I found an electronic copy of Formosa Betrayed on the internet ... and read it through the wee hours of night, after putting my kids to bed, for four days until I finished the book. It is captivating and masterfully written; the truth told with authority by a former American vice consular to Taiwan who was there to witness the atrocities of the Chiang Kai Shek regime right after WWII. I felt a sense of relief after reading this book for some reason. Telling and documenting the truth about the "Taiwan experience" post-WWII is dangerous, but had to be done by someone who was raised up for just that task. Thanks Mr. Kerr for being there and for writing this piece of Taiwan's history confirming Taiwan's status as separate from China. From now on I'll sleep soundly as a Taiwanese American knowing that the truth has been revealed and any one can read it, if they dare.

This book is not just a masterpiece on the tragic incident of 2-28-1947, it is the US military blueprint of the undefined status of Taiwan under a peace treaty in 1951. Few readers may realize that Lt. George Kerr was a US Naval Civil Affairs Officer during the World War and how he has singlehandedly established the credible evidence of the Nationalist Chinese illegal seizure of Taiwan territory before the Japanese had even surrendered the island in 1951. George Kerr was a US Naval specialist on the Laws of Occupation while the Formosans were still legally under Japanese rule. In addition to this piece of authoritative legal history, he edited over 1300 pages of a US Navy Civil Affairs report for the proposed Taiwan invasion which General MacArthur stopped in favor of retaking the Philippines. In the end, these unused US military volumes of area studies and economic knowledge was used by the Nationalists to effectively dismantle the vast Japanese industrial base in just a few years prior to 1949. It seems that the Japanese had actually developed the Taiwan island economy far beyond anything comparable on the China mainland in 1945. This puts into dispute regarding the Chinese claims to have been the success secret of the Taiwanese economy. They destroyed it, shipped it to China, and then had to start over from stratch in 1949. It seems that Kerr's Formosa Betrayed offers more insights for those island natives seeking to reclaim their stolen property as "Japanese nationals" prior to 1952. However, they must dig deeply into the US Army Field Manuals for Civil Affairs (eg. FM 27-10, FM 41-10, etc), and Formosa Betrayed will clearly explain the historical context of the belligerent occupational authority period of 1945-52 for this very purpose. Under the San Francisco Peace Treaty, Allied Powers were the legal occupiers and the thieving Nationalists were still officially subject to the supreme authority of General MacArthut. It was the US Military Government whom was legally occupying Japan and her territorial dependencies like Formosa. Taiwan will never be the same once interested readers grasp the historical significance of their unalienable legal rights under the Laws of Occupation (SFPT). And Formosa Betrayed is unquestionably the foremost legal and historical authority for supporting these claims made under necessary civil affairs expertise embedded deeply into the book. Unlock the secrets of the Taiwan Relations Act with Formosa Betrayed, if you dare.

Along with oral history from family and friends involved in the incident, this book is one of the two best sources which clarified to me that Taiwan is Taiwan, and China is China. An excellent account of the 228 Incident, one of many "forgotten Holocausts", with extensive research and clear writing that shows the source of today's confusion over Taiwan's international status.

Also a very good source for showing how much damage a foreign government that does not care for its people can do; a classic story of corruption and cover-up.

Hunt is a skilled storyteller who takes China seriously as a threat to world peace. His characters are often interesting and sometimes very complex. The villainy he describes in high places is sure to make many readers nervous.

Picked up this book on vacation. Never read any of his authors books before. I'm hooked. There were many twists and turns- some you figured out right away - some were less obvious. Enjoyable reading. If you enjoy Clive Cussler, Stephen Hunter and Alistair MacLean, here's a new author for you.

At forty-seven years old, Mark Brand knew that it was time to retire as a CIA operative and accept a desk job as an expert in Asiatic affairs. He accepts a job at a Washington based think tank, GlobEco, figuring that his life should become more ordinary and routine. Mark expects to date and court women (his spouse died over two decades ago) in normal relationships. He even advises his twenty-four year son, Peter, to stay away from the government and take a safe job in banking. ...... All seems to be going smooth for Mark until he learns that his son has disappeared in China while working for the Agency. It seems that Peter was spying on a Chinese movement of missiles loaded with deadly gas being aimed at Taiwan. Peter is sentenced without western knowledge to eleven years in prison. The United States government walks a thin line as it tries to resolve Code Name: Dragon Teeth. They need to stop the Chines from firing on Taiwan while not alerting the budding western business interest know what is happening. Mark has a different agenda. He plans to free his son from his captives even if he has to run over his own government and his former bosses in the process. Even if Mark alludes the Agency and similar western ilk, he still has to contend with China's government. If caught, he may not just join hi son in an accompanying cell, he may forfeit his life. ..... DRAGON TEETH is a palpitation a page geopolitical thriller. Mark is a great character, and China and the American policy towards the country is described in exciting and interesting manner. E. Howard Hunt scores big time with this fabulous tale of intrigue. .....Harriet Klausner

Professor Rigger's inaugural work shows a great deal of talent and promise. She argues convincingly that it was the very institution of local elections, conducted even in the darkest days of the Chiang Kai-Shek era, that made a crucial contribution to the island's later peaceful transition to democracy. Very insightful and informative.

'Politics in Taiwan' is an extraordinarily well researched, elegantly argued and very readable book. It concisely contends that Taiwan's 'democratic miracle' is a result of a long history of local elections that have taken place on the island, inculcating democratic skills and nurturing a viable opposition to the authoritarian regime. The book comprises an equal blend of theoretical reasoning and empirical richness. Professor Rigger nicely captures both the dynamics of historical development and the contingencies of real-life politics. A must-read for those interested in contemporary Taiwan and/or democratization, and very suitable for the college classroom.

An outstanding contribution to understanding the current status of the political scene in this part of Asia and its implications for the greater world community. It is comprehensive, well organized, and very readable, even for the relative novice to the field.

This clever little book takes one through the "Taiwan Experience," the stages of Taiwan's economic progress. The author's personal anecdotes and cartoon illustrations give good historical background and lend to the book's unique appeal. I highly recommend it!

This is a fascinating and fun book that details Taiwan's economic miracle through the eyes of a businessman who has lived through it. Easy to read, interesting, and cleverly illustrated...it's a must-read for anyone wishing to do business in Taiwan. I couldn't put this book down once I picked it up!

This is a unique book about Taiwan's "miraculous" economic development written by a Taiwanese businessman who lived through it and, as the founder of a leading Taiwanese electronics firm and one of Taiwan's wealthiest men, in many ways helped create it. Clearly written with a refreshing light-hearted style, this book is a must-read for anyone wishing to do business in Taiwan.

I studied this book for 2 weeks before my first trip to Korea and Hong Kong. Wow! Very informative with lots of basic but important details about meeting rituals, business card etiquette and tons more! My Boss who has been traveling to Asia for 16 years wants a copy of this fabulous book!

Our consulting staff recommends this book to all business women travelling to Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea. For each country, it covers rules of business and social etiquette, gift-giving, how to handle what westerners consider to be sexual harassment, a list of recommended hotels, restaurants and "in" nightspots, and helpful suggestions on how to conduct business successfully in the local culture. Truly a bargain at this price. John R. Jagoe, Director, Export Institute.

When we in the western world think of China and Chinese spritiual beliefs, we tend to think of the lone sage meditating on the fog-entrenched mountains with lush pine greenery supplying the mist for his mysterious knowledge. Such an image is, of course, more two-dimensional than the brush-paintings we have seen this sage inhabit.

In the noise and chaos and odors of the city--and not just any city, this is the simultaneously more modernly western and traditionally eastern Taipei, Taiwan--and see what "spirit" means to the authentic characters in Alvin Lu's novel "Hell Screens". By the end of the novel, if you've paid attention, you notice that everything has come together in a hodge-podge of past & present, colonialism and nativism, body and spirit, and, yes, life and death.

This is no simple novel. Many times I found myself scratching my head, or my chin, wondering if this book were taking me anywhere I could afford to go. If I had not ever lived in Taipei myself, I probably wouldn't have picked up this novel. But now that I have, and have been forced to read it with both my eyes open & still not know if my contact lenses have been cursed or blessed, I can only recommend this book to anyone who doesn't balk at letting the head swim while the world (oh, but which world?) explodes.

I can't prove it, but I think the narrator's name Cheng-ming is a reference to the Confucian concept of the Rectification of Names. If yours is a world where such alleged rectification has long-ago shattered, leaving you to sweep up the pieces, then buy a plane-ticket to Taipei and bring this book along with you.

Alvin Lu has written a first novel that inextricably combines a rich and unnerving spirit world with the very real actions of an elusive serial murderer. The result is the kind of labyrinthine story telling which never fails to entrance.

Set in modern Taipei, the story is ostensibly the tale of Cheng-Ming, a Chinese-American researcher who is drawn into and seduced by the superstitions and myths of the city. We are treated to an ever darker study of of the Oriental spirit world, as we move through layers of myth and malevolence. This world intrudes upon and is intruded on by modern Taipei. We see ceremonies in sneakers and sacred comic books. Signs and portents appear everywhere.

The novel is tremendously atmospheric, gaining momentum as the world he moves thru gradually overwhelms Cheng-Ming's westernized sensibilities. At some point Cheng-Ming ceases to be an academic in search of signs and clues and becomes an obsessive seeker after knowledge which is always just beyond his reach.

The Hell Screens is far more than the typical serial killer horror story, combining the raw action and realities of murderous violence with a refined psychological study of a wanderer in the mist. Prepare for a truly unusual, enjoyable experience.

The year was 1997, when the most wanted-criminal of Taiwan, Chen Chin-hsing took hostages of Mac Alexander, a South African diplomat (also the author of the book, and his family of three). The gunman wounded Mac and one of his daughters during a shootout with the police, and the other family members who fortunately remained unharmed physically suffered from the mental torture during the hours that felt like millennia.

Chen, the vicious criminal, however, was completely taken back by the unusually calm attitude of the Christian family members. Especially the diplomat's wife, Anne, whose easy tone on a phone call made during the hostage taking failed to convince her listeners that there was a bandit holding a gun sitting next to her. Their twelve-year old daughter, Christine, on the other hand, became an overnight heroine after it was made known to the whole country that she had refused to escape when she had the chance, because she wanted to protect her mother. The family accounted their bravery to their strong Christian faith. Chen was deeply touched by this unforgettable drama. He was never the same person again after the police escorted him out of the Alexanders' household. Alexander's book reads like a fast-paced documentary replete with action and surprises, like those produced by any seasoned writers. But it also gives you a good overview of the island country of Taiwan, its social customer and the nature of its political components. I couldn't believe how much Alexander knows about the country in which he resided only for a few years.

This book is definitely one of the best I have ever read. Although it emphasizes heavily on the Christian faith, it is absolutely suitable for any believers as well as non-believers. This book might convert you, though. So read it now and find out!

This book is riveting! Once you pick it up, you will not want to put it down. It has a powerful testimony and Mac Alexander is a master storyteller! He gives good background leading up to the time he and his family are held hostage and makes you feel as though you are right there with his family during the ordeal. He also gives a good account of events following this time of crisis. We now live in Taipei and have been able to talk to people who lived here during that time who say that the author really captures the feeling of the people of Taiwan while Chen Chin-hsing was at large. It is a story of great courage and love in the face of a terrifying situation. An excellent book!

This study is an excellent examination of Japanese colonialism in Taiwan and its consequences for the contemporary formation of national identity. Through examining not only the particular circumstances of Japan in Taiwan but also the nature of colonialism in general, Ching shows how colonialism is a social transformation which produces people of mixed identities. He draws upon "The Orphan of Asia" by Wu Zhuo-Liu as an example of this understanding. Ching also sets forth an interesting critique of postmodernism's hesitancy to draw judgments across cultural boundaries. The "miracle" of postwar Japan, essentially an almost immediate turn from complete external orientation to complete internal orientation and subjectivity, was made possible by the United States' appropriation of Japan's colonies and Japan's immediate alliance with the U.S. in the Cold War. Because of these factors, Japan never had to go through the harsh but important process of decolonization, and Ching shows how this failure affects the identity crisis of Taiwan today. Ultimately the book is oriented around "the politics of identity formation" in which Taiwan must come to hold a national identity which embraces the diversity of elements (Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese, Hakka, aboriginal, etc.) that have formed the ontology of Taiwan through history.

This is a detailed account of the Taiwanese response to colonization under the Japanese. Liu adroitly illustrates the monumental changes afoot in Taiwan of the early 20th Century and builds a strong case to support the idea of a Taiwanese identity seperate from China. Liu follows the steps colonialization drive that can later be seen in the Chinese colonization under the KMT. At times the language bogs down in anthropological terms of art, but is no less a valueable addition to the pool of information available on Taiwan.

This is a good book to point out why China had no claim on Taiwan. Taiwan is a country that had been invaded by so many other countires in its past. Han Chinese are just minority in Taiwan while Taiwanese are the majority. This is why Taiwanese people will decide their future for their own political, economical, and military interests!!

National security is a term we're used to hearing in the United States, but with rare exception "security threats" are in fact threats to America's vast informal empire abroad (military bases, troop deployments, the security of client regimes and business interests). As Ross and Nathan ably show, this is emphatically not the case for China. Even though "China is stronger today and its borders more secure than at any other time in the last 150 years", it continues to face a bewildering array of vulnerabilities -- from internal unrest to border insecurity to economic instability.

This book is a good corrective to the growing right-wing trend of playing up the "China threat". Ross and Nathan make clear that China's goals are not particularly ambitious and their capabilities so limited that even if the sinister cabal of Communists plotting against America's beneficent reign were real, it would be hard pressed to act out its evil intentions. Chapter 8, in particular, demolishes the idea that China's military will any time soon provide a real challenge to Japan, much less the USA.

Despite the great service Ross and Nathan provide in refuting the containment school's arguments, this book also has basic problems. Because it is a survey, the authors can only superficially treat each of the many issues raised. They do a good job of integrating history and current events, and the book should be quite useful for those mostly unfamiliar with its topics, but for those with more detailed knowledge it will often by unsatisfying.

Second, the authors use the national security paradigm to orient their analysis, but seem unaware of the drawbacks to such an approach. "National" security indulges the false idea that all groups and individuals within a nation can share the same interests and that national leaders act, fundamentally, on behalf of the whole population. In reality security policies generally hurt the interests of some groups while advancing those of others, and China's leaders act to perpetuate their own power and the power of the Communist Party, and to protect the interests of the increasingly influential business elite. The authors' inability to consider such matters leads them to seriously downplay the ruling class's increasing economic exploitation of workers and its violent domination of ethnically non-Han peoples in East Turkestan/Xinjiang, Tibet/Xizang, and Inner Mongolia.

And finally, the authors approach the subject from the perspective of the engagement school, which has both strengths (discussed above) and very serious weaknesses. Proponents of engagement are ideologically incapable of seeing that the current global economic system is based on inequality, exploitation, and the denial of people's basic needs (food, health care, shelter) and that it is upheld by American military domination of other people. Ross and Nathan's ultimate recommendation, then, is that China be safely integrated into this system -- not because doing so will help the Chinese people, but because doing so removes a threat to the safe operation of a fundamentally unjust world order.

Nathan and Ross have constructed an excellent book discussing the vulnerability of China. The book goes into great depth discussing issues such as: Taiwanese independence, nuclear proliferation, the strength of the chinese military, the necessity of U.S. intervention in Asia, the relationships existing between China and Japan or the two Koreas, Tibetan freedom, technological exchange with Pakistan. Ultimately, Nathan and Ross conclude that China is a weak and vulnerable country that is more concerned with maintaining its borders and internal stability than initiated a policy of imperialism. This book is a great edition for any student of Asian Politics. Easy to read.

Andrew J. Nathan and Robert S. Ross's THE GREAT WALL AND THE EMPTY FORTRESS is a clearly and tightly written presentation of Chinese foreign policy and defense issues. It is as reliable in its treatment of aspects of the pre-modern Chinese state and society that impinged on the course of modern Chinese affairs as it is authoritative (and well documented) in its analysis of the contemporary Chinese situation. With books on contemporary Chinese affairs, one must be concerned with material becoming dated, but though this book is some four years old in content, nearly its entirety is nevertheless very relevant. Its treatment of Chinese-Taiwan relations, for instance, is still on the mark. Since the book was written before the restoration of Hong Kong to China, the reader will not be able to glean anything new about that situation here. However that may be, this book remains as "must reading" for any student of contemporary China. The reader will happily discover that the style is eminently readable.

This book had good info but Taiwan is still not a Greater China! Taiwan is a great nation by its own merits because of its Taiwanese people with their ability to adapt and survived! Han Chinese had never set foot on China until Dutch have done so first! Dutch are the seed of capitalism, which is kind of like British have done so for great America in their past history!

Any good studies of the history will show that only losers Chinese ever even invaded Taiwan when they can't rule China. That's twice in Taiwan's history. One driven out the Dutch, and the other driven out the Japanese with what's left of their fighting force. However, both died on Taiwan as losers in history. That's how they will be remember.

BTW, CCK put a house arrest on General Sun Li-Jen, who I consider one of the great generals in WW2. I guess now is red China's turn. China without a true free political and free trade system will collapse very soon as USSR did! Do you believe in all of those fairy tales that communists cooked up for its great future? Communists simply have to go, and they will not go quietly for my life time! Please do the math and face the truth!

Taiwan serve its people and not a ruling party at the time, and it will not put a house arrest on their great talents just because they are more able than the ruling party at the time. Taiwanese will all decide for its future for its political and economic interests and national survival!!

I am a Taiwanese,living in Taipei,and I don't think I am a Chinese both in values and personality,though I'm taught in Chinese langauge in my obiligatory education here.I guess this feelings natrually far form "Chinese ones" is because that Taiwan has special history mixed up with colonial impacts and the experiences of 1950's-to-1980's political terror and heavy thinking control by the KMT.(Chiang Kai-Shek monopolized politics.) Taiwanese,of 90% residents,have live up in Taiwan island for 300 years and we speak Taiwanese or Japanese of the elders. As for the Chinese Nationalist Government(KMT),they came to Taiwan in 1947,did a sad a cruel "Taiwan MASSACRE"(we called 228) in 1947,killing 10,000 to 25,000 Taiwanese well-educated men. And,KMT brought 9.9% Chinese residents from China in 1949 for the the Chinese Nationalist Government(KMT),lost their soveregnty,named as Republic of China,in the Chinese civil
war,1949.They have been overthown by China since 50 years ago. In 2000,we have changed our govenment to Taiwanese Demacratic and Progressive government by President election here,so to equalize Taiwan(ROC) to China(People's Republkic of China) is not true.It is a fact that Taiwan(ROC) is NOT a part of China(PRC).Taiwan and China is just with similar names in 2 seperated sovereignties.

I am living in Taipei,a Taiwanese.In Taiwan island,there excists a complex history and "society stuctrual problem" so that Taiwanese got different cognition of "what nation we are",and with polarity of feelings to China.

In residents here,90% are Taiwanese whom had lived in the island seperated from China for "300 years",mixed up bloodly with both aboriginals and 300-year-ago Chinese(Kanese),experienced "Dutch colony" times in 17th and "Japanese colony" times in 19th (from modernlizatoinal Japanese "Mei-ji revolution times" to the end of world war 2) for another 50 years. On the other hand,9.9% Taiwan residents,who can't understand Taiwanese langauge,and those who lost form Chinese civil war,1949,absconding to here with the lost government/party,Chinese Nationalist Governmnet(KMT),named Republic of China,ruled by Mr.Chiang Kai-Shek,are Taiwan Chinese. Republic of China governmnet got Taiwan's sovereignty from Japan,end of world war two,1947. But,an improtant but secret history point is the Chinese Nationalist Governmnet did a cruel "Taiwan MASSACRE"(we called 228) in 1947,killing 10,000 to 25,000 Taiwanese knowledged men,as teachers,lawyers,doctors,artists,and most students. It hurted Taiwanese feelings very much. Consequently,after 2 years,the Chinese Nationalist Governmnet lost from Chinese civil war and were overthrow by China people,so the govenment and some Chinese imigrated to Taiwan,and did the 40-year political terror and thinking control to exclude Taiwnaese in any public things after the "Taiwan MASSACRE",and to protect unfair revenues to those minor Chinese in Taiwan. Meanwhile,all Taiwanese and Taiwan Chinese were taught "China-only" obligatory education,which dosen't match Taiwan ancienstor's historical truths.
So for we Taiwanese,over-65-year-old generation who can only recorded their thinkings and opinions in Japanese had been sacrified or even "dead" in the Massacre or been prisoned. The Taiwanese baby-boom generation,as President Chen Sui-Bianand,and we youngers can learn Chinese langauge to begin compete with Chinese again here,are still of course past on something by our Taiwanese ancienster's special life experiences inside the family. So,to understand our history,you can know the reasons why from generations to generations,Taiwanese in fact is different from international imgaes or concepts as those of Chinese. But Taiwanese have to keep it in silence for the Chinese Nationalist Governmnet(KMT) controled since 1949 to 1990 all the media,politics,and let social resources unfairly distrubuted to 9.9% Taiwan Chinese,along with great political terror to Taiwanese. So,the island country,Taiwan,complexly contains 9.9% residents are purely Chinese in personality,habbits,values,and affection which brought by their DNA,history life-experiences,and family upbringings,and over 70% Taiwanese but not Chinese in recognization and feelings to the nationality.

The Chinese Nationalist Governmnet,who brought "Republu of China" in Taiwan seperated from "People's Republic of China" in China since 1949,had also been changed to a Taiwanese Demacratic and Proggresive Government,President Chen Sui-Bian and new Taiwanese ministry after 2000 President election,voted by every residents in Taiwan! So,it is a fact that Taiwan is NOT a part of China! Don't be tricked by the similirity of the names of these 2 sovereignties.I live up in Taiwan,used Taiwanese money,pay taxes to Taiwanese gonvernmnet,and do voting to Taiwan's president and so on by ourselves. If go to China,it's no difference as to apply a visa process to go abroad as to foreign countries. Why we are a part of China? Just because of the names are similar? Then it grants China an excuse to occupy Taiwan?

In conclusion,Taiwanese can't say our name for the Chiang's Chinese Nationalist Governmnet and his fake dreams of that China was legally owned by him for past 50 years in Taiwan island. But recent 10 years Taiwanese indeed made a silent but peaceful "political revolution" to returen thise things to people who lived up and made efforst here for at least 300 years. Pre-first-Taiwanese president Lee fostered Chinese Nationalist Governmnet to peacefully transfer to the Taiwanese Democratic and Proggresive Govnment without bleed.

Privately,I never feel I am a Chinese.In anthropology,Taiwanese are mixed up with half Chinese in 300 years ago and half island local aboriginals.So,we Taiwanese got different face shape with Chinese,with deeper eye frames and bigger eyes. Plus the colony experiences by Dutch and Japan influene Taiwanese different in personality,habbits,and values. But there're minior but monopolized Chinese live up in Taiwan since 1949 to now is a fact,too.

Therefore,Taiwan won't annouce "formally" independent too fast,for we have to respect the 9.9% Taiwan Chinese least their contary to deter our public proggresiveness.

But,Taiwan will keep going on our roads of "Democratic,Freedom,Human rights,and Peace." The roads which we Taiwnaese once deprived by 9.9% monolopized Taiwan Chinese. As for Taiwan's future,only the referendum is the fairest way to decide our country fate.

Even China is tougher now,and my family have factory there,as Taiwanese,BUT we would never feel like to be consolidate with China because it's the "roots" that we are different in nature. Nowadays is global vallige,if we Taiwanese lost our rights of decide Taiwan's fate to mainland Chinese or Taiwan Chinese again,we,who recognized in affection we're Taiwanese,would like to be "international citizens" more than a Chinese.

There's only one China. It is "People's Republic of China." And,"Republic of China" is newly ruled by Taiwanese president and ministry.Please,please don't be tricked by China's lie of that Taiwan is a part of China. Taiwan have been seperated from them for a handred years.

Thanks for reading. Peace and God blessed.