Formosa Betrayed; The Definitive First-Hand Account of Modern Taiwan's Founding Tragedy

Kerr, George H.

ISBN 10: 1788691555 / ISBN 13: 9781788691550

Published by Camphor Press Ltd, 2018

About this Item

6 X 1.13 X 9 inches; 520 pages.

Seller Inventory # B8766

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Formosa Betrayed; The Definitive First-Hand Account of Modern Taiwan's Founding Tragedy
• Publisher: Camphor Press Ltd
• Publication Date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1788691555
• ISBN 13: 9781788691550
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine

About this title

Synopsis

Formosa Betrayed is a detailed, impassioned account of Chinese Nationalist (KMT) misrule that remains the most important English-language book ever written about Taiwan.

Author George H. Kerr lived in Taiwan in the late 1930s, when the island was a colony of Japan. During the war, he worked for the U.S. Navy as a Taiwan expert. From 1945 to 1947, Kerr served as vice consul of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Taipei, where he was an eyewitness to the February 28 Massacre and the subsequent mass arrests and executions.

As well as chronicling KMT repression during the early years of the White Terror, Kerr documents widespread corruption, showing how the island was systematically looted. The “betrayed” in the title refers not only to the crushing disappointment Taiwanese felt when they realized KMT rule was worse than that of the Japanese but also to the culpability of the American government. The United States was in large part responsible for handing Taiwan over to the Nationalists and helping them maintain their grip on power.

Formosa Betrayed has served as a foundational text for generations of Taiwanese democracy and independence activists. It has an explosive effect among overseas Taiwanese students; for many, the book was their first encounter in print with their country’s dark, forbidden history. A 1974 Chinese-language translation increased its impact still more. It is a powerful classic that has withstood the test of time, a must-read book that will change the way you look at Taiwan.

In this definitive edition Kerr scholar Jonathan Benda has added a detailed, thoroughly-researched introduction as well as a biographical sketch of the author.

Review

“Mr. Kerr's book deserves wide attention not only because of the authority which thirty years of involvement with his subject confers, but also because it is the only book to expose the whole truth of a critical problem.”
—Kirkus Reviews