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Summary: Iris Chang is very convincing
Review: Iris Chang is a superb writer, able to make a complex subject flow smoothly. The book is neither emotional nor dry but carries the reader forward easily. Three points of view are put forward, the Japanese, Chinese, and Westerners who were there. One of the most interesting chapters was "The Fate of the Survivors", which details the destiny of many of the leading characters that were present in 1937 Nanking. It was heartwarming to read how the people of China were able to help John Rabe (one of the principle defenders of the Nanking Chinese) and his family through a very rough time years later. The atrocities are all there but the book does not focus on them. The intent of the book is to make sure that history does not forget the people who died in Nanking in 1937/8. Iris Chang is very convincing and the book has the ring of truth. I strongly recommend it to everyone.
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Summary: This book would make Justice cry behind her blindfold!
Review: The horrific and unpunished atrocities committed by Japan's army would make Justice cry behind her blindfold.The methods of execution were meticulous and they were brutal.I was especially shocked at the most digusting and indignifying thing that could be done to women.The Japanese government and army abducted thousands of innocent girls to be systematically raped by its soldiers.The book suggest Japan should pay reparations,which is meager considering she trades $2 billion dollars in her Tokyo stock market everyday like its candy.Hans Frank,the "Slayer of Poles",said "A thousand years will pass and still this guilt of Germany will not be erased."Germany has said she's sowwy and has rid herself of her Nazi manipulators,but crafty Japan still harbors rapist and muderers who trot around in public in their little designer suits.The truth will eat at her heart no matter how many baths she will take,its no wonder Japan is a nation obsessed with hygiene!
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Summary: WE MUST LEARN TO ACCEPT THE TRUTH
Review: After reading the reviews of other readers, I believe that everyone has mistaken the true importance and value of this book. Most readers speak of its historical inaccuracy or that we must learn to stop these events from ever happening again. The true meaning of this book is to report or at least touch upon an event that has not received the attention it deserves. We must learn to accept the fact that the RAPE OF NANKING was an incident that showed us how cruel humans can be and that we are all responsible for this. This book cannot be compared to other historical atrocities nor should it be. The Rape of Nanking was indeed a holocaust and the fact that we are all fighting over insignificant details only shows us how pathetic and pitiful we are. Only through the process of acceptance can we truly understand and question why this event ever occurred at all.
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Summary: Wake up!
Review: I think some of the apologists for the japanese actions in Nanking that have written in this review section speak volumes as to the depth of their denials. Many of the apologists criticize the book (correctly) for some timeline or map errors, but does that REALLY matter or mollify the ACTIONS of the Japanese Army in China or the fact that the Japanese government is in blatant denial?
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Summary: Historical facts
Review: There is no question that the Sino-Japanese battle in Nanking was an especially bloody affair. Also there is little doubt that, as in many similar conflicts, many civilians were unnecessarily killed. To say that no civilian lives were lost would obviously be absurd. However to portray the Nanking battle as a "holocaust" is merely to play into the hands of communist Chinese propagandists. The civilian death toll in Nanking was initially put at 140,000 during the military tribunal in Tokyo shortly after WWII. Today serious scholars inside and outside Japan reckon that they have managed to piece together what really happened. The battle, they think, probably involved 40,000-60,000 deaths. What makes the Chinese claim that up to 300,000 civilians were slaughtered by Japanese troops particularly distasteful is not only the sheer magnitude of the overestimation but also the cynical calculus behind it. The Chinese leadership in Beijing wants to ensure that the Nanking tragedy was of greater historical significance than the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in which approximately 210,000 civilians were instantaneously incinerated. Hence the fictional 300,000 figure. That a communist propaganda book like Chang's "Rape of Nanking" has passed without much scrutiny in this country is a tribute to the openness and tolerance of our society. It is also a frightening reflection of our own historical ignorance.
Rating: 
Summary: Vital historic topic, so-so presentation
Review: This one is worth reading, but not because it is a great book. A spotlight on the historic event gets five stars, the book only three. Ms. Chang indeed approaches the Rape of Nanking as a journalist, not as a historian. Her book is messy, passionate, overboard at times, but vital nonetheless. For too many years the Japanese did not want the story told and the Chinese were "enemies" of the U.S., and both circumstances combined to keep the truth hidden. Ms. Chang is to be commended for her efforts to get the story out to a wider audience, however imperfectly.The book could be better documented, it could be both more detailed and less passionate; with stories as horrifying as these, the facts will speak for themselves. It is refreshing to hear about Nazi consul John Rabe, the nun whose name escapes me, and the other quiet and forgotten heroes of the international community who worked long and hard to save lives in the middle of a firestorm. The current Japanese government and most of its historical and educational establishment has been despicable about trying to deny the truth of this event, as was the case with Korean "comfort women" and other historic blots. But this hardly distinguishes it from other nations' coverups, or their misdeeds. Only in 1999 did public stories begin to surface of US Army atrocities against civilians in the early days of the Korean War. The important thing is to investigate, get the truth out, and speak out early and loud about recurrences, from Rwanda to Groszny. As for the reviewers who suggested the Japanese "deserved the atomic bomb," or the gentleman who concluded the Japanese Army's behavior must have been the rationale for locking up thousands of American citizens who happened to be of Japanese descent (my mother among them) ... sorry, but a second terrible wrong does not redress a first. I hate the person or government who resorts to injustice and violence as some form of compensation just as much as I hate the person or government who initiates injustice and violence.
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Summary: a stark glimpse of truth
Review: Iris Chang's The Rape of Nanking is a stark reminder of the barbaric parallel that exists between militaristic Japan and Germany during WWII; a parallel that the modern pacifist Pachinko/Pokemon loving Japan is so eager to deny. Both countries were led by extreme right wing elements that sought to extend economic and cultural sovereignty beyond their boarders at the expense of any vestige of peace or justice. Remember, there is absolutely no difference between what Nazi Germany attempted to do in Eastern Europe beginning with it's invasion of Poland in 1939, and what Japan attempted to do to in Asia beginning with its invasion of Korea in 1910. Both countries set out - with government policy to justify their criminal acts - to obliterate and replace the cultures that they occupied with their cultures, and to utilize the citizens of these occupied territories as 1) puppet leaders, 2) slave labor, 3) sex slaves, and/or 4) target practice. Never never never never forget that millions of men and woman died so that current generations could live free from German/Japanese fascism. Never never let modern right wing elements in Japan turn you with their passionate lie that they were the victims of WWII; that their grandparents' war was fought to "liberate" Asia from western domination. Thank you Ms. Chang for providing a glimpse of the truth.
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Summary: Intensely graphic and gripping
Review: I bought this book at an author book signing and subsequent keynote speech. The speech was a pre-dinner gig for a large group of around 500 Asian Americans in May 1999. She came across as a very passionate, fiery overzealous person, which almost turned me off the book. At any rate, I started reading it on my daily train ride to/from work and finished it in about 2 weeks. For people who have weak stomachs, I suggest you either learn to deal with gorey narrative or skip this book. It's not for the weak of mind and stomach. Her thoughtful and thorough research reveals a China that was utterly disgraced by Japanese soldiers, and in doing so, Chang really challenges you to re-think WWII history. The book flows quite well for the most part. I did however, start squirming at some of the more gruesome descriptions of Japanese soldiers pillaging innocent Chinese citizens. I even skipped a couple of pages outright. Personally, I found these passages overkill, especially since there is a center insert with photos of some of the atrocities committed. I'm not sure if these images were included for shock value, but for me, they were more disturbing than anything. Chang writes a thought-provoking account of unspeakable events. For years, there was official denial of the events, but for the first time, we see a comprehensive and coherent statement of human brutality. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Sooooo Disappointing!
Review: As an avid reader of both military history and Chinese history, I had high expectations for this book...too high. My biggest complaint is that for all the gruesome details and stories of horror, Ms. Chang makes little attempt to explain why the Japanese soldiers acted as they did, and why the Chinese soldiers and civilians reacted as they did. Only briefly is this subject touched upon in chapter 2 and in the epilogue. For all the research, surely she must have some impression or opinion on why the atrocities took place. After reading ten pages on how to rape a child, I'd hope for more than a two paragraph explanation of why. Very frustrating! It's too bad a military historian did not tackle the subject - provide some insight into the 'how' and 'why'. P.S. Compulsory reading for anybody interested in China/int'l politics/etc. is Nathan and Ross 'The Great Wall and the Empty Fortress'. Also, for anybody who's lived in China: 'China Awakes'.
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Summary: gripping no-nonsense documentary of Japan's gory past
Review: This book is written plainly & straight to the point. At times, I'm finding it intolerable to read the book as the activities committed by the Japanese during the war is totally inhumane & immoral. The necessity of us reading & understanding history is that we learn from our mistakes & building a better future for younger generations. What I'm finding intriguing is that till these days, the Japanese Government is still reluctant to apologise & pay compensations to the war victims. Besides, history text books in Japan are written in a way that the war guilt is not with Japan. In a way, Asian countries are not as pro-active as what the Jews have done in claiming reparations from Germany. But what Germany is doing now deserves to be commended for its willingness to work hand-in-hand with the war victims. Its memorials are a reminder to its citizens that in any wars, there are only losers. The truth is now in the open, & this book by Iris Chang is opening door to the war victims & has prompted the Senate to take some actions. I hope the surviving war victims are able to see the silver lining at the end of the tunnel.
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