|
In association with
|
Empress Dowager Cixi: China's Last Dynasty and the Long Reign of a Formidable Concubine : Legends and Lives During the Declining Days of the Qing Dynasty
by X. L. Woo
from Algora Publishing
Customer Reviews:
-
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0 
-
Same old, same old 
Cixi had to have been a fascinating woman, to rule China for almost 50 years, but all you get with Woo's book is the same old legends of a beautiful, merciless sexual & political predator. This may be intriguing stuff, but it ISN'T TRUE. Most of these stories of murder, incest, etc., come from an old Victorian hack named Backhouse -- who was also a pornographer -- and wrote sensational stuff that would sell. Woo's book recycles most of it, although I have to say that Woo's style (very... more info
-
Fascinating anecdotes, but how many are true? 
This is probably the most detailed account in English of the court of Tz'u-hsi. You get character sketches of the prominent figures that reaveal far more of their motivations and personality than any normal history of the period. Most of the book is based on solid factual information from diaries and Chinese histories. It's a pity that this is mingled with legendary anecdotes and no attempt is made to assess their veracity. Professor Woo could have supplied some endnotes to help with this. Still, it's an... more info
Similar Products:
| Portions © Amazon.com, Inc. |
|
