The Legacy of Tiananmen Square
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
With the loosening of restrictions on the Chinese economy in the 1980s and 1990s and the rise of the middle class, many observers thought that Western-style democracy would soon follow. Instead, China has adopted its own version, with a market-driven economy where actions that might call into question the decisions of the governing party are strictly forbidden.
In this fascinating account, Cormier chronicles numerous failed attempts to bring democracy to China in the last century, starting with a handful of brave souls who tried to move China towards a constitutional monarchy at the turn of the century and peaking with the student uprising of 1989. Using historical research (including surprising transcripts from Party meetings) and candid interviews with many of the dissidents — some now living in exile, others under house arrest in China — Cormier tells the very human story of real people struggling for human rights and freedoms.
The Legacy of Tiananmen Square was originally published in French as Les héritiers de Tiananmen. This updated edition was translated by Jonathan Kaplansky.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The Chinese struggle for democracy has been punctuated by scheming tyrants, lost opportunities and repressed voices, but the human faces of this epic story are revealed by Cormier (former China corre-spondent for CBC Television) in his evocative narrative. Through high-profile interviews, a thorough understanding of modern Chinese history, and years of reporting in China, Cormier manages to pre-sent a broad yet comprehensive view of the issues surrounding the Chinese System of government and the people's desire for change. Readers will quickly become acquainted with China's pseudo-democratic changes throughout the 20th century and beyond, as well as the key players, such as Sun Yat-Sen, Moa Zedong and various leaders and revolutionaries. This is not an academic perspective but a journalistic one, and Cormier tells the story of the twisted and tortured path of Chinese-style democ-racy with purpose and clarity. Each chapter advances the narrative with another protagonist, adding angle upon angle with lucid fact to the understanding of Tiananmen Square in the context of the Chi-nese's greater struggle for a voice. Despite being a translation, the text is smooth and natural, with no hiccups of awkward syntax or language usage. Cormier has written a moving and tragic book, but one that is by no means hopeless. North American Distribution: UTP
