Customer Reviews

The Soong Sisters

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Emily Hahn was an American expatriate in China during the 1930s. She came to know the Soong sisters, who in their day were among the world's most famous and powerful women. This book, written in 1939-40 is an entertaining, informative introduction to the Soongs. At the time it was published, The Soong Sisters created a storm of controversy and provoked powerful emotions. It was one of the first biographies of the Soongs, and it continues to be one of the best. Critics charged Hahn had "gone easy" on the Soongs; Soong supporters said the book was a "hatchet job." The real truth lies somewhere in between. Hahn is a witty, engaging and perceptive writer. For that reason, The Soong Sisters is still good read, and it provides a contemporary perspective on three of the personalities who shaped post-war China.

If you're a woman and you're looking for inspiration, the story of the three Soong Systers delivers it in abundance. If you're interested in learning more about 19th and 20th Century Chinese history, you'll be bathed in it, seeing it through the eyes of a politically connected family. If you're looking for an unusual and engrossing story, this is your book.

For me, the most amazing thing about this book is, it's not fiction.

It gave me a glimpse to that period/time in China history. The Soong sisters had something a lot of women in their time didn't have and that set them apart from the others, college education in the west.

WIDE RANGING, ACCURATE, AND REVEALING AS AN HISTORICAL DOCUMENT, IT BRINGS THE MYRIAD OF REAL, LARGE THAN LIFE CHARACTERS TO VIBRANT LIFE AND FOR THE FIRST TIME - IN ONE PLACE AT ONE TIME - MAKES SENSE OUT OF THE NEEDLESSLY BUNGLED, AND CONTINUING UNEASY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AMERICA AND CHINA CREATED BY THE FALSE, GOD-LIKE IMAGE OF THE WARLORD CHIANG KAI SHEK AS THE ONE, TRUE, DEMOCRATIC, CHRISTIAN, POPULAR LEADER OF ALL CHINA - AN IMAGE BURNISHED BY HOLLYWOOD IMAGE MAKERS SEDUCED BY HENRY LUCE AND MADAME CHIANG KAI SHEK. A MOMUMENTAL ACCOMPLISHMENT.

The Soong Sisters have an interesring background. They all appeared to marry well and were influential in their time.