The Rape of Nanking

In December 1937, the Japanese army invaded the ancient city of Nanking, systematically raping, torturing, and murdering more than 300,000 Chinese civilians.

This book tells the story from three perspectives: of the Japanese soldiers who performed it, of the Chinese civilians who endured it, and of a group of Europeans and Americans who refused to abandon the city and were able to create a safety zone that saved many.

Germany is today a better place because Jews have not allowed that country to forget what it did during World War II. The American South is a better place for its acknowledgment of the evil of slavery and the one hundred years of Jim Crowism that followed emancipation. Japanese culture will not move forward until it too admits not only to the world but to itself how improper were its actions during World War II.

The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang is a deeply disturbing and important account of one of the most horrific atrocities committed during World War II. The book meticulously documents the brutal invasion and subsequent occupation of the Chinese city of Nanking by the Japanese Imperial Army in 1937, during which tens of thousands of Chinese civilians and disarmed soldiers were brutally raped, tortured, and murdered.

Chang’s work is a powerful testament to the indescribable suffering endured by the victims and the scale of the violence inflicted upon them. Through extensive research and survivor testimonies, she brings to light the unimaginable horrors that occurred during the six weeks of the Nanking Massacre.

One of the strengths of the book is its unflinching portrayal of the events, refusing to shy away from the graphic details of the violence. Chang also skillfully contextualizes the massacre within the larger historical and political framework of the time, providing insights into the motivations and actions of both the Japanese military and Chinese resistance.

However, some critics argue that Chang’s emotional involvement and personal investment in the subject matter may have affected the book’s objectivity. They claim that her strong narrative tone and occasional speculative assertions undermine the scholarly rigor of her research.

Overall, The Rape of Nanking is a harrowing and necessary read that exposes the dark depths of human cruelty and serves as a reminder of the importance of acknowledging and learning from history’s darkest chapters.

Iris Chang committed suicide in 2009 and I can’t help wondering if doing the research for this book and her next project, a book about the Bataan Death March, didn’t deepen her depression. She was obviously passionate, and turning that passion loose on uncovering what really happened in Nanking in December 1937 must have shaken her deeply.

A tragic epilogue is written by her husband to finish the book.