Introduction -- Chaper one Revolution and the republic -- Chapter two The battle of Shanghai -- Chapter three Last stand at Sihang Warehouse -- Chapter four Arrival of the flag -- Chapter five Breakout and aftermath -- Chapter six Betrayal and the last days of Old Shanghai -- Chapter seven Captivity and victory -- Chapter eight Inspiration and glorification -- Chapter nine Legacy in exile -- Chapter ten Memory after revolution -- Epilogue -- Bibliography -- Notes -- Index

Shanghai 1937. As invading Japanese troops are poised to capture one of the world's greatest cities, the Chinese Army begins to retreat - except for one battalion that conducts an epic last stand inside Sihang Warehouse. The bravery of these soldiers gave rise to the legend of the 'Eight Hundred Heroes', an enduring myth that echoes the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae and the Alamo in Texas. This book is a comprehensive account of the battalion's last stand but it also explains how memory of the even became a symbol that helped define modern China