Humane Endeavour

As a foreign correspondent in the 1930's, Haldore Hanson covered the Chinese civil war and the invasion of China by Japan. Traveling rural roads on bicycle, he rotated among the warring forces and was occasionally arrested by one side or the other.


The present volume, "Humane Endeavor", which was first published in 1939, was praised as a rare close-up from the remote front lines. Owing to his expertise, the State Department hired him as an official in 1942. After World War II, he became assistant director of the Point Four development aid program for Asia.


"A complete coverage of the war years, with pictures of outstanding personalities. [Hanson] reports on the fall of Peiping, on war on the Mongel front, on the sieges of Shanghai, Nanking, on Japanese atrocities, war in the air, finance and man power, Japanese rule in conquered areas, guerilla warfare, border republics, [and] experiences with the 8th Route Army. Interesting reading it holds the interest throughout, and has the vitality of a first-hand record."—Kirkus Review