbidden books, such as Balzac, Thackeray, Schiller, etc.  Even Gogol and Chekhov were banned there.

5.  A poet!

6.  Infighting among Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.  Czarist secret police were actually pretty effective at infiltrating all groups.  Led to climate of suspicion, finger-pointing, witch-hunts - premonitory of  Stalin in the 1930s.

7.  Amazing adventures during several exiles to Siberia; the last time, all the way up in a tiny village well north of Arctic Circle (Kureika - living with aboriginal tribesmen).

8.  Where he managed to twice impregnate an underage girl.  Seemed there was a trail of affairs wherever he went.  All skillfully covered up in later years.  But not very good at conducting his marriage - neglected a young wife who died.

9.  Early conflicts with Trotsky.  Didn't end until the ice pick incident.

10.  Hitler, Stalin, Lenin living in Vienna simultaneously in 1913.

11.  His amazing willingness to slaughter - developed during these early years presumably - photo section has an interesting example of the way that group photos changed over the years in Soviet Union as group members fell out of favor over the years.

12.  Very interesting summary of Bolsheviks taking power from Kerensky government; this was an extremely close-run thing.  Not inevitable!  Lenin with incredible will power; Stalin always ended up going along.

All this very much larger than life, interesting throughout.

The History of Love (Nicole Krauss, 2005)

Book club selection (via Nick).

One of the advantages for me of this little "book club" is that I am forced to read stuff I otherwise would not select - such as modern fiction.  This book fits that category, and was worth reading.  Even if it didn't entirely fit together (or maybe I just didn't follow well).

Young Jewish lovers in Poland; the guy (Leo) writes a book ("The History of Love") to/for his girlfriend (Alma); Nazis close in and Alma (pregnant though this is unknown to Leo) goes to America; Leo goes into hiding in Poland; Alma ends up marrying son of owner of business where she works (concluding Leo must be dead and the kid needs a father); Leo eventually makes it to America, learns of Alma's situation, watches Alma and his son (who became a famous writer) pretty much from afar; takes up locksmithing via Polish contact; does a little more writing; grows old in obscurity.

The manuscript for The History of Love was entrusted to Leo's childhood friend in Poland; he emigrates to South America and eventually publishes it in Spanish in a limited edition under his own name (also thinking Leo was dead); and gained some notoriety thereby.  A key character is a young girl named Alma (after the lead character in Leo's book, which book was beloved by the parents of Alma #2); she has an annoying brother nicknamed "Bird"; their father had died young; Alma #2's efforts to be a matchmaker for her mother lead her to research the origins of her name, which process brings elements of the story into focus.  Finally.  Somewhat.

Story is told through several narrators and bounces around in time and geography.

Best parts of the work were written in Leo's old-man voice.