Empress Dowager Cixi : : the Concubine who Launched Modern China

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Biography / General / Cixi	4-week checkout	On Hold Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	921 Cixi	4-week checkout	Due 04-29-2024

The imperial concubine in stormy times (1835-1861). Concubine to an emperor (1835-56) ; From the Opium War to the burning of the old Summer Palace (1839-60) ; Emperor Xianfeng dies (1860-61) ; The coup that changed China -- Reigning behind her sons' throne (1861-1875). First step on the long road to modernity (1861-9) ; Virgin journeys to the West (1861-71) ; Love doomed (1869) ; A vendetta against the West (1869-71) ; Life and death of Emperor Tongzhi (1861-1875) -- Ruling through an adopted son (1875-1889). A three-year-old is made emperor (1875) ; Modernisation accelerates (1875-89) ; Defender of the empire (1875-89) -- Emperor Guangxu takes over (1889-1898). Guangxu alienated from Cixi (1875-94) ; The Summer Palace (1886-94) ; In retirement and in leisure (1889-94) ; War with Japan (1894) ; A peace that ruined China (1895) ; The scramble for China (1895-8) -- To the front of the stage (1898-1901). The reforms of 1898 ; A plot to kill Cixi (September 1898) ; Desperate to dethrone her adopted son (1898-1900) ; To war against the world powers : with the Boxers (1899-1900) ; Fighting to a bitter end (1900) ; Flight (1900-1) ; Remorse (1900-1) -- The real revolution of modern China (1901-1908). Return to Beijing (1901-2) ; Making friends with Westerners (1902-7) ; Cixi's revolution (1902-8) ; The vote! (1905-8) ; Coping with insurgencies, assassins, and the Japanese (1902-8) ; Deaths -- China after Empress Dowager Cixi.
In this ground-breaking biography, Jung Chang vividly describes how Empress Dowager Cixi fought against monumental obstacles to change China. Under her the ancient country attained virtually all the attributes of a modern state: industries, railways, electricity, telegraph, and an army and navy with up-to-date weaponry.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Library Journal Review
CHOICE Review
Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile
Excerpt
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Interesting submitted by Isabella Giviyan on July 27, 2018, 11:45am This is a well-written biography that clearly explains the circumstances of Cixi's life, and her decisions. Cixi had a major impact on China, and she should be understood and studied beyond the Boxer rebellion.

interesting submitted by kevinhe on July 25, 2019, 2:18pm good to know the history of recent China.