September 13th, 2010 | Author: admin
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Book Review: Back to the Middle Kingdom by Yuan-Tsung Chen
I always considered myself reasonably well informed and reasonably well versed in modern history. As soon as I started reading back to the Middle Kingdom, I realized how little we really knew about the birth of modern China. We've all seen the pictures of the remains of the major dynasties that ruled for thousands of years, the great wall that was built to keep enemies out, the fabulous terra cotta army to protect the dead, and ornaments and priceless works of art.
We also believe that we know a little about today's China, we have all seen the pictures from National Geographic oppressed workers style unisex gray suits and trafficking of their bikes through the smog-filled cities rattley. Having never been to China I can not comment whether this is the way it is, or how it is interpreted by Western eyes, but one thing is clear, China has a less than stellar reputation in the areas freedom of expression and human rights.
The question is: How was this movement the country from one system to another? Author Yuan-Tsung Chen has taken a very particular approach, the book covers three generations of the Chen family, and this was three generations each in its own way, helped forge the country and politics. Following Chen's veil is lifted.
Most of us in the west have heard the names playing Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai-shek and Zhou Enlai, but how many can explain the delicate, and sometimes not so delicate between them? Who were these men, and forced the attackers?
Author Yuan-Tsung Chen explores almost 150 years of unrest, her story begins with the birth of Ah Chen, roughly translated Chen's grandfather in 1830, a peasant, carpenter, and sometimes even a barber, who engaged in the abortive Taiping rebellion. This led to him becoming a contract worker to his hasty flight to Trinidad. As famous as the next two generations will not may be, but it is clear that the gene is revolutionary.
His son Eugene Chen became the first Chinese lawyer in Trinidad, and although it became a huge success the call of their country was too strong, and in 1912 traveled to Beijing and in the murky waters of politics that was going. Eugene Chen's story is worth a book itself, and in fact there is at least one. Eugene stood up to the lofty position of foreign minister in the Kuomintang Sun Yat-sen, and was a key figure in trying to negotiate peace between both the internal and external stakeholders. In many ways China was in the midst of a civil war, while its sovereignty was being threatened by Europe on one front, another Japan, and Russia in the third. Interestingly, it was Russia that went to Eugene to help, however, Eugene was far from enamored with the Russian-style communism feel that might not be put to work in the social structure of China.
The third generation of the Chen family is Jack, and Jack was the reason for Yuan-Tsung Chen to write this book. She was his wife from 1958 until his death in 1995. Jack was also a political animal, and a great success until a Revolution Mao's Cultural, a decade of intellectual purges (1966-1975). Even with friends in high places, and an acquaintance at some point with Mao himself watching the couple found down the barrel of the gun of the feared Red Guard. Interrogated, humiliated and finally exiled, political life in China at least, had come to an end for Chen family.
This is an incredibly well researched and well written book. Part biography, part history book, return to the Middle Kingdom sheds much light on a fascinating period in history. It also explores the daily life and lifestyle, something that few history books straight. The family sacrifices that the three generations did for his country is almost unbelievable.
This book also gave me an understanding of why China is perhaps as an insular society today, and that reason has its roots in the 1800 Opium War, China is becoming another India, a toy for the Europeans to rape and pillage.
I fully can recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in modern history. I warn you, however, this book has so many details in its 400 pages it will take a time to read. As a reviewer usually budget three days for a book of this size, it took three times longer than read it! My wife was beginning to think I had forgotten how to read.
You can order your copy from Amazon or website Yuan-Tsung Chen.
About the Author
Simon Barrett is an adult educator in Calgary, Alberta. With the 11 months a year of winter, he reads a lot of books! He is also a contributing editor for
Blogger News
and maintains a personal blog at
Simon B
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