The Nanjing Massacre

The New York Times bestselling account of one of history's most brutal—and forgotten—massacres, when the Japanese army destroyed China's capital city on the eve of World War II, "piecing together the abundant eyewitness reports into an undeniable tapestry of horror". (Adam Hochschild, Salon) In December 1937, one of the most horrific atrocities in the long annals of wartime barbarity occurred. The Japanese army swept into the ancient city of Nanking (what was then the capital of China), and within weeks, more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and soldiers were systematically raped, tortured, and murdered. In this seminal work, Iris Chang, whose own grandparents barely escaped the massacre, tells this history from three perspectives: that of the Japanese soldiers, that of the Chinese, and that of a group of Westerners who refused to abandon the city and created a safety zone, which saved almost 300,000 Chinese. Drawing on extensive interviews with survivors and documents brought to light for the first time, Iris Chang's classic book is the definitive history of this horrifying episode.

A compelling historiographic study of the Rape of Nanjing during the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945, one of the worst atrocities of all times, and of the event's repercussions.

The Nanjing Massacre, which took place after the Japanese attacked and captured Nanjing in December 1937, shocked the world with the magnitude of its atrocities. With newly uncovered eye-witness material left behind by American and British journalists, missionaries, and diplomats, They Were in Nanjing takes the readers back in time to revisit the event and live through those horror-filled days. The first-hand accounts range from English media reports, personal records, missionary and Christian organization documents, to American and British diplomatic and military documents. The research yields new discoveries and presents issues that have previously not been adequately dealt with, for instance, Japanese attacks on American citizens, and losses and damage to American and British properties as a result of Japanese atrocities. No other book on the Nanjing Massacre presents the first-hand foreign perspective so thoroughly or consistently.

This book is based on four visits to China between 1971 and 1989 by Honda Katsuichi, an investigative journalist for Asahi Shimbun. His aim is to show in pitiless detail the horrors of the Japanese Army's seizure and capture of Nanjing in December 1937. Unvarnished accounts of the testimony - Chinese victims and Japanese perpetrators - to the rape and slaughter are juxtaposed with public relations announcements of the Japanese Army as printed in various Japanese newspapers of the time. The bland announcements of triumphant victories stand in bitter contrast to the atrocities that actually took place on the scene. The story unfolds with horrible detail as we watch the triumphant progress of the Japanese army whose troops were bent on rape and killing in the so-called "heat of battle." Yet by recalling the testimony of Japanese soldiers and reporters who were on the scene, as well as reproducing dispatches by Japanese Army authorities at the time, Honda makes it clear that the atrocities were part of a studied effort directed by the Japanese high command to impress the Chinese people with the power of its army and the folly of resistance to it - the estimate of 300,000 killed in these "military operations" is no exaggeratoin. Honda has worked with other Japanese journalists and scholars who have attempted to reveal the truth of the Nanjing massacre, provoked by the efforts of right-wing Japanese, including, sadly, many government officials, to whitewash the whole incident, even to the point of contending that a "massacre" never happened. This gripping account of the atrocities and cover-up joins other exposes - Chinese and now German - in keeping alive the memory of this shameful event.

A compelling historiographic study of the Rape of Nanjing during the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945, one of the worst atrocities of all times, and of the event's repercussions.

About three weeks after Japanese troops captured Nanjing when the worst of the atrocities was over, American diplomats were allowed to return to the city to re-open their embassy on January 6, 1938. Three days later, British and German diplomats arrived by HMS Cricket on January 9. Since their arrival, the diplomats continuously dispatched cables, reports, and documents reporting conditions in the city, including Japanese atrocities, reign of terror, economic situation, living conditions, and other aspects of social life. These diplomatic records prove to be a treasure trove of invaluable primary source material for research and study on the Nanjing Massacre from unique perspectives. A Dark Page in History is a collection of British diplomatic documents, Royal Navy reports of proceedings, and US naval intelligence weekly reports. The collection is invaluable as these newly unearthed primary source materials undoubtedly enhance our knowledge and understanding of the scope and depth of the Nanjing Massacre. In addition to updated and newly added annotations, included in this new edition are six maps, along with appendices consisting of USS Oahu December 1937 log book and a report by Frank Pruit Lockhart, US Consul-General at Shanghai, transmitting 13 photos of Japanese atrocities on September 16, 1938.

While World War II is well known for genocide, the war itself eclipsed key events that preceded and contributed to the greater conflict. This book explores the Nanjing massacre, a mass murder and rape committed by Japanese soldiers in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. This conflict would later merge into World War II itself. Sidebars highlight topics such as the Japanese destruction of military records about the massacre and Chinese general Chiang Kai-shek. A timeline chronicles the Chinese decision to move operations from Shanghai to Nanjing and the harrowing events that transpired.

"The subject is the notorious Japanese occupation of Nanjing, China, in 1937. The poems capture all perspectives of the tragedy--from the weary, casually cruel Japanese soldiers to the uncomprehending child victims, and from the desperate helpless parents and the brutalized comfort women to the bloodless yet vicious bureaucrats of death."--P. 4 of cover.