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A review by katiescho741
The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang
4.0
This is a fairly short book but it holds so much information and a lot to think about. The author's anger comes through in her writing, and I don't blame her. At the the time she wrote this, the Japanese attitude to the massacre was one of dismissal and secrecy.
Chang writes about the events of the massacre in a clear and straight forward way, but does not shy away from details about the treatment of civilians. The photos are shocking.
The stories of the westerners who helped people in the safety zone are inspiring, but it's horrific to think that the "safe" zone was constantly having to fight off Japanese soldiers.
This book tells a terrible story, but one that is important. The final section about the way the massacre has been remembered (or not remembered) is very interesting. Chang makes some points about the way humanity can witness horrors and forget about them minutes later, so long as they are far enough away....remarks that are still relevent over 20 years later. She discusses the white-washing of history too and how words and sentences were changed in textbooks to make the massacre sound like a fair act of war.
A really important book on a forgotten historical event.
Chang writes about the events of the massacre in a clear and straight forward way, but does not shy away from details about the treatment of civilians. The photos are shocking.
The stories of the westerners who helped people in the safety zone are inspiring, but it's horrific to think that the "safe" zone was constantly having to fight off Japanese soldiers.
This book tells a terrible story, but one that is important. The final section about the way the massacre has been remembered (or not remembered) is very interesting. Chang makes some points about the way humanity can witness horrors and forget about them minutes later, so long as they are far enough away....remarks that are still relevent over 20 years later. She discusses the white-washing of history too and how words and sentences were changed in textbooks to make the massacre sound like a fair act of war.
A really important book on a forgotten historical event.