Customer Reviews

Lords of the Rim

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4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was pleasantly surprised by this offering of Sterling Seagrave's as normally, his works would be double the thickness of this book but hey, isn't it this saying that don't judge the book by its cover? The book spanned thousands of years, going back through time in China illustrating to us what events led to the exodus of Chinese overseas. I simply couldn't put the book down reading about those legendary statesmen like Sun Ping, Sun Tzu, Wu Tze Shih, Chao Tsao, & so forth. I vaguely knew of what my older generations told me about them when I was a kid but now, everything is coming back to me. Sterling Seagrave is at his best unwoven all the complex threads that have had been set up by those master puppeteer, who in this case is none other than overseas Chinese. I don't believe the author is making up stories here at all. Many readers found the content rather far-fetched but people in the region would disagree with that because South-East Asia is undeniably an interesting place to be. Rather, I'm astounded by his in-depth knowledge of what's happening in the South East Asia. Many of the incidents mentioned were happening in my time & I could still vividly remembered what I read in the newspaper or what I heard from the older generations who used to work for those tycoons. Whilst it's true that the second part of the book is becoming overbearing (probably it's because I have known of the incidents already or that it's already been covered in other Sterling Seagrave's offering), overall, this is still a well-researched book. A job very well-done, indeed.

Conspicuous by its absence, Sterling Seabright's Lords of the Rim has clearly ruffled more than a few feathers, at least in the Chinese Pacific Rim Community. It strikes me as odd that Seabright's EXCELLENT TREATMENT of such topical subjects as Chinese Triad criminal activity, colonialism, monopoly and banking practices and, most recently, the triggering of the so-called Asian contagion by an oligarchy of greedy, Chinese-Thai land speculators and monopolists should suddenly be unavailable. Perhaps Seagrave's blunt warning to us and his glaring examples from elsehwere on the Rim were a tad too clear for Canada's cloyingly naive immigration and multicultural establishment. We, in Canada are arguably next in line for slow colonization of China's Triad driven migration . Seagrave does well to warn us of it. Other, less cogent and less relevant works by the same author are easy to find. What, then, has happened to Lords of the Rim?? Seagrave's publisher does us a disservice by not making such a recent Seabright work available.

This book gives a compelling view of the world of the expatriate Chinese, whom many have been settled throughout the world. Some may be rich and some may be poor. It gives a very in-depth explaination of what and how the expatriate Chinese came about and why they are so. Being a descendent of expatriate Chinese myself, I find this book very refreshing and provides me with a clearer picture of the intricacies of the workings of the Chinese, particularly in South East Asian countries. Besides that, Mr. Seagrave has also shown how the networks of the Chinese have come about and gives me a sense of things to come about. After reading this book, the reader will no doubt gain a better understanding of the cultural differences between the west and the east, particularly the Chinese. This points to a greater opportunity of cooperation and understanding between cultures and thus between governments and businesses of the west and the east.

The first part of this book is both entertaining and enlightening, an overview of historical tension in China between bureaucratic North and freewheeling, entrepreneurial South which, the author convincingly argues, has served as the impetus for the international diaspora of the overseas Chinese. Splendidly done.

Unfortunately, the second part purports to analyze the overseas Chinese themselves in a contemporary context, and proceeds to do nothing of the sort. Seagrave instead selects a series of Southeast Asian countries and fries up steamy helpings of tabloidesque gossip about a wealthy or powerful figure who has lived there. Entertaining to be sure, but singularly unhelpful for those of us who naively believed the book might deliver what its subtitle promised. The chapter on Indonesia is particularly miffing, because it focuses on the events surrounding the fall of Sukarno and the rise of Suharto, neither of whom are even ethnic Chinese. The chapter on Taiwan is a lazy regurgitation of the author's previous "Soong Dynasty," which roots out various scandals of Chiang Kai-shek and his family. There is a bountiful load of fertilizer in this topic, but it is entirely unrelated to the issue of Taiwan's role as member of the overseas Chinese community or the immigrant character of its population.

When all the dirty laundry has been aired, Seagrave apparently runs out of space and dispenses with addressing his chosen subject altogether. Ultimately, no clear picture of the overseas Chinese emerges at all. This is a pity, because the book jumps out of the gate with a good deal of promise.

Brent Heinrich, Taipei

The problem with the author's book and like other similar books supposedly to expose the insular and secretive ways of the "orientals" always argue a false stereotype.

Now, let's look at things critically. Are there Overseas Chinese? Sure. What about 'Overseas Americans?" Sure. Don't overseas americans tend to congregate based on similar culture and pressure living in a foreign land?

Are all jews super rich and control the world? Nope. Authors like Seagrave does a grave disservice to chinese living anywhere. The Chinese are villians and saints. This applies to any culture. There is nothing inherent in Chinese culture which emphasises thievery, immorality, etc. What Seagrave and others ascribe to the Chinese, is simply human nature. As an American, our political institutions have been rocked with scandals. Someone pointed out that the Chinese-Democratic party scandal is indicative of Chinese cunning yet who invited the Chinese to the White House? Clinton and/or his staff. So who's corrupting whom and who doesn't wish to be corrupted?

The bulk of overseas chinese happen to be about middle class. In the states, they have yet to access political power. They have been here for nearly 150 years, but why haven't seen the cunning and manipulation which would allow the Chinese to take over the US? Because Seagrave's stereotype is just that.

The west tend to forget due to the fact that by living in western countries where social nets such as "social security," "unemployment benefits," etc exist while historically most of mankind lived without social nets and the only way to survive was to hoard and save and protect yourself from the harsh realities of nature (ie flood, famines, disease) and man (warfare, corrupt rulers)

What you see in Seagrave's book has it's parallels in any culture. The handful of chinese who are superrich are fortunate through their efforts and cunning. Seagrave also forgets that Confucius emphasized a very modern concept of individuals who l! ived ethical and moral lives. That is something that the Chinese also respect and perhaps as much as money.

Seagrave argues that the Chinese have this underground network. But it's quite laugable. It simply does not exist. It exists as much as an British network or American network exists. As a chinese american, I saw no relatives engaged in any unethical behavior described by Seagrave. Most of my relatives are either white collared workers or miniscule businessmen. It's only a fortunate few that become well connected to become merchant princes.

However, Grave does make his story fun to read and it's rather exciting to talk about secretive mafia types and pirates. As long as you put it into perspective, that's ok.

This is a Very Important Book, beautifully written by perhaps the only person who can tell the unvarnished story. It should be required reading in every school or institution. Students should be made aware of how the Real World works. And the book should be available (as elsewhere) in paperback as well as hard cover.

One of the oldest and nobelist of world empires; China evolved into one of the most advanced and `civilised' nation long before the dawn of European nations. Deagrave has artfully managed to weave an unending tapestry of a people who have survived not only the tyranny of some of its own rulers but those of other nations. A people who have provided the pivitol commerce of every nation it people have touched. Ultimately China's sphere of influence has someetimes and in somewhays been worldwide.

If anyone of you would like to have a short brush-up on the Chinese history and to understand why Chinese usually do not trust anyone than their families read this book. Lot's of insights!

I was struck by a feeling of deja-vu and at the same time clarity when reading this book. Having lived in Japan as a junior high and high school student, I am accutely aware of the competitiveness of Chinese students and their families. Furthermore, as a current resident in the Philippines, and previously other islands in the South Pacific, I am aware of the power of the Chinese to control the fundamental survival of their hosts. Should there be a Chinese holiday declared in Asia, other than in South Korea or mainland Japan, one would be hard pressed to buy a screwdriver or a loaf of bread...much less a tank full of gasoline. It is reassuring that the paranoia and mistrust of the decades of the 1930's and 40's, alligned against the possibility of Axis espionage and deception, is today directed elsewhere. The question is where, and why. Consider the fact that I've purchased this boolk in Asia as a paperback, paying one third the publisher's price for what has long been known as 'pirated' books. Publisher received nothing, perhaps author received nothing. Just a small example of chinese businessmen manipulating the market without concern for/ or control by morality or any concept of "fair play". Good enough...go for it!! But let the rest of us be aware and beware!!!

This is a fine little book comprised of, as the Publisher's Weekly review put it, a Chinese merchants' history. If you are wondering what you will find within its pages, the subtitle, The Invisible Empire of the Overseas Chinese, is a good indicator. Lords of the Rim is a tapestry of sorts: a series of case studies and interconnected anecdotes involving overseas Chinese and the often-secret societies they have formed. Sterling Seagrave traces their origins, shows us where they're at presently, and explains how they make their money. Mr. Seagrave is a journalist-turned-author and his research, as always, is impressive. His writing style is simple, but effective. He's exceptionally good at making history come alive, and is at once intellectual and fun.

I've heard critics say he's prone to invention, but I've never heard of anyone finding evidence of this. He remains one of my favourite writers; his book about Ferdinand Marcos is spellbinding as are his The Soong Dynasty and Dragon Lady. His depth of knowledge regarding East Asia is staggering. One of my only reservations with this book is the author's prediction that parts of southern China may one day secede. Im not so sure I agree, and it seems to me that predictions on that scale are not one of mankind's strong suits. That aside, Lords of the Rim is a nice, informative book.

Troy Parfitt, author