Empress Dowager Cixi: China's ;Ast Dynasty and the Long Reign of a Formidable Concubine : Legends and Lives During the Declining Days of the Qing Dynasty

Rating:
Summary: Same old, same old
Review: Cixi had to have been a fascinating woman, to rule China for almost 50 years, but all you get with Woo's book is the same old legends of a beautiful, merciless sexual & political predator. This may be intriguing stuff, but it ISN'T TRUE. Most of these stories of murder, incest, etc., come from an old Victorian hack named Backhouse -- who was also a pornographer -- and wrote sensational stuff that would sell. Woo's book recycles most of it, although I have to say that Woo's style (very English-version-of-a-Chinese-fairy-tale) is a lot better than Backhouse's. Go ahead and read it, but do it for entertainment. Don't think you're getting any history out of it at all.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating anecdotes, but how many are true?
Review: This is probably the most detailed account in English of the court of Tz'u-hsi. You get character sketches of the prominent figures that reaveal far more of their motivations and personality than any normal history of the period. Most of the book is based on solid factual information from diaries and Chinese histories. It's a pity that this is mingled with legendary anecdotes and no attempt is made to ..... their veracity. Professor Woo could have supplied some endnotes to help with this. Still, it's an entertaining read and very helpful for understanding the late Ch'ing.