190 SOCIAL SCIENCES IN CHINA Winter'95 The author has also adopted an innovative approach in his descriptions of the well-known negotiations between the two parties,including the two negotiat- ing sessions held between the spring and autumn of 1944,and from the autumn of 1944 to the spring of 1945,the Chongqing negotiations conducted in the autumn of 1945,and the peace talks between the KMT and the CPC in 1946.For example,past studies of the Chongqing negotiations have tended to focus on the "October 10th Agreement"and the "Summary of Conversations"published by the KMT and the CPC.Such studies were thus limited to the period from 27 August to 10 October 1945.This book extends our field of vision by beginning discussion of the negotiations with the little-known fact that,between June and July,seven counsellors went to Yan'an of their own accord to talk with the CPC Central Committee in an attempt to improve the tense relations that existed between the KMT and the CPC,and ending with the repeated negotiations that took place between the two parties after Mao Zedong left Chongqing.This study will undoubtedly prove extremely helpful in understanding of the causes and effects of the Chongqing negotiations. The other distinguishing feature of this book is the author's objective and authentic descriptions of historical events and their.causes.He ignores precon- ceived ideas and sticks strictly to the context of his original materials.No attempt is made to cover up or negate information,or to lay particular emphasis on certain material.This work should thus acquire credibility among its readers.The text is straightforward,for example,it states that in 1936 when Chiang Kai-shek sought talks with the communists,a process did in fact exist for the CPC Central Committee to change its attitude toward seeking unity with Chiang.The author also mentions that the CPC once believed it could transform the KMT,and that Chiang Kai-shek once had the idea of dissolving the CPC by political means.The book makes clear that although the communists were successful,their negotia- tions did not always run as smoothly as some people imagined.In many cases, the negotiations achieved no results,and sometimes the communists were passive and in an unfavorable position. The shortcomings of the book are evident in its lack of references to literary sources,and in some chapters citations and interpretations need to be added. Although it includes new historical material,more space should also have been allocated to important letters and telegraphs made accessible to the reading public for the first time. -Translated by Li Huailin from Lishi yanjiu,1994,no.3 Reviewed by Jiang Chun and Hou Yangxiang Revised by Xie Zhenging and Su Xuetao C1994-2012 China Academic Journal Electronic Publishing House.All rights reserved.http://www.cn’ 9 5 T h e a u t h o r h a s a l s o a d o P t e d a n i x l n o v a t i v e a P P r o a e h i n h i s d e s c r i P t i o n s o f t h e w e l l 一 k n o w n n e g o t i a t i o n s b e t w e e n t h e t w o P a r t i e s , i n e l u d i n g t h e t w o n e g o t i a t - i n g s e s s i o n s h e l d b e t w e e n t h e s P r i n g a n d a u t u m n o f 1 9 4 4 , a n d fr o m t h e a u t u m n o f 1 9 4 4 t o t h e s P r i n g o f 1 9 4 5 , t h e C h o n g q i n g n e g o t i a t i o n s e o n d u e t e d i n t h e a u t u m n o f 1 9 4 5 , a n d t h e P e a e e t a l k s b e t w e e n t h e K M T a n d t h e C P C i n 1 9 4 6 . F o r e x a m P l e , P a s t s t u d i e s o f t h e C h o n g q i n g n e g o t i a t i o n s h a v e t e n d e d t o fo e u s o n t h e “ O e t o b e r 1 0 t h A g r e e m e n t , , a n d t h e “ S u m m a r y o f C o n v e r s a t i o n s , , P u b l i s h e d b y t h e K M T a n d t h e C P C . S u e h s t u d i e s w e r e t h u s l l m i t e d t o t h e P e r i o d fr o m 2 7 A u g u s t t o 1 0 O e t o b e r 1 9 4 5 . T h i s b o o k e x t e n d s o u r f i e l d o f v i s i o n b y b e g i n n i n g d i s e u s s i o n o f t h e n e g o t i a t i o n s w i t h t h e l i t t l e 一 k n o w n fa e t t h a t , b e t w e e n J u n e a n d J u l y , s e v e n e o u n s e l l o r s w e n t t o Y a n , a n o f t h e i r o w n a e c o r d t o t a l k w i t h t h e C P C C e n t r a l C o m m i t t e e i n a n a t t e m P t t o i m P r o v e t h e t e n s e r e l a t i o n s t h a t e x i s t e d b e t w e e n t h e K M T a n d t h e C P C , a n d e n d i n g w i t h t h e r e P e a t e d n e g o t i a t i o n s t h a t t o o k P l a e e b e t w e e n t h e t w o P a r t i e s a ft e r M a o Z e d o n g l e ft C h o n g q i n g . T h i s s t u d y w i l l u n d o u b t e d l y P r o v e e x t r e m e l y h e l P f u l i n u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e e a u s e s a n d e f fe e t s o f t h e C h o n g q i n g n e g o t i a t i o n s . T h e o t h e r d i s t i n g u i s h i n g fe a t u r e o f t h i s b o o k 1 5 t h e a u t h o r , 5 o bj e c t i ve a n d a u t h e n t i e d e s e r i P t i o n s o f h i s t o r i e a l e v e n t s a n d t h e i r e a u s e s . H e i g n o r e s P r e c o n - e e i v e d i d e a s a n d s t i e k s s t r i e t l y t o t h e e o n t e x t o f h i s o r i g i n a l m a t e r i a l s . N o a t t e m P t 1 5 m a d e t o c o v e r u P o r n e g a t e i n fo r m a t i o n , o r t o l a y P a r t i e u l a r e m P h a s i s o n e e r t a i n m a t e r i a l . T h i s w o r k s h o u l d t h u s a e q u i r e c r e d i b i l i t y a m o n g i t s r e a d e r s . T h e t e x t 1 5 s t r a i g h t fo r w a r d , fo r e x a m P l e , i t s t a t e s t h a t i n 1 9 3 6 w h e n C h i a n g K a i 一 s h e k s o u g h t t a l k s w i t h t h e e o m m u n i s t s , a P r o e e s s d i d i n fa e t e x i s t fo r t h e C P C C e n t r a l C o m m i t t e e t o e h a n g e i t s a t t i t u d e t o w a r d s e e k i n g u n i t y w i t h C h i a n g . T h e a u t h o r a l s o m e n t i o n s t h a t t h e C P C o n e e b e l i e v e d i t e o u l d t r a n s fo r m t h e K M T , a n d t h a t C h i a n g K a i 一 s h e k o n e e h a d t h e i d e a o f d i s s o l v i l l g t h e C P C b y P o l i t i c a l m e a n s . T h e b o o k m a k e s e l e a r t h a t a l t h o u g h t h e e o m m u n i s t s w e r e s u e e e s s fu l , t h e i r n e g o t i a - t i o n s d i d n o t a l w a y s r u l l a s s m o o t h l y a s s o m e P e o P l e i m a g i n e d . I n m a n y e a s e s , t h e n e g o t i a t i o n s a e h i e v e d n o r e s 板lts , a n d s o m e t i m e s t h e e o m m u n i s t s w e r e p a s s i v e a n d i n a n u n fa v o r a b l e P o s i t i o n . T h e s h o r t e o m i n g s o f t h e b o o k a r e e v i d e n t i n i t s l a e k o f r e fe r e n e e s t o l i t e r a r y s o u r e e s , a n d i n s o m e c h a P t e r s e i t a t i o n s a l l d i n t e r P r e t a t i o n s n e e d t o b e a d d e d . A l t h o u g h i t i n e l u d e s n e w h i s t o r i e a l m a t e r i a l , m o r e s P a e e s h o u l d a l s o h a v e b e e n a l l o e a t e d t o i m P o r t a n t l e t t e r s a n d t e l e g r a P h s m a d e a c c e s s i b l e t o t h e r e a d i n g P u b l i c fo r t h e fi r s t t i m e . 一 Tr ansla ted 妙 L i H uailin fro m L ishi ya lj j u , I 夕夕4 , n o . 了 R eview ed by Ji an g C h u n a nd H o u Y a ng x ia n g R evI’S e d 勿 , X i e Z h e n q i n g a n d S u X l C t a O