Incredible book but even better story about the author and the book itself. It's hard to believe when people think of war crimes in ww2 everyone assumes it's Germany and the concentration camps you're talking about but the Japanese War Crimes were just as, if not more, sadistic than the Nazis. It's hard to imagine this being such recent history. The author of this book actually becomes a part of the story because she committed suicide about 7 years after finishing this book. She was working on another book about another Japanese war crime, the Battan Death March. She started deteriorating fairly quickly and killed herself. Her husband writes an epilogue to finish the book and it's really interesting and so tragic. I also didn't know the lengths Japan was currently going to try and whitewash this part of history and just like they are Holocaust deniers, they are also many people who say the Rape of Nanking didn't happen, or didn't happen to the extent that it did. I hope this book serves the purpose of opening peoples eyes to the brutal truth that the Japanese military did to Chinese soldiers and civilians. 5 stars for sure. The author has an autobiography written about her and I'm interested in reading that too. ( )

Incredible book but even better story about the author and the book itself. It's hard to believe when people think of war crimes in ww2 everyone assumes it's Germany and the concentration camps you're talking about but the Japanese War Crimes were just as, if not more, sadistic than the Nazis. It's hard to imagine this being such recent history. The author of this book actually becomes a part of the story because she committed suicide about 7 years after finishing this book. She was working on another book about another Japanese war crime, the Battan Death March. She started deteriorating fairly quickly and killed herself. Her husband writes an epilogue to finish the book and it's really interesting and so tragic. I also didn't know the lengths Japan was currently going to try and whitewash this part of history and just like they are Holocaust deniers, they are also many people who say the Rape of Nanking didn't happen, or didn't happen to the extent that it did. I hope this book serves the purpose of opening peoples eyes to the brutal truth that the Japanese military did to Chinese soldiers and civilians. 5 stars for sure. The author has an autobiography written about her and I'm interested in reading that too. ( )

I had no idea. This is not a book for the faint-hearted, as it is quite graphic, but not gratuitously so. Iris Chang describes the atrocities of the Rape with the kind of language to provoke heartbreak, revulsion, rage, shock...

I did know beforehand about an event in history called the Rape of Nanking, and I had heard about the Comfort Women of WWII, however, as many can relate, I was given a sanitized version of the history. In many ways I feel like I've been robbed, or made to swallow what "history" my government has deemed proper to teach to its people. Hopefully someday, nations/religions can stop trying to hide their shame, learn to embrace it and prevent it from happening again.

I very much enjoyed Anna Fields narration of the book, and I may purchase a physical copy to see if there is a reference section with which I can learn more. ( )

A richly told, thoroughly documented, and horribly gruesome account of the Japanese occupation of mainland China. Highly recommended, but be forewarned of the starkness of war and brutality. ( )

While I was somewhat familiar with the atrocities thst occurred in Nanking I soon realized I was woefully under educated about the magnitude of what happened. Even more shocking, to learn about the Japanese successful efforts at suppressing the details and omitting it from history books is completely unacceptable. My Dad fought in the Pacific theatre in WWII and never spoke a word about what he experienced but he refused to buy anything made in Japan. A must read for all to ensure history does not repeat itself ( )