"The Chinese Army Today is a comprehensive study of the Chinese military, examining its ground forces in a level of detail not found in other contemporary works. This revised edition has been updated to take account of new information and recent changes. Written by a retired professional military officer who has served in China, this text uses first-hand observation of the Chinese military and three decades of military experience to weave many disparate threads from official Chinese statements, documents, and media reports into an integrated whole. " -- Back cover.

List of illustrations - List of tables -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- List of abbreviations -- Introduction -- What is the PLA? -- Who is the PLA? -- Where is the PLA? -- How will the PLA fight? -- What equipment does the PLA use? -- How does the PLA train? -- What is the role of the PLA in Chinese society? -- Conclusions and the ghosts of Tiananmen -- Notes -- Select bibliography -- Index.