'A rigorously researched and gripping account... a beautifully written book' Financial Times
'Deeply researched and fascinating' Guardian A gripping account of the past and future of
Taiwan In the overwhelming chaos across Asia at the end of the Second World War one
relatively minor issue was the future of the Japanese colony of Taiwan a large island some one
hundred miles off the coast of Fujian. Handed to the Kuomintang-ruled Republic of China in
1949 it suddenly became the focus of global attention as a random cross-section of defeated
Nationalists including President Chiang Kai-shek fled there from Mao's triumphant Communist
forces. The Struggle for Taiwan is a balanced and convincing account of the sequence of
events that has left Taiwan for generations as a political anomaly with issues around its
status and future continuing to threaten war. With deepening democratization Taiwan further
goads Beijing remaining functionally independent from China even as Xi Jinping clamours for
unification. This invaluable book allows readers to understand the complex story of this
unique place and its role in international relations. With its striking economic dynamism and
commitment to democracy can Taiwan continue - as Hong Kong once did - to thrive or will China
conquer it? And will the world be able to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait or will it
stumble into war?
