Empress Dowager CIXI: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China, (Paperback)

from podocyte

An interesting book about a very interesting historical figure. I wish the book contained more discussion about the widely felt negative view of Ci Xi in China today and the very positive view of Ci Xi presented by this book. Does the author have a bias as she presents the empress dowengeri in su...

from artheart

Solely, if you are reading for pleasure, one would find Jung Chang's book interesting. However, please do not take every sentence as written truth. The historical mistakes in this book are painful to read. Empress Dowager Cixi has not been portrayed in a balance way. Also, from a historical resea...

from busterrll

Enjoyable read - except in latter chapters where the author turns apologetically feminist. Additionally, the last Chapter had me wondering if the author had access to "alternative" facts. Unfortunately, my personal knowledge is sufficiently weak that I need to do more homework before I complain..

from Zumbanista

A long and elaborately detailed story of China's last Empress, Cixi. Chronicling her rise from a concubine to the Emperor to her incredibly long rule as Dowager Empress. Cixi was a progressive ruler but always hampered by her gender. She was devious and ruthless too, resorting to murder in order ...

from hfglen

What a character! In 1852 the 16-year-old "woman of the Nala family" was selected as a sixth-class concubine for the Emperor of China. She had considerable intelligence and determination, which she used to rise to being Empress, and when the Emperor Xianfeng died, Dowager Empress. In this capacit...