In this ethnographically enriched book, Naftali navigates macro-level discourses, institutional practices and individual subjectivities to offer a nuanced exploration of Chinas militarisation of education and the complicated perceptions of it by the nations youth. -- Fengshu Liu, University of Oslo This is the first authoritative study of how the Chinese education system and media guide youth on war, peace and the military. And, how youth respond in often unexpected ways to these top-down lessons. Naftalis insights are urgent and profound for all those concerned about China and the worlds strategic order. -- Louise Edwards, University of New South Wales, Australia Around the world, matters of security are shrouded in secrecy. Naftali skilfully and courageously lifts the veil from the multiple enmeshments of education with militarisation in China, one youngster at a time. A disciplined and ruthless book, and a must read for everyone who desires to understand the promises and limits of militarisation. -- Sabine Frühstück, University of California Santa Barbara Orna Naftalis highly readable book is overall a meaningful addition to the debates about the militarization of Chinese society. It is of great relevance to anyone interested in Chinese youth, education, and military-society relations more broadly. -- Jérôme Doyon * The China Quarterly * An important contribution to the study of nationalism, education and militarisation in contemporary China. Naftalis research provides a comprehensive and well-documented account of the ways in which the state attempts to shape young peoples conceptions of war and military service, while recognising the role of young people in negotiating these narratives. Through a combination of fieldwork and textual analysis, it paints a dynamic picture of the ideological forces shaping Chinas younger generations. -- Giovannipaolo Ferrari * Europe-Asia Studies * Naftali presents research informed by geographical and socio-economic breadth, relevant to students and scholars of Chinese area studies and critical military studies alike. By asking students how they themselves link their views of conflict to the messaging they received at school and through popular culture, Naftali offers a nuanced addition to the literature on Chinese state nationalism under Xi Jinping and the efficacy of ideological instruction in contemporary China and beyond. -- Eleanor de Renzy Channer * Asian Affairs *
