A review by robertrivasplata
Tiananmen 1989: Our Shattered Hopes by Adrien Gombeaud, Lun Zhang

4.0

Memoir of the Tiananmen square movement. The Zhang was a leader in the movement and shares what he witnessed during the days of protest. Also provides context discussing the lead-up to, and aftermath of the protests (including the author's own escape to France via Hong Kong. Zhang suggests that the Tiananmen Spring represented a missed opportunity for the Chinese Communist Party to enact political reforms while they enacted economic reforms, but also that it may have inspired the later collapse of Communism in Europe. Tiananmen 1989 mentioned related protests and actions taking place elsewhere in Beijing, and also elsewhere in China, and I wished the book had said more about them, but I guess I should be looking for a more comprehensive history source. Tiananment 1989 is still a gripping memoir & a good intro to the events of Spring 1989.