Infighting

1937–1945: How One Man Defended His Homeland with Books
It is both the story of one man's resistance and a collective portrait of scholars serving their country.
In 1937, as the Chinese army suffered repeated defeats on the military front, Zheng Zhenduo and his colleagues from the "Committee for the Preservation of Documents" launched a "charging offensive" in the cultural sphere, fighting with the spirit of a desperate army.
The sincerity, dedication, courage, and wisdom of these "scholars serving their country" leap off the pages.
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This is a thrilling history of cultural resistance. Approaching the Anti-Japanese War from the perspective of book history, the author recreates the daily life of scholar Zheng Zhenduo, who remained in Shanghai from 1937 to 1945. It tells how, in an extreme environment where he was hunted by the enemy and collaborators and struggled for survival, he rescued rare ancient books for the nation, cleverly evaded overt and covert attacks from both enemy and allied forces, navigated various power factions, and stood firm on the front line of cultural resistance.
Over fifteen years, the author delved into various Japanese library institutions, unearthing numerous new documents from a Japanese perspective. This research brings to light the perilous situations and complex circumstances faced by Zheng Zhenduo and his colleagues from the "Committee for the Preservation of Documents" as they vied with the enemy for precious classical texts. It also uncovers the subtle historical undercurrents of Chinese and Japanese scholars, each with their own motives, contending for rare ancient books.
To continue the nation's cultural heritage and demonstrate sentiment in times of chaos. This book is both the story of one man's resistance and a collective portrait of scholars serving their country.

2025-07-01

生活·读书·新知三联书店

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