Reviews
"A richly complex account of 20th-century China . . . thoroughly engrossing. . . . A vivid if often unflattering portrait of a charismatic Chinese patriot, her husband and family, in tumultuous and tragic times."--Publishers Weekly(starred review), "The tale of Soon May-ling, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's American-educated wife, is epic in scope. Hannah Pakula brings vividly to life the tormented odyssey of China during the 20th Century and the enthralling life story of this singular woman in a wonderfully accessible way." --Orville Schell, Director of the Center on US-China Relations at the Asia Society, " The Last Empress . . . presents Madame Chiang as far more complex, awful and brilliant than we had imagined." --Jonathan Mirsky, The New York Times Book Review, "Ms. Pakula writes like a dream, and her narrative is certainly a pleasure to read; anyone who wants to learn about China in the first half of the 20th century will findThe Last Empressa good guide."--Melanie Kirkpatrick,The Wall Street Journal, "Pakula's biography is often absorbing. Madame Chiang emerges as more than just her husband's wife; we see a brilliant, scheming, deliberately alluring, brave, corrupt chameleon of a woman. . . .The Last Empress. . . presents Madame Chiang as far more complex, awful and brilliant than we had imagined."--Jonathan Mirsky,The New York Times Book Review, "Ms. Pakula writes like a dream, and her narrative is certainly a pleasure to read; anyone who wants to learn about China in the first half of the 20th century will find The Last Empress a good guide." --Melanie Kirkpatrick, The Wall Street Journal, "Pakula's biography is often absorbing. Madame Chiang emerges as more than just her husband's wife; we see a brilliant, scheming, deliberately alluring, brave, corrupt chameleon of a woman. . . . The Last Empress . . . presents Madame Chiang as far more complex, awful and brilliant than we had imagined." --Jonathan Mirsky, The New York Times Book Review, "This is a triumph of both research and storytelling. Madame Chiang Kai-shek led an amazing life filled with fascinating people as she helped bring China into the modern age. This brilliant narrative provides a wonderful insight into why China is the way it is today." -- Walter Isaacson, author ofEinstein, "The tale of Soong May-ling, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's American-educated wife, is epic in scope. And inThe Last Empress, which follows the narrative of her life from the end of the Qing Dynasty through her exile in Taiwan and the reign of Mao Tse-Tung, Hannah Pakula brings vividly to life the tormented odyssey of China during the twentieth century and the enthralling life story of this singular woman in a wonderfully accessible way." -- Orville Schell, Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society, "The tale of Soon May-ling, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's American-educated wife, is epic in scope. Hannah Pakula brings vividly to life the tormented odyssey of China during the 20th Century and the enthralling life story of this singular woman in a wonderfully accessible way."--Orville Schell, Director of the Center on US-China Relations at the Asia Society, "Like her imperial predecessor the Dowager Empress, the last ruler of the Manchu dynasty, Soong May-ling came out of nowhere to become role model, figurehead, and power-broker in twentieth-century China. This is rip-roaring true romance told with zip, clarity, and panache." -- Hilary Spurling, author ofMatisse the Master, "The Last Empressis the definitive biography of Soong May-ling, who came to fame as Madame Chiang Kai-shek. A rare combination of brilliant writing and insightful scholarship, it captures the complexities of an extraordinary woman in a turbulent time, who influenced the course of China's history in the twentieth century." -- Henry A. Kissinger, "The Last Empress. . . presents Madame Chiang as far more complex, awful and brilliant than we had imagined."--Jonathan Mirsky,The New York Times Book Review, "A richly complex account of 20th-century China . . . thoroughly engrossing. . . . A vivid if often unflattering portrait of a charismatic Chinese patriot, her husband and family, in tumultuous and tragic times." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
