The Rape of Nanking [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Iris Chang (Author), Anna Fields (Narrator)

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

Few know the details of the Japanese invasion of Nanking during WWII. Once a capital city of China, it became a scene of holocaust, rivaling any of Europe's in brutality and numbers. This is not history for the squeamish. Chang unfolds episodes with painstaking detail. She documents facts, reactions and rebuttals and includes a psycho-sociological analysis of the Japanese character to explain (if not excuse) their excesses. With a dry voice, Fields keeps her narrative from overreaction, using a finely tuned ear for inflection to emphasize the worst horrors. This is a real accomplishment as it would be hard NOT to express indignation. Her intelligent performance makes this a remarkable and compelling experience. S.B.S. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks; Unabridged edition (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786112581
• ISBN-13: 978-0786112586
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,995,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #99 in Books > Books on Cassette > History > Military

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The "Rape of Nanking" is not forgotten. It merely ignored,, January 7, 2002

By 

JOHN GODFREY (Milwaukee ,WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rape of Nanking (Audio Cassette)

marginalized & denied by the perpetrators. Most people are aware of "the rape". It gets a paragraph in most history books. I thank Iris Chang for adding a major mainstream book on the subject. It can only add to the pressure on Japan to confront this stain on their national reputation. Ms Chang's story is a chapter in the much larger war of annihilation waged by Japan against the people of China. This war made hardened Nazi recoil in horror. Ms Chang recounts the days before, how could it have been prevented & the absymal condition of the Chinese army unable or unwilling to put up even token opposition despite superior numbers. After a while her blizzard of numbers becomes to much: number of rapes, numbers of murders, combinations, numbers of torture, those used for bayonet practice etc. They become meaniless. Her suggestion that Japan pay reparations (such as The United States did to its Japanese citizens intered in World War II) is unrealistic. More real is an official apology from the Japanese government. Maybe when every Japanese soldier form World War II & their next of kin are dead will that apology come.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very stastisically accurate ; well-documented., August 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rape of Nanking (Audio Cassette)

Ms. Chang has done both the Chinese people and the larger world a great service by retelling the stories behind this senseless atrocity. The book must be included on high school and college reading lists with at least one mandatory book report assigned on the subject per year for all undergraduates. Lastly, Chang should explore the option of taking her project onto the college lecture circuit and getting grants from Japanese companies like Honda to fund her efforts.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very informative, but lost my attention, July 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rape of Nanking (Audio Cassette)

I knew absolutely nothing about the China/Japan conflicts of WWII until I stumbled upon this book. It was extremely informative and gave a graphic description of the horrible events that took place in China. I also liked the background that the author gave regarding the China/Japan differences. Although I was into the first hundred pages, I sort of lost interest as I continued and I found myself reading other things and daydreaming. All around a good book though.