Forbidden Nation : A History of Taiwan

For over 400 years, Taiwan has suffered at the hands of multiple colonial powers, but it has now entered the decade when its independence will be won or lost. At the heart of Taiwan's story is the curse of geography that placed the island on the strategic cusp between the Far East and Southeast Asia and made it the guardian of some of the world's most lucrative trade routes. It is the story of the dogged determination of a courageous people to overcome every obstacle thrown in their path. Forbidden Nation tells the dramatic story of the island, its people, and what brought them to this moment when their future will be decided. "At the heart of Taiwan's tempestuous story is the curse of geography that placed the island on the strategic cusp between the Far East and Southeast Asia and made it the guardian of some of the world's most lucrative trade routes. For over 400 years, Taiwan has suffered at the hands of multiple colonial powers. Through the dogged determination of a robust, pragmatic, and courageous people, Taiwan has worked to overcome every obstacle thrown in its path. Its history is a saga full of outlandish characters: pirates and warriors, rogues and villains, artist scholars and desecraters, men of principle and men of none, cowards and a few heroes. Jonathan Manthorpe tells the dramatic story of the island, its people, and what has brought them to this moment when their future will be decided."--Jacket "For over 400 years, Taiwan has suffered at the hands of multiple colonial powers, but it has now entered the decade when its independence will be won or lost. At the heart of Taiwan's story is the curse of geography that placed the island on the strategic cusp between the Far East and Southeast Asia and made it the guardian of some of the world's most lucrative trade routes. It is the story of the dogged determination of a courageous people to overcome every obstacle thrown in their path. Forbidden Nation tells the dramatic story of the island, its people, and what brought them to this moment when their future will be decided."--Publisher's description "Although the legacies of the Cold War have faded from much of Europe, in China they remain vibrant, easily seen in the division between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. Many pundits argue that there is a real threat of war between the two in the next five to ten years, and not many months go by without flare-ups in tensions. It is clear that Taiwan has now entered the decade in which its independence will be won or lost. The current problems between China and Taiwan actually stretch back much further than the Cold War. Forbidden Nation looks at this long history of Taiwan to make sense of the volatile relationship with China." A history of Taiwan and its relations with China explains how the country is compromised by its location at the mouth of some of the world's most lucrative trade routes, and traces four hundred years of colonial exploitation. Jonathan Manthorpe. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [265]-266) And Index. A gripping history of Taiwan and its tense relations with China