A Misunderstood Friendship

Highly recommended.

Mark Kramer, program director of Cold War studies, Harvard University, coeditor of Imposing, Maintaining, and Tearing Open the Iron Curtain: The Cold War and East-Central Europe, 1945–1989:
This is the first scholarly book about the history of China’s relationship with North Korea, and no two scholars are better suited than Shen and Xia to take on this task. They have produced a superb book, drawing on a remarkable array of sources. Their book puts to rest some long-standing myths about Sino-North Korean relations and is therefore of immense value for scholars. Although the authors focus on the Cold War period, their survey is very much relevant to current policy debates about security on the Korean peninsula and will be extremely useful for a general audience as well.

Thomas J. Christensen, Columbia University, author of The China Challenge: Shaping the Choices of a Rising Power:
This pathbreaking book systematically uncovers the previously hidden history of relations between the Chinese and North Korean Communists. In their painstaking research, their sharp analysis, and their clear exposition, Shen and Xia show why they are considered among the world’s foremost Cold War historians. Given the importance of Cold War history for the dramatic events in Northeast Asia today, this book could not be more timely.

Gregg Brazinsky, George Washington University, author of Winning the Third World: Sino-American Rivalry During the Cold War:
Anyone who reads this groundbreaking study will gain a new perspective on current Sino-North Korean relations. Using a host of new Chinese materials, A Misunderstood Friendship reveals fascinating new details about both Chinese and North Korean policy. It will be a must-read for all who are interested in the Cold War in East Asia.

A well-documented study.

[An] important contribution...Shen and Xia reveal harsh conflicts between the leaders of China and North Korea during the Korean War.