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johndiconsiglio's review against another edition
3.0
Radical revisionism of an historical despot. Cixi is reimagined not as the butcher of the Boxer Rebellion but as a progressive reformer amid a collapsing culture. I have no idea if the history is accurate—although Chang’s breathless defense feels like we’re not being told the whole story. (Was every single positive development in China a result of Cixi’s genius—while every bad decision came from narrow-minded men who resented taking orders from a strong woman?) Chang may not be a reliable historian, but she’s a brisk storyteller. There’s plenty of palace intrigue and suspense behind the Forbidden City walls. Just take it with a grain of salt.
pachypedia's review against another edition
4.0
Muy interesante la historia de una emperatriz adelantada a su tiempo y que supo gobernar a pesar de los impedimentos que se le ponían por ser mujer.
joshuamt's review against another edition
4.0
Provided me with a new perspective through which to view 20th century Chinese history.
Some reviews judged the book to be boring, and I agree that the writing itself (both the style and the structure) was sometimes dull. The book pales in comparison to my favorite biographies, like Manchester's 2 volumes on Churchill, where I walked away feeling like I knew the subject. However, the narrative itself more than compensated for this detraction and kept me turning pages: not only is this a refreshingly (to me) new view of the Empress Dowager's life and rule, but it provides, both explicitly and by implication, a new intepretation of 20th century China.
The bigger question in my mind is whether this favorable view of the Empress Dowager is true, or rather fictionalised revisionism? I am not qualified to comment on this (nor motivated to parse through the footnotes and examine Ms Chang's sources), and given the political implications, I will personally wait for this question to be examined by disintered historians.
Some reviews judged the book to be boring, and I agree that the writing itself (both the style and the structure) was sometimes dull. The book pales in comparison to my favorite biographies, like Manchester's 2 volumes on Churchill, where I walked away feeling like I knew the subject. However, the narrative itself more than compensated for this detraction and kept me turning pages: not only is this a refreshingly (to me) new view of the Empress Dowager's life and rule, but it provides, both explicitly and by implication, a new intepretation of 20th century China.
The bigger question in my mind is whether this favorable view of the Empress Dowager is true, or rather fictionalised revisionism? I am not qualified to comment on this (nor motivated to parse through the footnotes and examine Ms Chang's sources), and given the political implications, I will personally wait for this question to be examined by disintered historians.
hecman111's review against another edition
4.0
After a 100 year smear campaign (likely because she was a woman), I was excited to read a more thorough look at the life of Cixi and the last years of the Qing Empire. Chang's book might swing a little too far to the other end in terms of her adoration of Cixi, but still it was a great departure from all the otherwise negative literature that failed to recognize all that Cixi accomplished and her ability to bring China into the modern world. I definitely admire her statesmanship, dignity, and loyalty to China after reading this book.
hchwaz's review against another edition
4.0
While a bit dry in sections, this book was brimming with fascinating historical details I never would have learned in school even if we had covered this area of the globe. Great audiobook.
pocketvolcano's review against another edition
5.0
I’m so glad there’s now a book with a much more balanced view of Cixi. This is a well researched book with resources that have not been readily available in the past and it shows there was a deeply humane woman behind the myths. I loved this book.
brnycx's review against another edition
3.0
sometimes contradictory, somewhat muddled, and perhaps a little biased - but fascinating nevertheless.