Collected Stories of Modern Chinese History

Zuo Shunsheng (1893–1969) was one of the leaders of the Young China Party and a prominent figure in the volatile political arena of the Republican era. Having served as an editor for many years and studied modern Chinese history for over fourteen years, he published numerous historical works. Zuo placed great importance on the examination of personal deeds. Because accounts of major international events often fall into subjectivity or bias, he conducted research from multiple perspectives to portray each historical figure clearly. Within the gentle, narrative style of his essays, Zuo often drew upon poetry to enhance the emotional resonance and capture the contemporary moods and feelings of his subjects.

"In the last fifty or sixty years, China has been plagued by frequent chaos. Whenever a new ruler rises, they often deliberately suppress historical materials favorable to the old regime, or alter and misinterpret them at will. Differences in academic thought, partisan divides, and even personal grudges are enough to confuse right and wrong and turn black into white.\n\nWhat we can undertake at present is to hope that those committed to this work will develop through division of labor and full cooperation. Based on various materials, we must distinguish and repeatedly rewrite the stories of events and individuals, thereby saving time and energy for those who will write the comprehensive modern history of China in the future."

— Zuo Shunsheng