The Way Forward: From Early Republic to People’s Republic

by Jing Liu

China entered the 20th century as an agrarian society, weakened under internal and external pressures. Revolutionaries came together to bring down the last imperial dynasty but quickly split over the direction of reconstruction. Civil wars ensued, followed by WWI.

The fate of the country appeared to be in the hands of industrial powers like Britain, Germany, Japan, the Soviet Union, and the United States. All seemed lost when Japan seized all Chinese seaports, railways, industries, and fertile farmland. Yet Chinese resistance continued for eight years and the entire society was mobilized. After decades of struggling, China finally regained independence that laid the foundation for its own modernization.

Genres: History, Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, China, Comics, Sequential Art, Asia

224 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2022

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bare bones survey of a tumultuous time in Chinese history, spanning the 1911 revolution through World War I, the Second Sino-Japanese War, and World War II. The narrative mostly stays focused on the many rises and falls of flashy autocrat Chiang Kai-shek, while cutting frequently to the quietly growing influence of Communist Mao Zedong.

For me, the most eye-opening aspect was the way the Chinese populace was treated as disposable by invading powers, allies, and the Chinese leaders themselves. Chinese soldiers and civilians die in vast numbers as armies flow back and forth across the countryside. A key component of the Pacific Theater of World War II was the sacrificial attrition of the Chinese army to keep the majority of the Japanese military too occupied to shift focus against the maneuvers of the other Allied forces, much like the Russian front served to divide and grind down Nazi forces at the cost of massive numbers of Russian casualties.

The writing is spare for a history but still manages to fill large portions of each page. The art is simplistic, with a heavy reliance on maps and talking heads. Regardless, it gets the job done.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't so much a graphic novel as it was a short history, copiously illustrated. That said, the history of China in the 20th Century is fascinating, especially the conflict with Japan and WW2 and the continuing tensions between the Nationalist and Communist factions. A very good overview.

**Thanks to the artist, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Historical Graphic Novel

In all honesty, I don’t know much about Chinese history. This graphic novel explains easily at what state China was at the beginning of 20th century – functioning of the country was controlled by foreigners, majority of the country (95%) were low educated could not read or write, and how other more powerful countries tried to seize their power.

I think this book is a great way to start to learn more about Chinese history and Chinese culture. After reading it I will search for more of its volumes as I would like to learn more about China.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Stone Bridge Press for an electronic ARC in return for an honest review.

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is of an ARC I read curtesy of NetGalley & Stone Bridge Press

What I Liked...
I love learning more about the history of countries in the East, as I had a primarily Western/Classical education. Liu gives a good general overview of the time period and the major figures involved. I appreciated how he included text from primary sources. I think he does a good job of trying to remain fair and factual, relying on statistics and the art for emotional connection. The art spread on pages 197-198 (of the e-copy I read) of Nagasaki is brutal and beautifully done.

What Didn't Work...
Some of the depictions of the major characters are similar enough to be confusing. I think in the desire to rely on facts there is an emotional disconnect that made it harder for me to stay interested in the text. Statistics are difficult for me to interact with, but that could just be a personal issue. It covers a broad range of time and there were a couple of instances where the text mentioned off-hand events without context. I know it's limited space, but I don't know a great deal about the 1900's (I am more comfortable with 1900 bce than 1900 ce, personally) and I think the text assumes that the reader will have more context than I did, or will be willing to research more into off-hand comments.

Overall...
A good over-all introduction. I could see this being very helpful as a teaching tool. If this had existed when I was teaching a poly-sci class I definitely would have bought a copy to use with my class.

Sidenote...
I found this very odd but: the book doesn't mention Korea until the very last page. It doesn't specify that the reason Japan got a foothold into the Northeast of China was because it subdued Korea. There is a map that labels China, Japan, Vietnam, but Korea is just blank? Just. Very odd. I've read several books about Korean history and culture so I was more aware of their absence than I would have been if I hadn't. I don't know if this is some weird anti-Korean thing or if the author just didn't want to get into the politics of the relationship between China-Korea-Japan? I'm still very confused about it.

[Johanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

In diesem Buch wird die Geschichte von China von 1912 bis 1949 dargestellt als Graphik Novel. An sich eine gute Idee. Und auch deswegen habe ich mich für diese Buchverlosung angemeldet. Leider hat mir das Resultat enttäuscht. 
Es geht um den Weg nach vorn. Zum modernen China. Leider wird im Buch ausser den verschiedenen Machthabern und Ideologen hauptsächlich Kriegen, Bevölkerungsumfang, Schulden etc dargestellt. Und auch nur Männer.... Gab es keine Frauen damals? Ist dieser Geschichte für ein Landes bestimmend? Wo bleibt Kultur, Entwicklung; (Frauen) etc. Und immer wieder wird China mit den anderen Machthabers aus dem 1. und 2. Weltkrieg vergleichen. Vielleicht ist man erst jetzt am Aufarbeiten. Obwohl Aufarbeiten ist es nicht. Auch ist für mich nicht klar in wie Weit diese Geschichte objektiv ist, oder subjektiv, aus der offiziellen Chinesischen Sicht. Und genau dort hört es für mich auf. Der Verlag hat auch klare Beziehungen zum China.

Die Art von Zeichnen hat mir am Anfang (Cover) sehr beeindruckt. Leider sind drin sehr oft nur sehr rudimentäre Bilder von einzelnen Personen oder halt Krieg. Und oft frage ich mich, ob dass von dem gleichen Zeichner ist, weil die filigrane Zeichenart fehlt.  Ob der Text vom gleichen Autor ist, ist mir unklar.
Für ist hier klar ein illustriertes Geschichtsbuch über Krieg etc. Leider oft in solche beschränkte Sätze, dass man vieles nicht weisst. Und auch gibt es kein Platz für Reflexionen. 

Die Zielgruppe des Comics ist auch total unklar. Graphic Novel Fans sind vermutlich von den Einfachen und wenig einfallsreiche Zeichnungen enttäuscht. Für Kindern ist es definitiv zu kompliziert. Und alle anderen die Etwas von der Chinesische Geschichten lernen möchte, sind vermutlich enttäuscht, weil es so einseitig ist. 

Wem kann ich es empfehlen? Jemand der die Geschichte von China erkundigen möchte und vielleicht Krieg und Macht wichtig findet.

[Skyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The visuals themselves are great, and easily work to convey what the author is trying to teach! I really enjoyed the variety of styles used. Some pages came off as more "serious" than others by being depicted as very realistic or lonesome. The depiction of Hiroshima honestly gave me chills with the murky black swirls filling the page. The use of the more "2-D style" art for less dark/serious history really helped to balance graphic novel out when need be.

However, the dialogue came off as a bit stilted and information-heavy at times (which makes sense, seeing that this is an educational book meant to inform), and reminded me of middle/high school presentations that have been done in the past. I believe that there was simply too much content that needed to fit into this 224-page long work, as it was a bit confusing to read at times due to its relatively fast pace. Even though this is one book in a series depicting the history of China, it would have benefitted from being broken down even further, so that there would be more space to fully explore certain historical facts and themes. At times it seemed as if too many facts/words were mentioned in one speech bubble (or even page) that it got easy to lose track of the main point.

Ultimately I enjoyed reading this graphic novel. I believe that it is more accessible than a general textbook that covers this time period, as it can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Even though it can be wordy at times, it seems like the best medium to teach history! The beauty of a graphic novel is that the words and art really work together to better convey very complicated topics.

[Y.S. Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

History is messy and complicated. Every country has skeletons in its cupboards and will give you different justifications or reasons as to why they are there. The Way Forward is the fifth volume of the Understanding China Through Comics series. The series seems to be aimed at simplifying the history of China as a country, without losing the essence and vital details of the events that formed the country into what it is today.


WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK
The Way Forward makes effort to explain the nitty-gritty of macro-events, especially how it affects the common man or woman in China. We are not just told who or what made a decision at the highest level of government, we are shown how it impacted the citizens and the ramifications for the common man. This level of detail kept me engaged and invested.

DISLIKES
While this book does not shy away from some uncomfortable subjects, there is an element of excuse for most mishaps or ill-actions caused by China. In my opinion, history books ought to stick to facts and not be apologists for any country's ideology.

WHO IS IT FOR
This is a good introductory book for those interested in the history of China. It serves as a good entry material for those willing to learn more about one of the modern-day world powers.

Many thanks to Stone Bridge Press for providing a review copy.

[Leighton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Way Forward by Jing Liu is the 5th volume in the Understanding China Through Comics series. In an entertaining and informative graphic novel, the author explains the history of China as it enters the 20th century. According to the synopsis, the book involves how "China entered the 20th century as an agrarian society, weakened under internal and external pressures.." Civil wars, World War I follow, along with invasion by Japan. Eventually, China regains its independence.

Overall, The Way Forward is a graphic novel perfect for a reader who wants to learn history without reading a dry and boring textbook. One highlight of this book is that the author clearly did a lot of research when writing this book. There is a lot that will be new to even historical buffs. I did take off 2 stars, because I still found this graphic novel rather dry, even with all of the pictures. I think that the author should have included less text and more pictures, but that is just my personal preference. If you're intrigued by the synopsis, or if you want to learn more about the history of China, you can check out this book when it comes out in March!

[Sarah Faichney · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Way Forward' is volume 5 in the Understanding China series of comics and the first I've read. I fully intend to purchase the whole series! 

The comic opens with a timeline, running from 1911 until 1949, and is followed by an introduction. Contents cover the era of the early republic, the Warlord era, Nanjing decade, second Sino-Japanese war and ends with the Civil War of 1946-1949. Reading through the timeline, I was ashamed to note that I hadn't a clue what most of the events meant. 

Author Jing Liu imparts a critical understanding of China's position on the world stage, as the second largest economy and the country with the largest population. This particular text within the series is crucial to developing our knowledge of how they got to their current position as a global leader. As a Westerner, it's fascinating (not to mention humbling) to have the opportunity to view this period in history through a Chinese lens. 

There's A LOT of information to be gained here, though I must admit I did get a bit lost in places. Having said that, if you already have a basic grasp of the history, or are seeking to use the text as a teaching aid, I think it would work very well. 

[Jifu · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy from NetGalley)

Apparently this is part of an ongoing series that is working to cover China’s vast history in an approachable graphic novel format. Although I respect the general goal, I found the execution here in the book a little bit wanting. Although this series is already several works long, I feel as if this one could have worked better if split up into two separate publications. The sheer amount of information that is covered here simultaneously feels both too much and too little. At some points it felt close to an overload of dry mention of figures, dates and statistics. Other times, the descriptions and narratives felt oversimplified and brief even for a book with much to cover and a limited amount of space.

Still, I do appreciate the author’s attempts to walk that tightrope between informative and comprehensive, and I feel like they did their best to be thorough given the self-imposed constraints. All in all, a decent basic introduction to a critical point in China’s history.

[Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a brilliant historic graphic novel, which I really enjoyed. I believe it was wrote for adults but it rather basic and I feel it would be extremely useful for high school age children. As an adult I did enjoy it so if you love learning about history and politics through graphic novels then this is the book for you. It was packed full of very interesting information that was useful and explained well in a simple manner. I loved the pictures and became so engrossed in it that I had to finish it in one sitting. It's a brilliant way to learn history through a different type of media. I learnt so much from reading it and I wasn't bogged down by heavy information. I recommend this book for all those who love learning about history through a fun way and for those who love graphic novels and comics. It is great and a very unique story. The pictures were brilliant and I enjoyed the experience of reading it.
So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating such a brilliant way to help us all learn about China in a very unique way.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC received by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

There are a lot of things I really enjoyed about this book but most of all its format. Portraying history by both offering information in text connected to images of places and/or people as well as stats made for an easy and informative read!

My main issue was that I assumed this book would focus more on China than the US' relationship to China during this time. From what I understood this book was about China's history, but a lot of the perspectives (both in information and politics) were American. I'm not American so maybe that's why the US' relationship to China didn't interest me. However, this made sense when I read through the research list at the end of the book as many of them were either British or American. The reason I bring that up is because I know that how another country sees your country isn't a fair representation of its history, culture or people.

I like the idea of this book but would've loved to see more perspectives on this period in China.

[Dal]

A look at early to mid-twentieth century Chinese history. Most of the information is presented through comic illustrations.

I found much of the book a little hard to get through. There were so many historical figures presented, and it was a little easy to get lost in all the dialogue and constantly forget who's who.

I learned so much from this book despite the issues I had with it. It was informative, but not too information-dense. Prior to reading this, I had no background in Chinese history aside from knowing about the Japanese occupation of Manchuria and the rise of the Communists.

This was a good starting point to know more about Chinese History without getting too overwhelmed. It could have been executed a little better, but it was informative for the most part.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to reveiw this book.

[Ankita Goswami · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

I have always found Chinese history (and politics) very interesting and this book provides an extremely useful summary of the events that shaped China in the 20th century. However, for a graphic novel, I found it to be too information-dense. Those you don't mind text-heavy graphic novels would definitely enjoy this book more than me.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative