Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang

67 reviews

kshertz's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

4.5

I knew next to nothing about this historical event going in. I learned so much. It’s a very brutal and difficult book to read but a very important one. Definitely think it’s something people should talk about more. I definitely think we should be holding Japan accountable as well. It also makes you reflect on the US and their own “Holocaust”’as well. Extremely well researched and very necessary info for people to have. It’s not a stretch to say the author put themselves in danger deciding to write this book. I appreciated the opportunity to learn and grow and will pass this info on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Genocide, War, Body shaming, Death of parent, Gore, Rape, Torture, Body horror, Colonisation, Death, Sexual assault, Suicide, Antisemitism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

errie's review against another edition

informative

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, War, Xenophobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Medical content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicide, Pedophilia, Torture, Violence, and Physical abuse

knlipke's review against another edition

It has nothing to do with how the book was written!!!! I found myself disgusted with the very true, real life events that happened to these poor people of Nanking that I couldn’t read on for the sake of my mental health. I will pick it up again one day

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Incest, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Violence, Blood, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Body horror, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and War

aaraia's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Extremely well-written. VERY intense and heartbreaking. Trigger warnings galore, but worth the read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, War, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Murder, Genocide, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Death, and Blood

binubri's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Torture, and War

ashlightgrayson's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This was such an informative piece of journalism that encompassed all necessary background information required to thoroughly understand the topic even if you have no previous knowledge. Iris Chang walks you through the long history between China and Japan prior to the Nanking massacre. This helps give context to the events that occurred during the massacre. This book also makes it easy to connect the events occurring in other regions of the world at that time to the massacre. It allows for the narrative history feel cohesive and relative to other events happening simultaneously. Nothing in history exists in a vacuum and I was happy to see that Chang was able to elaborate on this point in her writing. There is a plethora of useful sources provided in the book as well for further research. Chang proposes her own opinions within the narrative history, but always with support from sources that she cites thoroughly. She also clarifies which parts of the history she had limited sources for. Additionally, she reveals some of her own bias as she explains her own family's history pertaining to the massacre. The way Chang weaves the narrative helps to create both sympathy for the victims of the massacre, and allow for nuance for the perpetrators without absolving them of their culpability.

As I was reading through this piece it felt like I was mourning the loss of Iris Chang simultaneously. She died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2004 and reading this just made me think about what a great loss that was to the journalism community (in addition to her family and loved ones). I would have loved to see her continued contributions to the acknowledgement of Chinese and Asian history. To this day I think there is still a gap in understanding Asian history in the West. I will definitely be reading her other works. This book is one of the best nonfiction books I've read this year and it still holds up today. This has definitely reignited my interest in Asian history. Can't wait to read more!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, Child death, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, War, Torture, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Violence, Murder, Medical trauma, Incest, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Rape, Suicide, and Blood

skusaroo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

The true story of the worst thing to ever happen... until the following decade.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Colonisation, Pedophilia, Violence, Child death, Torture, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Murder, Police brutality, War, Sexual violence, Mass/school shootings, Rape, Suicide, Slavery, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Incest, Genocide, Death of parent, Gun violence, Gore, Blood, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Child abuse, and Cannibalism

Don't read this if you're easily upset by the worst things humans can do to other humans. 40,000 to 300,000 civilians murdered in SIX WEEKS and in a manner that would make the directors of gore films blush.

eerika06's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Violence

snaggy95's review

dark emotional informative reflective sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death, Blood, Sexual violence, Body horror, War, Violence, Pedophilia, Murder, Torture, Suicide, Rape, Hate crime, Gun violence, Gore, and Genocide

aibautista21's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Torture, Violence, and Genocide

Moderate: Animal cruelty