Sun Shuyun provides the perfect introduction to modern Communist China by investigating it's founding myth - The Long March. A descent into the wilderness of China by a beaten Red Army, which makes Moses flight from Egypt look tame by comparison. However long the distances, harsh the weather, the terrain, the enemy attacks, the Communist purges that you can imagine, this book reveals them to be more so.

Not that this is haigography. Sun's great skill is in presenting the story of the Long March as she knew it from school and the Chinese media and weaving in both her personal journey along the route and the reminiscences of all classes of those who participated in the March. We learn the myth, the reality and how arduous the journey still is today. We loose count of the times Sun mentions in passing journeys of 10 hours or more, which would be enough for most people.

Even Moscow's role is revealed. A most destructive one at that. You can see how their policies didn't fit with Chinese realities, their military advisors all but annihilated the Red Army and they backed the wrong people such as Chiang. You can see where the Sino-Soviet antipathy came from.

My only criticism is that the book isn't longer. It seems to end abruptly and I'm hoping this leaves room for a sequel.

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