Jewel of the Kingdom: General Chow Chih and Nationalist China

In 1890, the author's maternal great-grandfather Chow Chih was the firstborn son of a wealthy family in Canton, China, who could have pursued virtually any career. But China was swirling in revolutions and counterrevolutions as warlords and foreign interlopers fought for control after 2,000 years of imperial rule. Dr. Sun Yat-sen said China had become "the poorest and weakest nation in the world. We occupy the lowest position in international affairs. Other men are the carving knife and ser...