"Some day, someone will write the full epic of this exciting expedition," thus wrote Edgar Snow, on his pages of Red Star Over China, a historical account of the birth of Communist Party of China published in 1937.
Snow never had the chance to write about the expedition in its entirety. That went to another American reporter, Harrison Salisbury, with his book titled The Long March: the Untold Story. The book was published in 1985, over 50 years after this turbulent part of history.
"And 30 years later, it is still an in print, it is still read, it is still an incredibly exciting story," said Stephan Salisbury, son of the author, when Xinhua interviewed him in the year commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Long March.
"A LIFELONG LOVE AFFAIR WITH THINGS CHINESE"
"My father was interested in China since he was a small boy in Minneapolis Minnesota," Stephan said. At that time, there was one store in the city run by a Chinese immigrant, and it sold Chinese delicacies of all kinds, like candy ginger and caramelized lilac flowers, items that fascinated his father.
"It kind of started a lifelong love affair with things Chinese," said Stephan.
By the time Harrison went to college, he was convinced that he would become a reporter. It was then he had decided that he wanted to travel to China and report on events there. Harrison came of age during the time of the Russian Revolution and the first and second World Wars.
"Anybody who was a reporter and was interested in the war would have to have an interest in the Soviet Union, the Communism, and the revolution," said Stephan. "That was sort of a background interest."
Harrison Salisbury spent nearly 20 years with United Press, and later worked as the New York Times' Moscow bureau chief from 1949-1954. It was during this time that his interest in the Soviet Union and Communism was sparked.
According to Stephan, Harrison knew and admired Edgar Snow, who interviewed Chairman Mao in the caves in Yan' an, the cradle of the Chinese Revolution. Snow wrote in his book that he hoped someone would be able to tell the story of the Long March in detail.
"So my father got that idea, and once he got an idea, he couldn't let go of it, he kept pressing it," said Stephan. "He wrote letter after letter and importuned every official he could get his hands on, that he wanted to come to China, he wanted to take the Long March."
In August 1983, word finally came from Beijing. The door to the Long March was open for Harrison. In March 1984, Harrison and his wife Charlotte flew to Beijing.
