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The Rape of Nanking

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The Rape of Nanking

By: Iris Chang
Narrated by: Anna Fields
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About this listen

In December 1937, in the capital of China, one of the most brutal massacres in the long annals of wartime barbarity occurred. The Japanese army swept into the ancient city of Nanking and within weeks not only looted and burned the defenseless city but systematically raped, tortured and murdered more than 300,000 Chinese civilians. Amazingly, the story of this atrocity- one of the worst in world history- continues to be denied by the Japanese government.

The Rape of Nanking tells the story from three perspectives: that of the Japanese soldiers who performed it; of the Chinese civilians who endured it; and finally of a group of Europeans and Americans who refused to abandon the city and were able to create a safety zone that saved almost 300,000 Chinese. It was Iris Chang who discovered the diaries of the German leader of this rescue effort, John Rabe, whom she calls the "Oskar Schindler of China." A loyal supporter of Adolf Hitler, but far from the terror planned in his Nazi-controlled homeland, he worked tirelessly to save the innocent from slaughter.

©1997 by Iris Chang (P)1997 by Blackstone Audiobooks
20th Century China Japan Military War Scary Thought-Provoking Inspiring City Japanese War Crimes
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Editor reviews

Iris Chang's work is incredibly important, revealing in the most disturbing detail how Japanese troops ravaged China before war came to the rest of the world. The racial hatred, rationalized murder and large scale butchery is horrific. If you want to know what war is truly all about, this is it. But Chang also gives the perspectives of the Chinese victims of the Nanking massacre and the unsung German diplomat who did what he could to save trapped civilians. (John B.)

What listeners say about The Rape of Nanking

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A staggering book

From knowing little about this, I found the book staggering - fascinating and horrific in equal measure.

Not an easy listen by any stretch but something worthwhile to learn and inform yourself about the depths to which human beings can sink in their treatment of each other.

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Do not forget history lest ye be doomed to repeat

In order to fully appreciate all that is good in modern society its essential to see the depths to which humanity can sink unchecked.

This book and others like it (Solzhenitsyn's - Gulag Archipeligo and Browning's - Ordinary Men for example) should be on the curriculum in every school in the democratic world.

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Horrific and necessary

A rough listen about a tragedy many are still unaware took place. This story deserves to be heard

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Great read , hard to believe the depths a human soul can be taken too.

Absolutely awestruck by some of the atrocities documented in this book, very compelling. Couldn’t stop listening finished it within the day.

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I’m a better person after listening to this.

An essential book, probably should be mandatory reading in Japan. The more people know the more pressure on the Japanese to do what is right.

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incredible 👏 😪

this was honestly just incredible as well as heart breaking! everyone needs to know this story but i don't think everyone could handle the truth that this books tells you

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enlightening

this covers a topic I knew nothing about before hand and it has opened my eyes to a whole branch of history I hand not previously touched upon. shocking stories pulled form anecdotal contemporary sources in the form of survivor testimony and written records compiled by the author and retold in a harrowing and direct way. the narration delivers the text in a flowing and engaging tone cannot fault this book. be warned however it does touchbon some of the most terrible things human beings have done to each other in detail.

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Brilliantly Researched and Written

It certainly is a hard read but it holds nothing back about this atrocity.

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Exceptional book, thoroughly documented

Very relevant book about an unjustly forgotten massacre. It is an insightful work of history, very complete and well written. It can be difficult at times to read the descriptions of the absurd and cruel atrocities, but that shows even more the relevance of this work. I highly recommend it.

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World history we should all know

It will be a tough read and upsetting, but it’s a story that has never warranted the attention of other atrocities, when it really should. Whether we agree with China’s approach to treatment of its and other’s people, and we are comfortable with Japan’s new place in the world, strong economy and deliverer of World sporting festivals, we should all nevertheless know this story as well.

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