Impressions of Shanghai, 1937 (I)

In the late 1930s, Shanghai was a magnet for adventurous young westerners. Among them was  Best Overend (1909-1977). At the age of twenty-seven, he was the Third Watch Officer on a steamer that left … Continue Reading →

The Battle Erupts (II)

“Launch the assault.” This was in essence the message sent from supreme Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek to his frontline commanders near Shanghai during the night between August 13 and 14. … Continue Reading →

The Battle Erupts (I)

Friday, August 13, 1937 marked the start of the epic, three-month battle of Shanghai, at least according to official Chinese historiography, where the date is so widely accepted that a … Continue Reading →

An Echo From the Past

Japan this week unveiled its biggest naval vessel since the end of World War II, the 20,000-ton helicopter-carrying destroyer Izumo. The event did not go unnoticed by Japan’s neighbors, especially … Continue Reading →

Q & A With Author

Taiwan Today recently featured Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze in a superb article, saying it “has all the elements of a fabulous historical novel”. Below is the full text of … Continue Reading →

Media War Over Shanghai (II)

The 1937 battle of Shanghai was waged not just in the city’s streets, but also in the pages of the world’s major papers. Journalists such as Harrison Forman, pictured left, were important … Continue Reading →

Media War Over Shanghai (I)

The 1937 battle of Shanghai was waged not just in the city’s streets, but also in the pages of the world’s major papers. Peter Harmsen, author of Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad … Continue Reading →

Prisoners of War

In its heyday during the first half of the 20th century, Shanghai’s Ward Road Jail was reputed to be the world’s most populous prison, and one of its harshest. Built … Continue Reading →

Eyewitness to the Battle (III)

Among the thousands of foreigners who witnessed the 1937 battle of Shanghai up close was Best Overend (1909-1977), an architect and a member of the Shanghai Volunteer Police Force (first … Continue Reading →

Eyewitness to the Battle (II)

One of the most perceptive witnesses of the battle of Shanghai in the fall of 1937 was Best Overend (1909-1977), an architect for a British firm, Lester, Johnson and Morriss. What … Continue Reading →