Hidden Power: The Palace Eunuchs of Imperial China [Hardcover]

Mary M. Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1990

A little-known yet significant role in Chinese history was played by the palace eunuchs, castrated men who developed a concealed subcaste that manipulated monarchs and caused the downfall of immense dynasties. This book vividly chronicles the history of the imperial eunuchs: from the murky origins of the practice to the Ming dynasty when 100,000 eunuchs were employed as agents of the Dragon Throne, to the 1912 uprising that swept away the monarchy and the age-old eunuch system forever.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

For two millenia eunuchs were an integral part of the Chinese imperial system, overseeing the harems from which noncastrated males were barred. In a family-based society, eunuchs were considered to have no interests that could dilute their loyalty to the emperor. Many became close advisors to the emperor and wielded great power. Anderson's popular history deftly retells countless stories of eunuch intrigue, scheming, and power - grabbing that scandalized the proper Confucian scholars who wrote the traditional dynastic histories which are her sources. Colorful and compelling, although light on analysis, her book is a vivid reminder of the role that lust and power played in China's imperial past.
- Steven I. Levine, Duke Univ., Durham, N.C.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 318 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (March 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879755741
• ISBN-13: 978-0879755744
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,993,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars no historical insights, just a simple narrative history, April 15, 1998

By 

"ohur1688" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hidden Power: The Palace Eunuchs of Imperial China (Hardcover)

The book is a disappointment. It offers no general historical insights. I was expecting the author at least explained how and why an individual chose to be a eunuch, how the procedure was performed, how the society and families treated these people, how these people adjusted in the society, where did they come from, what is their daily lives... The author did NONE of these. The author simply wrote a narrative history of a few eunuchs. She wrote descriptive protraits of important eunuchs throughout history in chronological orders. The writing is detailed. For that, I gave a 3 point rating. But the reading is long, dry and boring. I only spent two hours on the book before I returned it.