---
product_id: 15989255
title: "The Chinese Army 1937–49: World War II and Civil War (Men-at-Arms, 424)"
brand: "philip jowettstephen walsh"
price: "$70"
currency: NZD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.nz/products/15989255-the-chinese-army-1937-49-world-war-ii-and-civil
store_origin: NZ
region: New Zealand
---

# The Chinese Army 1937–49: World War II and Civil War (Men-at-Arms, 424)

**Brand:** philip jowettstephen walsh
**Price:** $70
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Chinese Army 1937–49: World War II and Civil War (Men-at-Arms, 424) by philip jowettstephen walsh
- **How much does it cost?** $70 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.nz](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/15989255-the-chinese-army-1937-49-world-war-ii-and-civil)

## Best For

- philip jowettstephen walsh enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted philip jowettstephen walsh brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

The Chinese Army 1937–49: World War II and Civil War (Men-at-Arms, 424)

## Images

![The Chinese Army 1937–49: World War II and Civil War (Men-at-Arms, 424) - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51dcOcYwN2L.jpg)
![The Chinese Army 1937–49: World War II and Civil War (Men-at-Arms, 424) - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41aBebXPVAL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Well done work with good drawings but the focus will benefit modelers more than the history buff.
  

*by A***Y on Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2015*

The Chinese Army 1937-1949by Philip Jowett.  Illustrated by Stephen Walsh. I want to know as much as possible about the organization, the battles, the arms and the campaigns of the Nationalists in the time covered in this volume.  To the glee of modelers, Englishman Philip Jowett presents us with a volume heavy on the detailed description of uniforms, head gear and the astonishing range of personal weapons used by the Nationalists over the range of the era.  I wanted to see more on battles and campaigns.  But if I wanted to accurately model a Chinese soldier from any part of China in any of the years in question, I could surely find a photo or a full color drawing to guide me. The many full color drawings by Mr. Walsh, also English, fully rise to the very high standard long established by the Osprey Man at Arms series.  The renderings have the life that make them pleasant to view and a strong emphasis on accuracy that we all enjoy, modelers or not. Author Jowett has a number of other Osprey titles under his belt.  He begins this one with a few pages of background that I found useful.  He sketches the historical period in China between WWI and the outbreak of open hostilities with Japan in 1937.  It helps us to understand how we got from here to there as it were.  Also interesting are the several page long chronology of the events of WWII in China and the tragic and devastating civil war.  We find it hard to credit the ineptitude shown by the Nationalist leadership in the immediate post-war period. With the bulk of the slim 48 page volume devoted to uniforms, helmets and the like this volume will be of more use to the modeler than to the general history buff.  That said, I am glad I got my hands on a copy.  There exist such a small pool of information on the subject that I found revelations on every page.  I didn't know that the Nationalist manufactured the American .45 cal 'grease gun' sub-machine gun, as an example. Author Philip Jowett has a straight forward writing style that presents the information without confusion, which I appreciate.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    If you thought it was rough in the Japanese army...
  

*by A***D on Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2005*

I was undecided about which soldier had a rougher life--the Japanese, Soviet, or Chinese soldier.  After reading Philip Jowett's "The Chinese Army," I'll vote for the Chinese soldier.  One in four soldiers issued a blanket?  The virtual lack of a logistics pipeline severely hindered the Chinese Army's effectiveness.  What little trickled down to the soldier's unit was often stolen and sold by his officers.  No wonder Mao won!  China was in a state of civil war since the mid 1920's.  Japan needed resources and saw a failed nation as ripe for the picking.  After Japan exhausted itself in China, Japan declared war on the rest of the world and was utterly crushed--Chinese soldiers played an important role in that defeat.  Afterwards, China resumed its civil war, with the Communists routing the Nationalists.  That civil war continues today with the conflict over Taiwan."The Chinese Army" covers the Nationalist Chinese Army--and I am abusing the term "army."  Most of the Nationalist army was a half-trained peasant rabble that would have felt at home in the 100 Years War.  It astounds me that the Chinese managed to survive close to three decades of civil war--with nearly a third of that in a formal declared war against Japan.  I'll have to look up the other Chinese army, Mao's.Details on uniforms and equipment included a series of color plates that are worth the price of the book.  The details on unit organization are sketchy--but then, Chinese Army organization was flexible to the extreme.  This book is 48 pages long, a bit slimmer than other Osprey products--but then, the Chinese fought a "come as you are" war.  Virtually all weapons were either imports or copies of foreign weapons.  Uniforms ranged from ordinary peasent garb (and a sack for ammunition--the few cartridges available) to German-based uniforms for Chaing's personal divisions.I have to respect these tough soldiers.  The only thing harder than being a Chinese soldier was being a Chinese peasant.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    A mixed review of this book
  

*by N***G on Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2010*

As a Chinese American interested in the 2nd world war history, this is the ONLY book in English on this subject I know of (of course there is a sibling book covering the time period starting 20 years earlier).The book does cover a lot of information and the readers need to go through evey page and every picture including the captions of the drawings.  The author tried to cover so many issues in such a small booklet: army organization, uniform, persoal equipment, and weaponry from light firearm to artillery and armored vehicle.  The vast amount of material can be better organized for easier reading.  I'll give it a 5 for the fact that there is much information in such a thin book and the only one on this subject in English.However, as I also accessed information in Chinese, I'm somewhat disappointed by the  mistakes in the book and the somewhat poor way of organization of the material.  Majority of the information is accurate, but some mistakes are made, such as some of the weaponry used - not a surprise as Chinese Army had to use what they could lay hands on and even article in American Rifleman on the rifles used by Chinese army in the WWII also has several mistakes!  It is a total chaos in fact.  For the shortage of some important information, I feel it is a 3.Therefore a rating of 4 is given.  But for readers of English only and interested in this subject, it is still highly recommended as a starting material.

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.nz/products/15989255-the-chinese-army-1937-49-world-war-ii-and-civil](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/15989255-the-chinese-army-1937-49-world-war-ii-and-civil)

---

*Product available on Desertcart New Zealand*
*Store origin: NZ*
*Last updated: 2026-03-06*