I See A New China

Light on China

by George Hogg

The author went to China in 1937 as a war correspondent. He gives an intimate picture of Rewi Alley, the 'Father' of the Chinese Industrial Co-operatives, and of the fight by the Chinese to overwhelm the Japanese and to build a new civilization.

Genres: China

352 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1986

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written by a British adventurer, George Hogg, although he is virtually unknown. I discovered his inspiring story in Yunan province. My friend produced a movie in 2008, titled “The Children of Huangshi” based on his story. After graduating from Oxford, 23-years old Hogg went on a round-the-world tour before taking a banking job in London. But he was impressed with the struggle in China and brutality of Japanese army that he decided to stay as a war correspondent. Eventually, Hogg gave his life rescuing young Chinese boys at the first British school in China he founded. He took them on a 700 mile march to safety by foot from the advancing Japanese army in winter 1944, under the coldest temperature. He is that rare person who fell in love with foreign people and devoted his life to their betterment. His selfless acts made him deeply loved.

[Gabi Coatsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Hogg was a young British man who traveled to China during the Japanese invasion of that country in 1938 to help set up the first industrial co-operatives there. He writes about his experiences in a very straightforward way, but because the world he's talking about is so foreign, I found the book fascinating. There were a couple of chapters where I felt I really knew all I needed to about the workings of a co-operative, but what kept me reading was the anecdotes and stories of the people he meets and the school he helps found for orphaned Chinese boys. A film was made of this book, called the Children of the Silk Road/The Children of Huang Shi, in case you can't find the book. It's not exactly the same, of course, but it does give you some of the flavor.