Hand-Grenade Practice in Peking: My Part in the Cultural Revolution - Hardcover

Wood, Frances

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 071955781X ISBN 13: 9780719557811

Publisher: John Murray, 2000

Synopsis

This is a quirky account of revolutionary China, written by Frances Wood, who went to Peking as a student for a year in 1975.

About this title

About the Author

Frances Wood is now Head of the Chinese Collections in the British Library.

From Library Journal

Wood, now head of the Chinese collections at the British Library, has an interesting story to tell about her life as a student in China in 1975-76, the last year of the Cultural Revolution. She argues that because people were caught up in the political rhetoric of the time and afraid to make friends, she and other foreign students were unable to have illuminating experiences in China. The author's selection of illustrations, which are simple, unidimensional block prints from a story of a Chinese patriot, reinforces this point. Wood, who is clearly talented in the Chinese language, effectively communicates her delight in finding artifacts of the "old" China and injects humor into her observations about both foreigners and Chinese. Her story is not intended to be profound and, though advertised as a travel book, is not the sort that will give travelers useful information. Nonetheless, it does get across what it's like to be a student in a foreign country; as a former student in China, this reviewer can vouch for its authenticity. Recommended for larger public libraries. Peggy Spitzer Christoff, Library of Congress
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Murray
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 071955781X
• ISBN 13: 9780719557811
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 224