Twin Stars of China: A Behind-the-Scenes Story of China's Valiant Struggle for Existence by a U.S. Marine who Lived & Moved with the People

New York: Dodd, Mead & Company. Near Fine in Fair dj. 1940. First Edition. Hardcover. [nice clean book with minimal shelfwear; the jacket is kind of a mess, though, with extensive paper loss at both ends of spine, numerous small edge-tears and general wear, and completely separated at the front hinge (held in place by new mylar)]. (B&W photographs, endpaper maps) The author, per the rear jacket blurb, "spent eight of the last thirteen years in China, as an officer of the U.S. Marine Corps. An official observer of the United States government during the present conflict, he marched with the Chinese Army and lived with the people, from Mongolia to Indo-China." (And "between visits to China," was deployed to Nicaragua, where he led "a contingent of the Guardia Nacional against the forces of the rebel Sandino," which earned him the Navy Cross.) A couple of years before the publication of this book, Carlson resigned his commission in order to devote himself to writing and lecturing about the dangers of Japanese aggression in the Far East -- but in 1941 he re-upped, and was put in command a battalion of Marines that became known as "Carlson's Raiders." He saw a lot of action, participating in both the Battle of Tarawa and the Battle of Saipan, and was badly wounded during the latter. (And prior to those engagements, while on a medical leave in the States, he served as technical advisor on the Hollywood film GUNG HO!, which was partly based on a raid that he himself had led in 1942.) He died in 1947 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. .