This is a story of a family during the span of a fulfilling, yet harrowing few years as New England missionaries in Central China before and during the time of the Chinese Revolution. It is a story of family strength and devotion, unmitigated faith, and human loyalty and courage.

The sequence of events is reconstructed from a series of letters, and the author's own formative experiences in her early life. No doubt family oral history contributes as well. Where memories of events would fade without a written account, the letters provide the details, not only of the larger events, but also of the smaller events that were committed to paper because they resonated with symbolism at the time--they become even more so with recounting. The language is richly descriptive and gives the reader a solid sense of location.

The story begins in New England in 1946, as a young minister, Alfred Starratt and his wife Anne, set out on a journey to China, a journey that is to lead them to a life of meaningful work with students and families at a university and mission compound. But times are desperate in post-war China and civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communists for political control eventually sweeps over the lives of all at the mission.

Duffy skillfully sets the historical stage so that we feel, with Alfred, the longing for political stability and social equity together with a unified recovery following the atrocities visited by the Japanese. We feel with him the frustration at the discord that reigns and feel sympathy for the political activity of the students. We share the disbelief that the loyal missionaries would be suspended from their humanitarian work. So it is that we are led to the same sense of betrayal that Alfred feels when the red army marches in and dashes hopes of continuing work under revolutionary change in an array of special rules and restrictions. We share the implicit protest that his loyalty to the Chinese people should place him as an enemy. It is at this point in the book that our own knowledge of history intrudes as we remember the extreme devastation that was the result of the new economic and social order. With this knowledge, our hopes fade and we fear for Alfred's life.

It is the Starratts' profound belief in the essential goodness of human nature that fosters hope for organized change. This belief does not die and is vindicated in the profound acts of heroism and kindness that is shown by ordinary people during the events that follow them from Wuchang to Stockbridge. These acts loom large against the background of the local situation and even larger against the backdrop of our knowledge of history.

As a result, we fully share in the emotional relief and joy at the generosity of the citizens of Stockbridge when the family returns home. The reader is taken to a new state of appreciation and a celebration of human nature even with the safe knowledge of a setting where individual freedoms are cherished and protected, where reprisals for kindness are absent. Throughout the story, a thread of providence, expressed by way of human and natural events, gives a spiritual dimension that lends depth to the narrative.

There is no analysis of the events as they are recounted and this reader was left with some sense of incongruence that, in a world of idealism and faith, acts of kindness are attributed to individual goodness and to an awareness of a loving God, while acts of violence, senselessness and cruelty are, indirectly, attributed to distant political machines and powerful militaries. There is no historical emphasis on the complicity that individuals share in the generation of these entities.

Yet it is the idealism that urged Alfred and his wife to China in the first place and made it possible for them to enact the life that spoke to their deepest desires of charity and human commitment. The strength of the family, and of Anne Starratt, especially, shines through as they make a stable and loving home wherever they find themselves. The intense experiences with the Chinese students, the teachers and missionary families that worked with them in a setting of material simplicity and hardship, cultivated an experiential knowledge of the transcendence that human beings can attain in an environment of enquiry and study, fellowship and faith.

It takes no more than a few hours to read this short volume, but it carries the reader through an intense and emotionally gripping account. We are left with the hope that worldly failures, disasters, and miseries can be more than matched by human love and loyalty.

If your belief in the goodness of mankind has become a little battered recently, then you simply must read Dr. Duffy's book. I read it through cover-to-cover in one sitting and gave it to my husband who was likewise absorbed. It is the wonderful story of Dr. Duffy's parents, who were living in China during the Revolution while Rev. Starratt taught at Huachung University in Central China. The Starratts were separated by the war, and through their letters and the family stories Dr. Duffy recalls, we learn of their bravery, their sense of purpose in the world, their selflessness and their love for one another, their children and China. It is a story to warm your heart and lift your spirits!

Penelope Duffy has written a sweet tale, the story of her parents' time as Anglican missionary workers in China in the late 1940s, when the Communist revolution occured. The account is liberally sprinkled with quotations from her father's letters to her mother when they were separated, she safe in Hong Kong with three very young daughters, he at the mission. Duffy's tone is never preachy or overly pious, but the essential goodness of her parents, dedicated to a life of service, shines through strongly. So does their love for one another. Duffy's book is an antidote to despairing thoughts about our world, which has always been troubled, but where people like her parents look beyond themselves to exercise faith, hope, and charity toward all.

There's not "one" story about Tibet, of course. Like any other human drama, especially one which has proven so emotional for those involved, there are a thousand stories from a thousand people.

But Tashi Tsering's story is an important one. He brings voice to a perspective that has been silenced for far too long in the West. I would recommend this book strongly to anyone who feels they already "know" all there is to know about Tibet; odds are, you're wrong.

Instead of using my own words... let me quote a few paragraphs from the book:

"He responded unequivocally that his decision [to return to Tibet from the University of Washington in 1963] had nothing to do with money. Instead he saw himself as a representative of the common people who wanted to help create a new, modern Tibet. The atmosphere became somewhat tense, since the other Tibetans, who were aristocrats, hated the communists and China and were committed to freeing Tibet forom Chinese control."

...

[Many years later, after 1985, on one of Melvyn Goldstein's trips to China]

"On one of my trips, Tashi surprised me by asking if I could help him publish a book about his life. He thought foreigners needed to know about common Tibetans - that is, Tibetans who were not aristocrats or monastic prelates or incarnate lamas. He felt his story could play a useful role in assisting both Westerners and young Tibetans born in exile to understand the real - non-Shangrila - Tibet."

Finally a book that treats Tibet as a nation and a people in history and not just a land of changeless Buddhism and nomads! The book was dropped quietly from the publisher/distributor Snow Lion after initial fan-fare when it was discovered that this Tibetan author, though fervently pro-Tibet, was equally fervent against the rule of the Dge-lugspa (the Dalai Lama's sect), and he describes in detail what he had to suffer as a member of the Dalai Lama's personal dance troup. Kudos to Tashi Tsering for telling his incredible story!

I finished reading this book in 3 consecutive nights. Fascinating account of a 10-year-old boy becoming a member of the Dalai Lama's personal dance troupe as a tax obligation; how the boy grew up, worked for the exiled noble Tibetan leadership, and eventually became a Red Guard--this is the first time I've learned that there are many Tibetan red guards during the Cultural Revolution, the reasons why these Tibetans try to better their old serf-noble society, and why they joined the misguided Cultural Revolution. At the end I can't help but feel utmost respect for Mr. Tsering. Even though he's made mistakes, he freely admits to them. The amount of trauma he has gone through in his life is beyond what many people can take, yet he perseveres. Now I fully support his goal: establishing schools in Tibet for the Tibetan children. Bravo, Mr. Tsering. I hope someday this life story will be made into a movie. It will be much more intelligent than 7 Years In Tibet. Instead! of a fluff story about the "dumb natives", here is one intelligent, complex Tibetan.

I knew VERY LITTLE about what happened to Tibet and the Dalai Lama, until this book. It's a very good read....Please consider buying it and learning about the abuse of human rights in other parts of the world.

China is now the newest trading partner for America. This bookand "In Exile from the Land of Snows" by John Avedon offer agreat deal of understanding tho the nature of the Government ofChina. If you are planning to do business or just buy the "Madein China" Label you should want to understand where much of yourinvestment goes and the horrors that your dollars pay for. This is nota read that will leave you unmoved. You will want to know more...Another Video to see is a chinese and Tibetan language film "Windhorse" Very accurate when compared to the other histories listed above and current news reports out of Tibet. For more on Tibet visit the website of the Tibetan Government in Exile at www.tibet.com or for a beginners introduction to Tibet visit www.tibetanphotoproject.com and then come back and get this book. Reading this book is a worthwhile journey in today's global marketplace.

Mary Craig's Tears of Blood is a masterful account of a history long overlooked and disregarded by the international community, the history of 20th century China's brutal invasion and occupation of Tibet. Ms. Craig has gone even further than most to support the struggles of the Tibetan people, refuting point by point the standard line of the Chinese government, "Tibet has always been a part of China." A must read for anyone even remotely interested in human rights or Tibetan independence.

Larry Snider's book is filled with beautiful, sensitive photographs. I have seen Snider's works before, and it is a great pleasure to be able to "visit" them as often as I like by simply owning this volume.

For anyone who loves the art of photography and portraiture, adventure travel, or remote and ancient cultures, this book is a treasure. It contains haunting, sublime portraits of people of China, Tibet, Bhutan, and Ladakh: laughing children, wise elders, rakish young men, monks, families, laborers, and women, old and young, at work or dressed in ceremonial finery. The portraits were not taken in a studio, and the architecture of their settings -- monasteries, villages, shops, and streets -- are as intriguing as the subjects themselves.

The poignancy and beauty of these portraits lies not only in their technical and artistic excellence, but also in their deft blending of contrasts: the exotic and the familiar, the ancient and the modern, the distinctly Asian, and the rare Western or perhaps global artifacts of our modern culture.

A World Away merits one's attention again and again, as the portraits yield evocative details and depth of meaning with each viewing. This collection is a compassionate and eloquent account of the people encountered during the artist's Asian travels. It would make an elegant gift, and, since the book's impact is visual rather than verbal, the recipient need not speak English to enjoy it.

A thoughtfully engaging and beautifully produced monograph which details the artist's travels thoughout Asia. It is no wonder the artist's work is in so many musuems and has been the subject of numerous exhibits.

There are no real faults with this book. The Introduction is interesting. An essential book for those seriously interested in the Daoist Perspective.

This book joins John Major's 1993 "Heaven and Earth in Early Han Thought," edited (interestingly enough) by Roger Ames, in translating another portion of the Huai nan zi corpus. According to the translators, Yuan Dao comprises the opening treatise of the Huai nan zi, itself an important record of early Chinese astronomy, meteorology and cosmology, of which Major has previously translated the most relevant portions.

As others have stated, the authors' introduction comprises about one third of the book, and it is an insightful discussion of some of the cultural and literary forces that shaped early Han cosmology and culture. The context provided by this essay can deepen anyone's study of traditional Chinese culture and history.

Like the Dao de jing, Yuan Dao comes down to us in terms that sound at times naturalistic, at times political. Yet, it is essential to remember, much as the authors suggest in their discussion of the concepts of qi and heart-and-mind, that philosophy, natural history, politics, strategy, medicine, literature and other traditional Chinese pursuits were not conceived of as distinct pursuits by the Chinese. Accordingly, much of early Chinese literature addresses many apparently distinct subjects simultaneously. In Yuan Dao, Lau and Ames have thoughtfully provided us with additional ways to get at the many meanings of this literature.

In my opinion, this document is of equal standing with the Chuang-Tzu and the Lieh-Tzu in importance, and as a compilation of thought, in a way more important as these documents as an overview of Taoist thought.

Having read a more obscure translation earler, I found this translation to be delightfully accessible and clear. There are excellent notes, summaries, explanations, and histories to compliment the document. I wish they had been present in the earlier translation I had dug up.

After reading the Tao Te Ching, read this before moving on to the Chuang-Tzu, Lieh-Tzu, or any other Taoist document. It's worth it - and in the spirit of Lao-Tzu, not too long or wordy.

A reviewer below has already done an excellent job of summarizing the book, so I can only hope that my review can serve as a complement. "1587" is essentially an examination of why the Ming dynasty--an institution that commanded great wealth and governed a vast nation--was already showing signs of decay and its impending collapse under the reign of the Wanli emperor. Ray Huang does an excellent job to show how cultural inertia and an institution that governed miserably effectively neutralized the voice and power of individual participants. The Ming dynastic system did not tolerate loyal opposition and was not designed for ministers or individuals to discuss opposing views in an orderly manner, which meant that power struggles were bound to be ugly as rival ministers and bureaucrat employed moral arguments to tarnish each others' reputation. Avenues for advancement within government amounted to a zero-sum game in which an official's effectiveness in governance was a barometer of his morality (bound with tradition and Confucian precepts open to interpretation). Imagine if your local mayor was judged not on his or her effectiveness or merit, but on whether he or she was a morally upright individual who was adhering to both the spirit and traditions of the past.

The Ming imperial system also placed a greater value on the institution and sought to dehumanize the emperor. The emperor was the emperor--he was not Wanli, not Jiajing, etc. The bureaucrats and officials--whose power was constrained individually--exercised great power as a group, effectively dictating how the emperor should act, behave, and present himself to the public. Little wonder then, that the Wanli emperor, whose power was in the negative and not the positive, hardly sought to rule in an effective manner after being weighed down by such an institution. Others in the drama--the powerful minister, the innovative general, the eccentric bureaucrat, and the dissenting scholar--would find the same forces inhibiting their ability to affect real changes.

Huang ends his book by concluding that the Ming dynasty was a "highly stylized society wherein the roles of individuals were thoroughly restricted by a body of simple yet ill-defined moral precepts, [and that] the empire was seriously hampered in its development, regardless of the noble intentions behind those precepts. The year 1587 may seem to be insignificant; nevertheless, it is evident that by that time the limit for the Ming dynasty had already been reached. It no longer mattered whether the ruler was conscientious or irresponsible, whether his chief counselor was enterprising or conformist, whether the generals were resourceful or incompetent, whether the civil officials were honest or corrupt, or whether the leading thinkers were radical or conservative-in the end they all failed to reach fulfillment. Thus our story has a sad conclusion. The annals of the Year of the Pig (1587) must go down in history as a chronicle of failure."

I recommend this book for all those not only interested in the history of the Ming dynasty, but to those who are interested in the nature of Chinese imperial statecraft and the question of how government should be structured.

This is a truly unique book in its approach to the presentation of Chinese history.

There have been an untold number of books written on every aspect of Chinese history since, literally, the dawn of the written word. The approach of this text really takes the reader inside the Chinese mindset presentng history in a truly readable manner.

Para1: A scholarly work that is easily accessible to non-specialists, historian Ray Huang's ironically subtitled 1587: A Year of No Significance focuses on the Ming Emperor Wan-li--who rose to the throne and the age of eight and who reigned for 48 years--and five other figures in the court of the decadent, doomed Ming Dynasty. This is an off-beat masterpiece of both history and biography, learned yet chatty, steeped in the dense, ancient imperial chronicles yet surprisingly contemporary in its oblique illuminations of contemporary Chinese political culture through the prism of history. Para2: Huang's approach is is reminiscent of Kurosawa's in Roshomon, employing multiple points of view from the imperial court in seeking to expose and foreshadow the demise of the Ming. We meet archetypes from the drama of Chinese history: the Machiavellian chief minister, the perceptive but disregarded general, the anguished philosopher, and, at the story's center, the eccentric Wan-li emperor himself. In choosing to write about Wan-li, Huang is able to create a measure of narrative tension unusual in Chinese historical writing, because by the Year of the Pig, 1587, the emperor has ceased to fulfill his prescribed role in rite and ritual as the embodiment of moral order. Wan-li's behavior causes great agitation among his courtiers, bureaucrats, retainers, imperial wives and concubines, eunuchs, and slaves, each of whom occupies a carefully defined place in the regimented life inside the walls of the Imperial Compound and who, without punctilious observances by the emperor, is without a fixed point of reference. Para3: A special feature of this book is the wonderful chapter on the incorruptible censor Hai Rui, who dared impeach the Emperor. Hai Rui is familar to students of modern China as the subject of a 1960s play, "Hai Rui Dismissed from Office," that provided Mao Zedong with the pretext to launch the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Mao believed, rightly, that the play was an allegory of his dismissal in 1959 of his defense minister, who dared to speak the truth about Mao's failed Great Leap Forward. To meet Hai Rui in Huang's portrait is to understand anew Mao's resentment at being cast as villain in a historical drama. Para4: Although published by a major university press, 1587: A Year of No Significance is not simply for specialists. (It is, however, highly regarded among professional China scholars and contains all the trappings--excellent and extensive endnotes, bibliography, and index--of the scholarly monograph.) Above all, it is an engaging, often gripping, at times tragic, and, ultimately, unforgettable portrait of a man and a moment in time. It is, moveover, beautifully written in an odd, often haunting first-person voice that renders palpable the weight and majesty of four thousand years of Chinese civilization. Para5: A variety of excellent, biographically-based popular works on imperial China remain in print--Jean Levi's historical novel, Emperor of China, and Jonathan Spence's work on the Qing emperor Kang-hsi are among the best known--but, in my opinion, Huang's book surpasses them all. 1587 is, indeed, a work of great significance, by an author of encyclopedic knowledge and scope and a stylist of vast charm and elegance. Signed: Paul Frandano

What impressed me most about this novel was the way it did not fit into any of the stereotypical formats for a love story. I had evendoubted that there was a love story buried beneath the lusts and betrayals. This is a true to life story, without the frustrating over-riding theme of true love thwarted. We are only given the merest hint( ). Certainly, their friendship buds and blooms in Shanghai and in such an odd, yet satisfying way too. However, ( ) ongoing commitment to her marriage gives depth and truth to the plot. The ultimate betrayal by ( ) gives her strength to move beyond her marriage, and, ah! not immediately ( )arms. How refreshing! Their marriage towards the end becomes all the more beautiful for these two characters, having travelled life's roads and changed and mellowed (the latter especially referring to ( ), finding lasting happiness and love in each other. END

I ran across After Shanghai completley randomly and by chance, decided to buy it. When I began to read it, I was spellbound by the life of Clio and her difficulty of trying to integrate the Shanghai lifestyle into her English lifestyle. As she grows up and integrates herself into rich society that was made up of adulterers and backstabbers, she never quite finds the happiness as she had in her youth in Shanghai. As she enters a marriage she thought would be ideal, she finds that it is unfulfilling and is consistently marked by betrayal. Despite this, at every betrayal, Stephen is there, always present. At first evaluation, he seems cold and distant, but as the book progresses, he becomes more and more a moving force in Clio's life. Despite the difficulties that Clio faces and the hardships that keep cropping up, when she summarizes her life up in a few pages at the end, the reader feels as if her life has been worth all the difficulties because of one person that went beyond all those materialistic things that English society held up so rigidly.

As a reader of many novels, I cannot help but get excited when I finish the last sentance on the last page, close the book and feel that my life is somewhat more enriched by the experience of what I just read. "After Shanghai" by Alison McLeay achieves this remarkable sensation. This historical family saga revolves aound Clio - a woman of English descent born in Shanghai, 1910. Upon her grandfather's death, Clio and her father return to England for the funeral where they remain since the grandfather's will requested Clio's father to run the family shipping business from London with his brother, Clio's uncle. Clio grows up with her uncles children - Rose and Alice - and we are exposed to several other family members including Stephen Morgan, "the scandelous man of the family." As the novel begins, Clio is an elderly woman returning back to Shanghai recalling the people and incidents which have shaped her life. We learn about Shanghai in the 20's and the 30's - we learn about the beauty and passion Shanghai invites. We also see the destruction of Shanghai as a culture by the devastation of war and the Japanese. As Shanghai changes so does Clio and we are taken on a glorious journey of her life. We see her life in its entirety from childhood thru old age and the comparisons between the cultural circumstances of Shanghai and Clio's life circumstance are symbolically intertwined. Ms. McLeay is so intelligent in her writing is is almost frightening. She could have created a mindless family saga - instead she created an engrossing story enhanced by the expertise of her writing. There can be no denying that Ms. McLeay can write and part of the joy in reading is experiencing the beauty of words and one's use of them. Her written passages are engrossing, her story compelling. I stumbled across this novel by accident but you can be sure that this reader will continue to read and search for the novels of Alison McLeay. A I said before, to read Ms. Mcleay and "After Shanghai" is an enriching experience.

I red this book for a very simple reason: the research i'm working at is just about Harbin, its uniqueness as the only russian city outside russia and the cultural atmosphere it enjoyed during the 1920's. I found Wolff's work very useful, a miracle of different sources, but i keep asking to myself: why such an amazing experiment in history as my Harbin was not studied until now? Anyway, good job..i wish i had written it myself!

I found the book very interesting .As a kharbinetz born in 1949 in Harbin I left Manchuria as an infant for Poland and don't remember myself anything of the atmosphere of that unique town.My parents (they were Russian and Polish) were born and spend their youth there.I remember their stories about that vibrant, colorful, exciting and multicultural life in that Pearl of North Manchuria.The Poles and Jews are mentioned as "minorities" in the predominantly russian town, but the significance of polish technical staff during construction and running the CER was underestimated.Russians noticed that influx of Poles in CER, so even press in S.Petersburg warned about "polish danger" on russian railways .The personalities showned as Russians were Poles : Stanislaw Kierbedz, Adam Szydlowski, Stefan von Offenberg, Seweryn Wachowski, Mikolaj Liniewicz, Aleksander Letowski,Alfred Zaremba ).The magnificent Harbin railway station was design of polish architect Ignacy Cytowicz, art nouveau in Harbin was supported by architect Konstanty Jokisz then responsible for New Town development.The landmark of the city famous railway bridge was built by polish steel construction company "Konstanty Rudzki i S-ka" from then russian Warsaw, frames were prepared in it's plant in Minsk Mazowiecki then sent by rail to Odessa and shipped through seas to Vladivostok and then on barges to the site in Harbin.All steel bridges on later Amur Railway finished in 1916 were also prepared and built by that company.It is estimated that about 35% of technical personnel of CER was up to the IWW of polish origin.Suppressed in their homeland Poland , sought career and better life in outskirts of Russian Empire, so did Jews fleeing from antisemitism and discrimination.But they were active rather in commerce, banking and industry .Far away from "problem" areas all "minorities" could live without all the limitations imposed on them in the Empire.Ironically as it is they were accepted as "Russians" by St.Petersburg bureaucracy, that was unable to furnish Manchuria with adequate number of energetic, able and educated people of pure russian origin.

I didn't really read the book, but I used to stay after school in 3rd grade and draw cartoons with Wolff. His cartoons were wonderful, so I have no doubt his insights and analyses of Harbin and the Chinese Eastern Railway are every bit as good.

Baabar's Twentieth Century Mongolia is one of the best books ever written on Mongol history. This is the sole available work that not only deals with Chingis-Khanite period till modern day Mongolia, but is also written by a Mongol person. The book would be a great help for one who is doing a research on Mongol history and people. Not only a great writer, Mr. Baabar is a leading democratic revolutionist and a respectable politician in our country.

This book is one of the best history books i've ever seen. You guys should take a good look on it in order to achieve core elements about Mongolia. This book will help you to know what exactly Mongolia is and Mongolians are.

Last 80 years we, Mongolians read ideolised (Mongolian history from Marxist point of view). But Baabar's book opened our eyes. This is true history of Mongolia last century.

Cohen's book is among the better works to document the short but exciting history of Pan American's pacific clipper operations, providing insight into the pilots and aircraft that flew it and the route they took. My few complaints were with the relative dirth of information following the outbreak of World War II, some speculative accounts which have been correctly described in other books, and a lack of color photos. Still, for the price it is a most valuable addition to anyone's aviation library.

Stan Cohen's book is a wonderful pictorial exploration of the commercial aviation conquest of the Pacific. I found the discussion of the North Haven Expedition and the Pacific Clipper base construction most interesting. Cohen shows pictures of their heyday and as the looked when he researched the book. Cohen also has some photos of the China Clipper I had not seen previously. If you are a Pan Am Clipper history buff - this is a must have book.

For the lay person who doesn't understand aeronautical engineering, but thinks the Clippers were possibly the coolest thing in the world, this is a great book to have around. The pictures are excellent, there's enough--not too much--technical info to make it interesting and it's a concise introduction to this phase of history.