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mandrea's review against another edition
5.0
Very good, but very hard to read at certain points. Comprehensive history and exploration into how this could have happened. I learned a lot.
sonadora9's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fascinating, if at times disturbing, read. I appreciated that she provided the perspectives of Chines, Japanese, and bystanders to the event, as well as details on what has happened since then as far as attempts to uncover the truth of the event and attempts to keep the reality hidden.
ginakoko's review against another edition
4.0
This is an extremely difficult yet necessary book to read. Chang has a ton of nuance and not only reveals the horrors or what the Japanese imperial army committed, but speculates how humans could become so willing to commit violence through propaganda and the culture of militarism.
mdaneman's review against another edition
4.0
Well, that was an unpleasant read about how incredibly awful people are. When one of the biggest heroes of a horrible incident of history is a Nazi Party member, you just want to apologize to your dogs for being a human. Page after page of recapping absolutely unbelievable incidents illustrating man's inhumanity to man, along with why. Good read about a horrific topic.
pinktide's review against another edition
5.0
By far the most the most horrifying historical event I have ever read; these events surpass even the Holocaust and the Killing Fields in showing the extreme capacity of humanity to exercise needless cruelty on the innocent.
bleedgreen71's review against another edition
4.0
This is an important book and its writing and format are excellent but the subject matter is brutally difficult to learn about.
bhargavir's review against another edition
4.0
This book was fantastic, but absolutely not for the faint of heart or people with sensitive stomachs. Despite Chang not going into extremely specific details about the atrocities committed in Nanking in 1937, even the specifics and the broadest understanding of the violent acts committed against men, women, and children were stomach-turning. However, Chang's book is a searing indictment of the Japanese actions during World War II, and anyone looking to become a historian or gain a greater understanding of the world should absolutely read it. The novel reads slightly more like an academic paper than a historical summary, Chang breaking down the event into three perspectives and giving sub-groups to each, but it is still extremely accessible and understandable, and further helps prove her point about how these atrocities have largely gone unnoticed. This book was published in 1997, and yet, to my knowledge, there is still significant ignorance regarding this genocide and who suffered from it.
I cried, several times during this book, reminded of the absolutely vicious and unthinkable violence humans can do to one another. I also cried when reminded of the incredible, unthinkable acts of kindness we can show one another in desperate times, and how this novel highlights both. All we can do, as a people, is choose to remember the kindness, and choose to carry that on, without succumbing to the dark.
I cried, several times during this book, reminded of the absolutely vicious and unthinkable violence humans can do to one another. I also cried when reminded of the incredible, unthinkable acts of kindness we can show one another in desperate times, and how this novel highlights both. All we can do, as a people, is choose to remember the kindness, and choose to carry that on, without succumbing to the dark.
textilealchemy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0