"This book by Edmund S. K. Fung builds on Andrew J. Nathan's Chinese Democracy (1986) with a fascinating history of liberal and democratic thought in the 1930s and 1940s, combined with a detailed study of the various democratic parties and institutions of the period...The book begins with an excellent introduction to the period...This book is at its best as a work of intellectual history...As a major contribution to our understanding of democracy in twentieth century China, it should be of interest to political scientists as much as to historians." American Historical Review

• Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1. The dictatorial regime; 2. Setting the opposition agenda: the issue of human rights, 1929–31; 3. The National Emergency 1932–6: political and intellectual responses; 4. In defense of democracy 1933–6; 5. An abortive democratic experiment: the people's political council, 1939–45; 6. Wartime democratic thought; 7. The third force movement: the Chinese democratic league, 1941–5; 8. 'Peace, democracy, unification, and reconstruction' 1946; 9. The last stand of Chinese liberalism; Conclusion; Selected bibliography; Glossary; Index.

"This book by Edmund S. K. Fung builds on Andrew J. Nathan's Chinese Democracy (1986) with a fascinating history of liberal and democratic thought in the 1930s and 1940s, combined with a detailed study of the various democratic parties and institutions of the period...The book begins with an excellent introduction to the period...This book is at its best as a work of intellectual history...As a major contribution to our understanding of democracy in twentieth century China, it should be of interest to political scientists as much as to historians." American Historical Review

• Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1. The dictatorial regime; 2. Setting the opposition agenda: the issue of human rights, 1929–31; 3. The National Emergency 1932–6: political and intellectual responses; 4. In defense of democracy 1933–6; 5. An abortive democratic experiment: the people's political council, 1939–45; 6. Wartime democratic thought; 7. The third force movement: the Chinese democratic league, 1941–5; 8. 'Peace, democracy, unification, and reconstruction' 1946; 9. The last stand of Chinese liberalism; Conclusion; Selected bibliography; Glossary; Index.