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

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.