Women and Their Warlords

“Analyzing the thick layers of power, militarism, and emotion, Merkel-Hess has provided us with fresh and important insights into China’s warlord era, ‘warlord culture,’ and its impact on China’s modernization. Impressive and timely, this book demonstrates with force and eloquence how gender was integral to these dramatic national changes.” * Louise Edwards, emeritus, University of New South Wales *
“Not only does this book make important interjections into the field of gender history, but Merkel-Hess also asks us to rethink how we currently frame the political history of twentieth-century China. By including the voices of women as political actors, she reinstates agency to women in the making of state- and nation-building projects in ways never done before.” * Kelly Hammond, University of Arkansas *
"Innovative. . . In absorbing biographical chapters, Merkel-Hess. . . analyzes the lives of several fascinating women associated with well-known militarists, gleaning evidence of their lives from a wide array of sources. She convincingly argues that warlord women espoused and embodied a range of views about women’s place in the sociopolitical order." * Choice *
"Merkel-Hess provides us with a valuable picture of elite women’s military and philanthropic activity outside the urban centers we are familiar with. . . . by skillfully drawing our attention to the interweaving of the domestic and political in the lives and careers of the warlords and their female relatives, the book makes a valuable contribution to the fields of warlord studies and Chinese women’s history." * The China Quarterly *
"Remarkable. . . .  It is hard to find anything critical to say about this book. . . . the resulting richness and diversity of Merkel-Hess’s accounts and the themes she has pursued show the value of her multi-character approach over individual biographies." * Journal of Chinese History *