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 | | Taiwan: A Political History by Denny Roy ISBN-10: 9780801488054 ISBN-10: 0-8014-8805-2 ISBN-13: 9780801488054 ISBN-13: 978-0-8014-8805-4 Paperback 2003-03 Cornell University Press Find Lowest Price |
Editorials | ||
Product Description For centuries, various great powers have both exploited and benefited Taiwan, their designs for this island frequently clashing with the desire of local inhabitants to control their own destiny. Such conflicts have shaped Taiwan’s multiple, and frequently contradictory, identities. Denny Roy contends that Taiwan’s political history is best understood as a continuous struggle for security. Eschewing the usual emphasis on the high politics of the recent era, he offers a comprehensive narrative of the island’s political history from the first Chinese settlements to the Chen Shui-bian presidency. Roy covers the political system constructed by the KMT during the Cold War, the opposition breakthrough, the presidency of Lee Teng-hui, and the DPP presidential victory in March 2000. Roy’s approach allows him to integrate his understanding of Taiwan’s domestic politics with its foreign affairs—particularly the relations with mainland China. He reveals how the interplay between political forces within and the influence of foreign countries from without has shaped Taiwan. His is a balanced account, incorporating up-to-date coverage and presenting many indigenous voices. Taiwan: A Political History illuminates the origins of the island’s often-troubled domestic and international political situation. | ||
Reviews | ||
decent, but a bit dull the book prevents the basic facts, but lacks analytical depth. a good intro nonetheless for beginners. for a more detailed approach, check out "The Generalissimo's Son" though that book as well is not too engaging theoretically or analytically. | ||
A good introduction to Taiwan's history As the title of my review implies, this is a valuable volume for the person who is interested in developing an understanding of the complex forces that shape Taiwan today. Roy takes up Taiwan's history from the beginnings of Chinese settlement of the island and the Japanese Occupation. However, the bulk of the book focuses on Post-World War II Taiwan. While it focuses on the political history of the country, other aspects are not ignored. My main criticism is that although this purports to be a political history, the main criticism of the legitimacy (or lack thereof) of "Chinese" sovereignty (regarding the so-called Post WWII transfer to China) over the country is ignored. Save for that ommission, this is a servicable summary of modern Taiwan political history. I would recommend this book for someone wishing to learn a little about Taiwan before coming to the country. For a person wishing to engage in an in depth study of the country, this would be a good volume to start with. However, if you already have a basic understanding of the major forces shaping this country (particularly post-World War II,) I would advise passing this work by for more in depth works on the subject. | ||
A very interesting book about Taiwan history I was born in Taiwan and completed my college education in Taiwan. The Chinese history text books focus on the story of the mainland China. I have not known too much about Taiwan. For some reasons my grandparents and parents did not talk too much about it either. This book opens my eyes and I could not stop reading it. Even though the book is very comprehensive some of the information the author got is either manipulated, biased or missing. It is far from perfect. There is a lot of truth about Taiwan to be explored. For example Koxinga was given the credit of defeating Dutch and then occupied Formosa. But he lived only 4 monthes after defeating the Dutch. He was a pirate and very brutal. He excuted his new born grandchild and grandchild's mother. He is more like a refugee than a hero. The main reason he came to Taiwan is he was escaping from Qing dynasty's attack. Because of Taiwan's democracy a lot of information are more readily available and people does not afraid of being talking about the past I believe the author might want to update this book soon. | ||
"Even-handed, thorough, and accurate" Review by Prof. Shelley Rigger, the top U.S. scholar on Taiwan, in TOPICS magazine, May 2003: "Nowhere else will readers find such an even-handed, thorough, and accurate account of Taiwan's recent history. What is more, the book is a pleasure to read, balancing rich historical details and anecdotes with thoughtful analysis. Roy's book provides the most complete and in-depth account of Taiwan's post-World War II political development available in English. However, much of the value of the book comes from his determination to situate the island's postwar history in the context of Taiwan's pre-war experience. As a result, Roy is able to offer satisfying answers to some of the most puzzling issues facing students of contemporary Taiwan, including islanders' complicated feelings toward Japan, China--even Taiwan itself." | ||
Useful introduction to the various ethnic groups in Taiwan As a member of the Hakka folks born in Taiwan (now living in the U.S.), I greatly appreciated the detailed explanations of the various ethnic groups in Taiwan. Sometimes it takes a Western writer to provide objective unbiased account of Taiwanese history and Denny Roy did just that. The book at times was a little dry to read, almost like reading a textbook. But overall, I enjoyed reading this book which contains history not taught during my 8 years of elementary/junior high school education in Taiwan. An eye opener! | ||