Aug 09, 2017 the nanking massacre was an episode of mass rape and murder committed by the japanese troops against the residents of nanking, then the capital of the republic of china during the second sinojapanese war. The forgotten holocaust of world war ii by iris chang follows the progression of japanese soldiers from shanghai to nanking during world war ii and gives account of the horrible atrocities committed by the japanese military at nanking. The forgotten holocaust of world war ii published in 1997. The author is very specific as to details on the murder of the asian population by the gang of thugs called the japanese army. The japanese army swept into the ancient city of nanking nanjing and within weeks not only looted and burned the defenseless city but systematically raped, tortured, and. The rape of nanking is the first book on the subject in english in more than 50 years. While reading the book killing the rising sun, bill orielly and martin dugard touched on the japanese invasion of nanking china in 1937.
Putting aside my personal sentiments, the book is a gripping tale of the atrocities committed by the japanese army in. The forgotten holocaust of world war ii is a bestselling 1997 nonfiction book w. In 1995, chang authored thread of the silkworm, a book about tsien hsueshen, a chinese immigrant who, forced out of the united states, pioneered the chinese missile program. This is necessary background information to further discuss and analyze iris changs book, the rape of nanking. Perhaps, therefore, the time has come to thank authors, such as chang, who address.
The forgotten holocaust of world war ii the book that i chose to read was the rape of nanking. The rape of nanking tells the story from three perspectives. The rape of nanking is a historical nonfiction book written by iris chang. The horrific events are known as the nanking massacre or the rape of nanking, as between 20,000 and 80,000 women were sexually assaulted. Newly revised resources for understanding the rape of nanking. It describes the events leading up to the nanking massacre and the atrocities. One book is uncompromising in its description of the horrors that took place after the japanese arrived in nanking. The notorious rape of nanking that immediately ensued began as a systematic murder of chinese prisoners of war and anyone assumed to be soldiers in hiding. The japanese army swept into the ancient city of nanking what was then the capital of china, and within. Nanking, then the capital of nationalist china, was left in. Much of this controversy involves iris changs book, the rape of nanking. The book begins with a vast number of statistics that serve to show the true massacre of. Because of chang s book, the second rape of nanking is ending.
This source helped me out with some photos and gathering basic information upon the massacre. If the book had only been a bloody storytelling with no background and no followup to put it in context with, i would not have given it a 5star rating. In changs view, the japanese government hasnt adequately apologized for the violent taking of nanking during the chinese holocaust. The rape of nanking is surrounded in controversy that is stronger today than ever before. Robert talks with iris chang, the author of the rape of. Made this video for a history project on genocides. The forgotten holocaust of world war ii, due out in october from harpercollins. Many japanese still deny that so much blood was shed. After a vietnam vet friend told me some more history, the rape of nanking was a must read. The japanese army swept into the ancient city of nanking and within weeks not only looted and burned the defenceless city, but systematically raped, tortured and murdered more than 300000 chinese civilians. In december 1937, one of the most horrific atrocities in the long annals of wartime barbarity occurred.
The broad details of the rape are, except among the japanese, not in dispute. The forgotten holocaust of world war ii is a bestselling 1997 nonfiction book written by iris chang about the 19371938 nanking massacre, the massacre and atrocities committed by the imperial japanese army after it captured nanjing, then capital of china, during the second sinojapanese war. However, the alleged japanese soldier standing by wears a military uniform with a turneddown collar with class badges on it. Lit accel dudek april 4, 2014 rape of nanking in late 1937, the japanese army brutally murdered and assaulted civilians in nanking, china over a period of six weeks. Iris chang has written the truth of how the chinese people of the time, suffered through the rape and torture that occurred.
The rape of nanking book summary, by iris chang allen cheng. As an americanborn chinese, she represents a generation perfectly willing to upset the status quo. An untold number of women either died from rape related injuries or committed suicide. Though the estimates vary, the general consensus is that, between 300,000 to 400,000 chinese were mercilessly murdered by the invading japanese army.
The book examines how views of the nanjing massacre have evolved in history writing and public memory in japan, china, and the united states. Iris chang, author of the rape of nanking, ended her life with a pistol on november 9, 2004. Nanking because the some foreigners witnessed the horror and sent word to the outside world at the time, and some chinese survived as eyewitnesses. Her book, the rape of nanking, has interested and educated an audience that most academics only dream of. In brief, the book is the story of the almost unbelievable orgy of violence unleashed over several months by the japanese army after it occupied nanking, the capital of nationalist china, in. This video contains shocking and disturbing images. Details the massacre that took place in december 1937 when the japanese army overthrew the ancient city of nanking, china, and raped, tortured, and murdered over 300,000 civilians. It chronicles the 1937 nanking massacre, during which the imperial japanese army killed. The book is a must read, it offers insights into one of the darkest chapters of humanitys past and has been significant in helping make sure it is not forgotten. Buy a discounted paperback of the rape of nanking online from australias leading online bookstore.
At root of this problem are allegations made by chineseamerican writer iris chang in her book entitled the rape of nanking published in the united states in 1997 and the antijapanese campaigns it. She is best known for her bestselling 1997 account of the nanking massacre, the rape of nanking, and in 2003, the chinese in america. Most of us americans probably never heard about the nanking massacre when we learned about wwii, i. For these nations, the question of how to treat the legacy of nanjing whether to deplore it, sanitize it, or even ignore it has aroused passions revolving around ethics, nationality, and. This book is historical and broken into three parts. The book gives an account of the massacre and atrocities that the japanese army committed against the chinese in nanking nanjing between 1937 and 1938. The rape of nanking, the forgotten holocaust of world war ii by. In december 1937, in what was then the capital of china, one of the most brutal massacres in the long annals of wartime barbarity occurred. Iris changs book, the rape of nanking, dated this photo as having been taken just after the nanking massacre. Iris shunru chang march 28, 1968 november 9, 2004 was a chinese american journalist, author of historical books and political activist. In december 1937, the japanese army invaded the ancient city of nanking, systematically raping, torturing, and murdering more than 300,000 chinese civilians. Iris changs the rape of nanking is a landmark work because it finally reveals the least remembered and perhaps the most gruesome horrors of the second. The most backlash has come from those who are revisionists.
Now chang has finished her second book, the rape of nanking. The rape of nanking book contra costa county library. The forgotten holocaust of world war ii ebook written by iris chang. This book, using more than 400 historical photographs, many of which were taken by japanese soldiers themselves, is published to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the rape of nanking, to remind the world of the forgotten holocaust of wwii, and to honor history and answer any attempt to deny or change it. Its unsettling at times and just makes you hate people. Documents on the rape of nanking the university of michigan press.
Oct 30, 2016 the rape of nanking and the infamous bataan death march are but two examples of the barbarism displayed by japan. Anyone interested in the relation between war, selfrighteousness, and the human spirit will find the rape of nanking of fundamental importance. The recent emergence of a problem that has affected japanu. That in itself is a ringing endorsement for the validity of documents on the rape of nanking, and the unblemished facts it provides for generations of readers. This book, using more than 400 historical photographs, many of which were taken by japanese soldiers themselves, is published to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the rape of nanking, to remind the world of the forgotten holocaust of wwii, and to honor history and. The japanese sack of the chinese capital nanking is surely among the worlds worst atrocities. Mar 16, 2021 the rape of nanking the forgotten holocaust of world war ii book. The forgotten holocaust of world war ii is the title of a 1997 bestselling book written by the chineseamerican author, iris chang. The first is a long set of documents produced by the international committee for the nanking safety zone, a group of foreigners who strove to protect the chinese residents. The japanese government refuses to admit to their past crimes,however we must not let them forget. Her first book, thread of the silkworm the story of tsien hsueshen, father of the peoples. Changs account is also a story of courageof a small band of foreign residents who created a nanking safety zone and rescued more than 100,000 individuals at. All these books got good ratings but the one book that was the best seller was the rape of nanking.
Jun 01, 1998 the rape of nanking was all too literally that, as soldiers raped anywhere from 20,000 to 80,000 chinese women and girls from all social classes. China has endured much hardship in its history, as iris chang shows in her ably researched the rape of nanking, a book that recounts. Mar 11, 2014 the rape of nanking is a hard book to read. The woman who reads the book was excellent as well. May 18, 2020 china has endured much hardship in its history, as iris chang shows in her ably researched the rape of nanking, a book that recounts the horrible events in that eastern chinese city under japanese occupation in the late 1930s. Very well written book that is interesting and historically accurate. Forged photos of the massacre iris changs book, the rape of nanking, dated this photo as having been taken just after the nanking massacre. Chineseamerican journalist iris chang s international best seller, the rape of nanking. The new york times bestselling account of one of historys most brutal and forgotten massacres, when the japanese army destroyed chinas capital city on the eve of world war ii in december 1937, one of the most horrific atrocities in the long annals of wartime barbarity occurred. Many people believe that chang exaggerates the atrocities committed in nanking. The japanese army swept into the ancient city of nanking. The rape of nanking during the sinojapanese war, nanking, the capital of china, falls to japanese forces, and the chinese government flees to hankow, further inland along the yangtze river. They forced many into prostitution and killed them when they no longer could fulfill sexual requirements. Iris chang talked about her book, the rape of nanking.
In late 1937, over a period of six weeks, imperial japanese army forces brutally murdered hundred s of thousands of peopleincluding both soldiers and civiliansin the chinese city of nanking or. This book describes the mass murder and large scale depravity by the japanese army during world war ii in china. If one event can be held up as an example of the unmitigated evil lying just below the surface of unbridled military adventurism, that moment is the rape of nanking. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the rape of nanking. Iris chang accepts the highest plausible estimate of. This was a very helpful book that had multiple primary source information about the chinese civil war. In a study of the rape of nanking, nobukatsu fujioka and shudo higashinakano, who have written that there existed no rape of nanking as alleged by the tokyo trial and wrote in 1998 that changs book is pure baloney, examined and criticized the photographic evidence and concluded that none of them constitutes evidence of the incident. In november 1937, after their successful invasion of shanghai, the japanese launched a massive attack on the newly established capital of the republic of china. This style was not introduced until after the uniform revision on june 1, 1938. There are many fine websites that have additional information on this topic, too many to list here and too many to keep up with as they come and go. The rape of nanking summary and study guide supersummary.
Jul 27, 2019 the rape of nanking during the sinojapanese war, nanking, the capital of china, falls to japanese forces, and the chinese government flees to hankow, further inland along the yangtze river. The forgotten holocaust of world war ii is a bestselling 1997 nonfiction book written by iris chang about the 19371938 nanking. Perhaps the most fascinating character to emerge from the history of the rape of nanking is the german businessman john rabe. After reading the rape of nanking, by iris chang, one can only hope that such atrocities against human kind will not and can not possibly be repeated. This event in history was one of the most horrendous and also an event that is rarely talked about or taught in school. The forgotten holocaust of world war ii is a bestselling 1997 nonfiction. The forgotten holocaust of world war ii, relies on the testimonies of survivors, eyewitness accounts of western observers, and japanese. But i did learn things from reading this book, and i could not put it. Part 1, the records, includes two sources written as the rape was underway. In the rape of nanking iris chang deconstructs the horrors of war. Genuine photos of nanking and forged photos of the. The rape of nanking is a historical nonfiction book published in 1997 by american author and journalist iris chang. The rape of nanking is a wellwritten account of what happened in nanking in 1937 when the japanese invaded and slaughtered.
This new york times national bestseller recounts the forgotten story of the brutal massacre of 300,000 chinese civilians by the japanese army. This is a brief and very short summary of what happened in the nanking massacre. It is scholarly, an exciting investigation, and a work of passion. In december 1937, the chinese army vacated nanking, leaving the japan forces to occupy the city without even a fight. The book, which acknowledges and records such a horrific occurrence in human. The forgotten holocaust of world war ii, published by basic books. May we all read, remember, and be watchful of these historical facts. The forgotten holocaust of world war ii by iris chang. Yes, with a pen and paper to get the facts written down. Includes picturesincludes accounts of the massacre by civilian.
Rape of nanking princeton and harvard universities recently held a series of panel discussions concerning japanese wartime atrocities. About a young chineseamerican authors journey into the darkest reaches of humanity as she researched and wrote her best selling book the rape of nanking. Documents on the rape of nanking ann arbor paperbacks. The local war crimes trials held in nanking immediately after the war estimated that 190,000 were killed.
This book brings together materials from both moments to provide the first. Analysis of the book the rape of nanking by iris chang. Genuine photos of nanking and forged photos of the massacre. To most of the chinese in the city, he was a hero, the living buddha of nanking, the legendary head of the international safety zone who saved hundreds of thousands of chinese lives. The authors death at the age of thirty six due to the onset of mental illness is tragic on many levels. The rape of nanking the forgotten holocaust of world war ii. This seminal and definitive work by the author ensures that the rape of nanking will not. Jan 10, 2012 the book describes the mass murder and rape of chinese citizens in the hands of marauding japanese army during the occupation of nanking in 1937. One of the jordan peterson required reading list books.
Subtitled the forgotten holocaust of world war ii, the book chronicles the 1937 nanking massacre, during which the imperial japanese army, over a sixweek period, killed between 260,000 and 400,000 chinese noncombatants and raped between 20,000 and 80,000 women. Chang spoke about her book the rape of nanking which recounts. The massacre occurred over a sixweek period starting on december, 1937, the day the japanese captured nanking. The book documents the atrocities visited upon the people of nanking by.
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