Pulitzer Prize General Non Fiction Winner

Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911–45

by Barbara W. Tuchman

Summary

A biography of General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell that serves as a broader history of the complex and often failed American diplomatic efforts in China during the early 20th century.

Historical Context & Significance

This was Tuchman's second Pulitzer; she used Stilwell's personal diaries to expose the deep cultural misunderstandings between the U.S. and the Chinese Nationalist government.