Ding Zhipan joined the army in the first year of the Republic, and served in various ranks in the military. He fought in numerous battles large and small, was knowledgeable and had unique views about the training of local and central army units, combat and the military organization of the Chinese Communists; while in the military, he kept a detailed diary, wrote war plans, accounts of battles, and wrote about the situation of the KMT and Communist forces, as well as drawing maps. All of these are the crystallization of his wisdom and leadership in leading soldiers. The first book contains his diary from the period of eight years from January 1939 to August 1949, while the second contains his diary from January to April 1952.