A review by kitkat2500
Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang

4.0

A very readable account of the life of the Dowager Empress Cixi, about whom I knew absolutely nothing before reading this book. I'm glad to have learned about her achievements, and also about the history of China during her reign (from around 1860-1908). I agree with some of the criticism that the author seems to be quite one-sided in her judgment of Cixi. However, I feel it's a fair counterpoint to the historical misrepresentation of Cixi. Overall, she was one impressive woman whose achievements are worth knowing about.