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Flying the Hump | A Photographic History of Sino-American Air Transport During World War II

Gold and Grain Coupons (黃金與糧票) By Mingyuan "William" Tang (唐銘遠) In 1949, two Chinese societies faced the same crisis: money no one trusted and food no one could count on. They chose opposite roads. Taiwan bet on gold: it shipped in gold reserves, launched a new currency to end hyperinflation, cut farm rents to 37.5%, and gave land to the farmers who worked it. Mainland China bet on control: it introduced grain coupons and rationing, built heavy industry on the Soviet model, and drove the Great Leap Forward, where unrealistic targets led to famine and broken trust. Gold and Grain Coupons compares how market trust and state planning shaped two economies, and shows what happens when a government wins or loses its people's confidence in money and food.

On April 18, 1942, the Doolittle Raid changed the course of the Pacific War and forever linked the destinies of American airmen and Chinese civilians. After launching from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV8) and striking Japan, many of the Raiders were forced to bail out or crash-land in eastern China. Thousands of Chinese civilians risked imprisonment, torture, and death to rescue and protect the American crews. In retaliation, Japanese forces launched brutal reprisals, leaving a devastating estimated 250,000 Chinese dead. Their shared sacrifice became one of the most remarkable yet least known chapters of World War II. More than eighty years later, students from the United States and China joined together to rediscover this history. Drawing on archival research, oral histories, field investigations, and interviews with scholars and descendants, they explored the stories behind the mission and the enduring bonds forged in a time of war. Presented in a bilingual format with the English section followed by Chinese, this book brings together the results of their research and reflections. It serves as both a tribute to those who lived through these extraordinary events and a testament to the power of historical memory to connect new generations across borders, cultures, and time. Mentors: George Retelas, Hsiao-ting Lin Editor: George Retelas Foreword: Hsiao-ting Lin Illustrator: Sue Lambly Student Authors (listed in alphabetical order by last name): Ethan Cheung, Audrey Li, Bryan Ma, Angela Tang, William Tang, Sarah Tian, Jonathan Wang, James Zhang, Erich Yunxin Zheng

Peace Beyond the Frontlines: American Soldiers Witnessing China in WWII 抗戰時期美軍眼中的中國 By William Tang, Ethan Cheung and Aiden Zhang A little boy sits beside an American GI on a pile of rubble, both of them smiling. What happened in the moments that photograph captured? When Japan invaded China in the 1930s, millions fled their homes and an entire nation fought to survive. Thousands of American soldiers arrived as allies, and they found far more than a battlefield. Their photographs show refugees on the move by foot, cart and crowded train, cities overwhelmed by newcomers, and families holding on to everyday life in the middle of war. Drawing on these rare images and on the history of American aid, from relief charities and Lend-Lease to the fight to reopen China's lifeline through Burma, the three student authors tell the human side of the alliance. They show the bonds formed between American and Chinese soldiers and civilians, and the kindness that crossed the front lines. A powerful, bilingual look at war through the eyes of the people who lived it, and a reminder that even in the darkest times, peace begins with people.

This book is an amalgamation of military history, archival images, historical studies and humanities education, and international relations between the Republic of China and the United States, all rolled into a single photograph album.