The Taiping Rebellion

A major historical novel by one of Japan's most popular modern writers, The Taiping Rebellion vividly portrays one of the most compelling and horrifying stories of the nineteenth century, when a quasi-religious and social movement lost one hundred thousand warriors in an attempt to overthrow the Qing dynasty. Using actual historical figures as characters (Hong Xiuquan, Feng Yunshan, Hu Linyi, Zuo Zongtang, Lin Zexu, and Zeng Guofan), Chin brilliantly offers on a grand scale reminiscent of Herman Wouk a panoramic view of countless battles and other historical events and fascinating, probing character studies. This is a book that all students of Chinese history and aficionados of the historical novel will want to read.

Chin Shunchin is a leading writer of historical fiction in Japan, where he is a household name. His novels and stories are distinguished by recurrent themes he has developed concerning China, Chinese history, and Chinese people living in Japan. He is the recipient of a number of distinguished Japanese literary awards and prizes Joshua A. Fogel is professor of history at the University of California, Santa Barbara