I am only about half way through the book, but already know it is worth recommending. It is about 3 generations of women growing up in China and the changes that take place throughout each generation. It incorporates the historical happenings along side the lives of these women. It gives you insight on Chinese culture, history, and the lives of women throughout the last 100 years. Plus, it's an interesting read.

I read that book a few years book. I agree, it is definitely worth reading. have you ever read "life and death in Shanghnai"...another one truly worth reading.

I second both recommendations - those are my two favorite China themed books. I recently read "Operation Yao Ming" by Brook Larmer and highly recommend that one as well - even if you aren't a big basketball fan. The book gives a very interesting picture of the business of basketball - in the US and in China. I found it at Chaterhouse and I understand that Brook Larmer gave a talk about it on M on the Bund back in the fall.

I would also reccomend in addition to Wild Swans and Life & Death in Shanghai the books 'The Chinese' and 'Hungry Ghosts' by Jasper Becker. Though not biographical they are both excellent histories and commentries about modern China.

Jung Chang's book on Mao is also very good as is 'Phillip Shorts Mao: A Life'

SC - did you find Jung Chang's book on Mao here? I've been wanting to read it.

I have hardback copy at home which I would be happy to lend you. I am in Beijing this week but I'll be back in Shanghai on Friday.

I though the Chang/Halliday book on Mao was interesting, but it's really dense. They had access to a lot of previously unavailable Russian documents, so there is new information and evidence that proves some fairly well accepted historical facts to be false. Maybe I'm naive, but I thought it was banned here, and I'm way too chicken to try and bring it in.

Ordered mine through Amazon.com in the US. No problem at all.

My husband is reading Mao - all he keeps saying is WOW... WOW.... wow

That will be my next book.

Also reading From Beruit to Jeruselem by Thomas Freidman - has any one else read this book? I find the history of the Middle East fasinating!

Oh, no I have not read Life or Death in Shanghai. I will look into it - Thanks

I third To Live and Die in Shanghai/Life and Death in Shanghai. It is a real eye opener and testament to one woman's courage in the face of the ultimate ordeal.

While we are on the Shanghai theme you should definitely check out the two J.G. Ballard autobiographies "Empire of the Sun" and "In the Company of Women". Both are classics, something of a writer's writer take on life, a life in part in Shanghai...

another two books based in shanghai are Chinese Cinderella . it's an autobiography by Adeline yen Mah - even though it's aimed for children, it's a fantastic read that will bring you to tears. I also loved Bound Feet & Western Dress by Natasha Pang Mei-Chang.

A novel 'The Good Earth' by Pealr S Buck is definately worth reading. Though it was written by a western woman in the 1930's it is superb. Buck was the daughter of missionaries in China and she had a fantastic eye for what was going on in Chinese culture and event of the period.

I read the book when I was a teenager in the late 60's and I re-read it again last month. What struck me is that in many ways the relationships between Chinese have not changed that much.

I cannot remember the author but another good book covering the period from 1900 - 1939 is 'The Small Woman' This is Gladys Aylward's biography of her time in China as a missionary in the area between Xian and Chengdu. Not a relidgeous book in any way but a book about how she opened an orphanage and was also employed by the local Mandarin to stop foot binding. She eventually led over 100 children to safety away from Japanese attacks over the mountians.

Well worth adding to a reading list on China. The Small Woman might be hard to find as it is out of print.

"'The Chinese' and 'Hungry Ghosts' by Jasper Becker"

hey could u tell me what its about? is it available here?
i find every book on china (modern history) great. i have tonnes if any1 wants to swap or borrow

I saw "Wild Swans" at the foreign bookstore on Fuzhou Lu a couple months ago. I thought it was surprising, because when I read the book a couple years ago in the US, the preface said that it wasn't allowed in China, and definately not sold here. Maybe things changed in the past couple years I guess, or the gov just doesn't realize its being sold.

Anyway, basically its a true story about three generations of Chinese women in a family (grandma, mom daughter). So it stretches back to the early 1900s for the grandma's portion of the life. The majority of the book seemed to be about the cultural revolution though, and what the family had to go through during it. Very interesting and well-written. Sorry, I'm not the greatest at describing books, but I definately recommend it, it's one of my favorite books ever! I feel like I learned alot from it about what life was like for all three women

SC, excellent recommendation . Jasper Becker's books are AMAZING. It's actually time to re-read The Chinese. It's a fantastic book in all respects. Havent read Hungry Ghosts tho. Tell us about it man.

I think Wild Swans value lies mostly on the generational narrative of how life was during the time of each generation. As soon as Jung Chang puts her "moraly superior" cap on, it becomes all crap. The "everybody was bad but my family was always good" gets tiring after a while and I think the book lost a lot of credibility.

I decided not to read Mao after I read an interview of Jung to The Guardian where she mostly made it clear that she was hardly presenting an objective view of Mao but rather a very personal vindictive cheap shot that the media entitled her to have since she achieved stardom through Wild Swans. I might be wrong and might judging her too hard but I hardly care. She is an idiot to me.

One book that should be read by all is called My Country My People, by a great great author called Lin Yu Tang.

I'm peeling the book like an onion and slowly going through it for the second time. He covers a lot of the characteristics of Chinese thought, the reason the way they think they do, and a lot more. This was book was a fantastic revelation. Some of the gut feelings that you subconciously have here of why things are the way they are are all there explained with precision by an oversea Chinese of the highest caliber that is very objective in the criticism of his own people. NOT to be missed. You can find this book in most local bookstores here for 15rmb. True, sometimes the guy comes up with some load of crap like "Chinese paintings are obviouslly the most beautiful in the world" and all that, but these sections are easy to spot. Get this book if you want to understand how the minds here work.

Also, something that can be quite entertaining are lectures/audio books from The Teaching Company (TTC) that you ermmm can "get" from the net.

One of them is called "China From Yao To Mao": covers all dinasties, the development of religion and philosophy, all rebellions and so forth. The professor that conducts the lecture is extremelly good and I would say one of the least biased professors I ever heard a lecture from. It's pretty good stuff, PM me if you need details on how to get this stuff.


Good thread, thanks for the recommendations....

Perhaps would be time to set up a book exchange thing.

HC.

'The Hungry Ghosts' details the Great Leap Foward and the resulting famine that ensued. Becker spoke to people who lived through it in various areas of China and it is a harrowing book.

The Great leap Forward is also mentioned in Jung Changs books. Mao wanted to outdo the US in steel production was one part of the issue. Back yard smelters were set up, agricultural workers donated their tool to smelt down, farming was ignored and the result was famine. Additionaly the greater part of what food was being produced was being exported to Russia to pay for arms and military technology.

Mao also adopted many of the Soviet forms of agricultural production which in Russia also resulted in a famine. An estimated 30 million died of starvation. Those who objected to the Great Leap Forward were also killed or imprisoned.

I dont think the book is available here, I bought mine in Hong Kong.

The book also deal with the forming of the collectives. Land was taken away from individuals and form into the farming collectives, they were in themselves a form of people control as well as an experimental lab for Mao to play with using the ideas from Soviet Russia.

shanghaiceltic wrote:I would also reccomend in addition to Wild Swans and Life & Death in Shanghai the books 'The Chinese' and 'Hungry Ghosts' by Jasper Becker. Though not biographical they are both excellent histories and commentries about modern China.

Jung Chang's book on Mao is also very good as is 'Phillip Shorts Mao: A Life'

oh yeah i read bunch of them, jung chung, nian cheng, adeline yen mah... but i found life and death in shanghai less interesting.

wild swan a very good book i recommend readings more than even twice.

shanghaiceltic wrote:I would also reccomend in addition to Wild Swans and Life & Death in Shanghai the books 'The Chinese' and 'Hungry Ghosts' by Jasper Becker. Though not biographical they are both excellent histories and commentries about modern China.

Jung Chang's book on Mao is also very good as is 'Phillip Shorts Mao: A Life'

oh yeah i read bunch of them, jung chung, nian cheng, adeline yen mah... but i found life and death in shanghai less interesting.

wild swan a very good book i recommend readings more than even twice.