Typically his support in the PLA derived from the fact that his policies largely coincided with the interests of those who might oppose his authority. In the wake of Tiananmen, his most important tasks were to re-establish political stability and maintain the momentum of economic reform. But the president did not have it all his own way. Both the PLA and party leaders sought to impose curbs on his rule. The sacking of Ba Zhongtan, a retired general whom he appointed to head the paramilitary People's Armed Police, and Jiang's failure to secure the party chairmanship at the 15th Congress amply illustrate the real limits on his authority.
Tiger offers little that is new to experts.
But Gilley's meticulously collected data and skillful presentation make the biography an asset to Sinologists. Entertaining descriptions of personal quirks add to its readability. The author traces this habit to the superior skills of barbers in Jiang's native Yangzhou, his university days in Shanghai and his humiliation at having to adopt a crew cut to survive the Cultural Revolution. In many small ways, Gilley reveals his excellent understanding of Chinese politics. Rejecting conventional interpretations, for example, he downplays the idea of a Machiavellian Shanghai faction maneuvering to gain political ascendancy in the capital.