| I have always considered myself reasonably | | | | worthy of a book by itself, and indeed there |
| well read and reasonably well versed in | | | | is at least one. Eugene rose to the lofty |
| modern history. As soon as I started to read | | | | position of Foreign Minister in Sun Yatsen's |
| Return To The Middle Kingdom, I realized just | | | | Kuomintang party and was a key figure in |
| how little I really knew about the birth of | | | | trying to broker peace between both the |
| modern China. We all have seen pictures of | | | | internal and external interested parties. In |
| the remnants of the great Dynasties that | | | | many ways China was in the midst of a civil |
| ruled for thousands of years, the magnificent | | | | war, and at the same time its sovereignty was |
| wall that was erected to keep their enemies | | | | being threatened by Europe on one front, |
| out, the fabulous terracotta armies to | | | | Japan on another, and Russia on the third. |
| protect the dead, and the priceless ornaments | | | | Interestingly enough it was Russia that |
| and works of art. | | | | Eugene turned to for support, yet Eugene was |
| | | | far from enamored with the Russian style of |
| We also think we know a little about today's | | | | communism feeling that it could not be made |
| China, we have all seen the National | | | | to work within the social structure of China. |
| Geographic style photos of downtrodden | | | | |
| workers wearing drab unisex outfits and | | | | The third generation of the Chen family is |
| peddling their rattley bicycles through the | | | | Jack, and it is Jack that was the reason for |
| smog laden cities. Having never been to China | | | | Yuan-Tsung Chen to write this book. She was |
| I cannot comment on whether this is the way | | | | his wife from 1958 until his death in 1995. |
| it is, or the way it is portrayed by western | | | | Jack too was political animal, and a highly |
| eyes, though one thing is clear, China has a | | | | successful one until Mao's Cultural |
| less than stellar reputation in the areas of | | | | Revolution, a decade of intellectual purges |
| free speech and human rights. | | | | (1966-1975). Even with friends in high |
| | | | places, and a sometime acquaintance with Mao |
| The question is, How did this Country move | | | | himself the couple found themselves staring |
| from one system to another? Author Yuan-Tsung | | | | down the gun barrel of the feared Red Guards. |
| Chen has taken a very unique approach, her | | | | Interrogated, humiliated, and finally exiled, |
| book covers three generations of the Chen | | | | political life in China at least, was at an |
| family, and this was three generations that | | | | end for the Chen family. |
| each in their own way helped forge the | | | | |
| country and the politics. By following the | | | | This is an incredibly well researched and |
| Chen's the veil is lifted. | | | | well written book. Part biography, part |
| | | | history book, Return To The Middle Kingdom |
| Most of us in the west have heard the names | | | | sheds much light on a fascinating period of |
| Mao Zedong, Chaing Kaishek, and Zhou Enlai, | | | | history. It also explores everyday life, and |
| but how many can explain the delicate, and on | | | | lifestyles, something that few straight |
| occasion not so delicate interplay between | | | | history books do. The family sacrifices that |
| them? Who were these men, and what drove | | | | all three generations made for their country |
| them? | | | | are almost unbelievable. |
| | | | |
| Author Yuan-Tsung Chen explores almost 150 | | | | This book also gave me an understanding of |
| years of tumult, her story begins with the | | | | maybe why China is such an insular society |
| Birth of Ah Chen, roughly translated | | | | today, and that reason has its roots in the |
| Grandfather Chen in 1830, a peasant farmer, | | | | 1800's Opium War, China was being turned into |
| carpenter, and even on occasions barber, who | | | | another India, a plaything for the Europeans |
| became involved in the abortive Taiping | | | | to rape and pillage. |
| rebellion. This resulted in him becoming an | | | | |
| indentured laborer in order to make his hasty | | | | I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to |
| escape to Trinidad. As famous as the | | | | anyone that has an interest in modern |
| following two generations he may not be, but | | | | history. I will warn you though, this book |
| it is clear where the revolutionary gene | | | | has so much detail within its 400 pages that |
| comes from. | | | | it will take you a while to read. As a |
| | | | reviewer I usually budget 3 days for a book |
| His son Eugene Chen became the first Chinese | | | | this size, it took three times that to read |
| lawyer in Trinidad, and although he became | | | | it! My wife was beginning to think I had |
| very successful the call of his mother | | | | forgotten how to read. |
| country was too strong, and in 1912 he | | | | |
| journeyed to Peking and into the murky waters | | | | You can order your copy from Amazon or |
| of politics he went. Eugene Chen's story is | | | | through Yuan-Tsung Chen's web site. |