An informative piece about an important and growing minority in America whose accomplishments and trials has not received proportional share of coverage in the educational and mainstream media, as many would argue. I found the prose easy to read, and realized that it filled in many gaps in my understanding about the history of my own culture. The author seems to have done a thorough job in research for this book (I was quite surprised to find one of my relatives interviewed), and while some inaccuracies may exist, overall I feel it lends fair coverage to the various facets of life in America experienced by different members of this population.

One of my few criticisms is the author's tendency to switch back and forth from an objective third-person point of view (e.g. "they experienced....")to a more biased first-person perspective (e.g. "We should...), particularly in the last few chapters, which read somewhat like an imperative call-to-arms for the Chinese community to take action against the continued injustices commited against them by US society.

But overall, a great read, and much more interesting than sludging through a stale history textbook.

Iris Chang provides an intriguing history of one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in this country, telling of the many accomplishments of Chinese-American immigrants and providing stories of families and individuals from all walks of life in the process. Political economic and cultural observations deftly blend in Chinese In America, a narrative history which offers a personal look at Chinese-American culture and lives.

This is a fascinating book. As a Chinese American, I¡¦m not aware of many historical facts about Chinese in America, especially the contribution of Chinese American in the area of immigration law, e.g. the law suit brought by Wong Kim Ark in 1890s eventually declaring by U. S. Supreme Court that all Children born in the U. S. are American citizen even if their parents are ineligible for naturalization. There are many other historical facts are worthwhile knowing. The book is not for only Chinese or Asian American, it should be read by all ethnic groups in this country. Education and only education by reading books like this can dispel the myths, the stereotypes and the racial discrimination that victimize all minority groups in this country. It¡¦s a must-read!!

After I finished The Rape of Nanking, I was breathless and the pages were streaked with tears. It is a phenomenal description of a historical event that has been neglected in the textbooks of World History books all over the world. Iris Chang's partitioning of the book illuminated the event from the Japanese, Chinese, and European points of view. The anecdotes and statistics she chose all culminated to make a earth shattering point. It is a remarkable study on human psychology and on the cycle of history. Anytime anyone has ever asked me for a book recommendation I would advise this book. It changes one's outlook on the world. The Rape of Nanking is as critical to our human history as more highly publicized atrocities like the Jewish holocaust or the Cambodian genocide. The book should not be read for its literary technique ( which I think was superb ) but for the heart of the matter. Iris Chang dared to break a taboo on a topic so rarely spoken of; she dared to tell the stories of victims who have concealed their tales for decades. I can't acclaim this book enough; the only way to understand the power of this book is to read it for yourself.

I was really gob smacked, horrified of the Nanking massacre, it was absolutely atrocious. This book is a must. Bringing the history is very noble, worthy cause with honours. I am appalled at the denial of this massacre by the Japanese government who have not openly admitted to the atrocities, no compensation to the victims, educational system ignores Nanking. I really hope the Japanese government or leaders have the courage to say sorry in a big way before the few survivors perish.

I watched a Uk Tv about Unit 731, the inhuman biologial warfare where more than 10000 Chinese slaughtered + Russians and the top Japanese historian failed to mention this in any of his history books despite incredible amount of evidence from the victims put through by the British interviewer.

I am very proud of Iris Chang who stood up and gave a big shout for these victims, the undeniable truth of Nanking. Lets hope the sick Japanese right wingers dont have their way.

Iris Chang has done a great service to the cause of historical truth with this blunt, plainly written book. Despite its graphic and sickening descriptions of atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers, "The Rape of Nanking" is truly riveting. The story which it tells and the lessons which it teaches can, I believe, have a life-changing effect upon those who read it.

Most of the criticisms of "The Rape of Nanking" previously recorded in this forum fall into two categories:

The first type of criticism is what might be called the defense of HISTORY. This argument boils down to griping that the book is not written in the dry, arch language of true historians, that it personalizes history and that the author shows her lack of objectivity by injecting herself into the story she is telling. All of these claims have some measure of truth, but are beside the point, nonetheless. Chang is a journalist, not a professional historian, and her writing style is understandably less formal than what might be found in a scholarly historical journal or book. Nevertheless, the narrative is rich in factual material that is copiously documented in the footnotes at the end of the book. Even Chang's ruminations on the sociopolitical and psychological forces underlying the Rape are well supported, if all too brief. Finally, it is more than a bit unfair to criticize Chang for lack of scholarly rigor when so few "genuine" western historical scholars have been willing to take on this disturbing and controversial subject.

The second type of criticism is that of denial and revisionism, most of whose proponents appear to be right wing Japanese ultranationalists. Their contentions are that, on the one hand, the Rape never occurred, and that, on the other hand, even if it did occur (just a little,) it was no worse than the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki or the Chinese occupation of Tibet. The denial argument is so patently false that it cannot be taken seriously by anyone with a modicum of intelligence and honesty. It is especially hard to accept supposed refutations of the numerous eyewitness accounts of Westerners and of Japanese soldiers themselves. Wisely, Chang devotes nearly an entire chapter of her book to meticulously debunking these obfuscators.

The contention that other atrocities and acts of oppression somehow lessen the guilt of the Japanese for their actions in China is an absurdity. One of the weakest forms of argument is to say to one's opponent "You're another." All atrocities and all forms of oppression are inherently evil, regardless of who commits them. Rather than denying the undeniable and defending the indefensible, the Japanese people, as individuals and as a nation, would do well to yield to the truth of their past, regardless of how painful that may be. Living in opposition to reality is ultimately destructive to oneself.

... the subject matter is very intriging and deservesattention. However, Ms. Chang's book has no real insight into Tsien'slife.... The actual writting is also lackingg. The book is filled with dragging sentences that fails to excite the reader. I only recommand this book to readers who do not know anything about Chinese history or Tisen. It is to be used as an general and elementry reference only. Even then, there are still many holes....

I must admit a bias - HS Tsien is my grandfather's cousin. As such, this book is for me the family history that noone would tell me. For other readers, I would say that most history books concentrate on the rise of the USSR as a power, and then *poof!* there's China...how did that happen? Chang's book reveals how China's emergence on the world stage as a military power resulted from the US's own stupidity and xenophobia. My one real complaint about the book is that Chang's writing seems to drive the book to a climax at the point of Tsien's return to China, and then peeters out while she recounts China's race to the ICBM. This inconsistancy makes one feel that Chang herself had lost interest in the story, which is unfortunate. This story is fascinating enough (for anyone interested in history, not just me) to wish that the entire book had been treated with the care that Chang shows Tsien's US phase. Anyways, one leaves the story with feelings of respect and regret for what could have been. Please note that HS Tsien is still a bogeyman for the US intelligence community - he was mentioned, as Qian Xuesen, in the 1999 Cox report during the Los Alamos spy scandal. As far as I know, HS Tsien is still alive.

This is another book written by Iris Chang, author of bestseller "The Rape of Nanking". "Thread of Silkworm" told a fascinating story of a Chinese scientist, Tsien Hsue-Shen, educated in U. S. with great contribution in U. S. rocketry, was falsely accused as a communist and deported back to China in 1950's. Upon return to China, he became the father of Chinese missile program. The book was meticulously researched and superbly written. Iris Chang is a very talented writer; this is evident by this book.