My Two Chinas: The Memoir of a Chinese Counterrevolutionary
" . . . beautifully written . . . Tang fully embraces the poetry and stories of China . . . His book is both a history lesson and a heart-wrenching read." -- Publishers Weekly"A mesmerizing and important book." -- The Sudbury Star (Ontario, Canada)"One can make sweeping statements about China, and they will probably be at least partially true. But a higher level of truth is found in the day-to-day experiences of someone like Baiqiao Tang. Although he writes mostly about his native Hunan Province, this is the story of China. Tang's grandfather used to complain about the decline of the writing skills of his countrymen. Too bad he isn't alive to enjoy his grandson's beautifully written autobiography, whichreads almost like a novel. I couldn't set it down." --Professor James D. Seymour of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, expert on China and Tibet, author ofNew Ghosts, Old Ghosts: Prisons and Labor Reform Camps in China"There are many Chinese—more than a billion of them—but there are relatively few to speak for them: to speak for their rights, their dignity, and their freedom. Baiqiao Tang is one such person. He speaks, not only for himself, but for masses of his countrymen, who are gagged.If the Communist dictatorship in China ever falls, Tang will be one of those who gave it a hard, wonderful push." --Jay Nordlinger, senior editor ofNational Review"My Two Chinasisbeautifully written. . . . The bravery shown by Tang and other Chinese students who stood up to the Communist Chinese government was extraordinary. Their story deserves to be known. This is the place to start." --Edward I. Koch, former mayor of New York City (1978 1989), influential political commentator"My Two Chinasisone of the most moving, witty, and entertaining memoirs to come out of Chinasince the 1989 Tiananmen demonstrations, a graceful collaboration between a splendid mind that yearns for a free China and the sure pen of his English collaborator. As we travel with Baiqiao Tang, one of China's most famous dissidents, through his days of demonstration, flight, imprisonment, and exile, we are reminded of the rule of terror that lies behind China's growing military and economic might. The next time that economy compels you to buy something made in China, do penance by picking up a copy of this book as well." --Steven W. Mosher, president of Population Research Institute, author ofA Mother's Ordeal,China Misperceived,Journey to the Forbidden China, andBroken Earth"Over the years, I've watched many American pundits, corporate executives, and politicians kowtow to China on any number of issues—from China's Internet censorship and theft of intellectual property to currency manipulation and attacks on the Pentagon. These cowards should draw courage from the example of a man like Baiqiao Tang—whostood up for democracy and freedom in the belly of the Communist beast and, miraculously, has lived to tell us all about it." --Peter Navarro, author ofThe Coming China Wars, professor of economics and public policy, Merage School of Business, University of California-Irvine"In the face of oppression most people cower; a few cannot. Baiqiao Tang acted in 1989 and still strives to change China today. His struggleteaches us much about the transformation of ordinary people into extraordinary human beings. This is the amazing story of one man's journey of constant confrontation and his unbreakable spirit. To read it helps you understand the many nameless and faceless men and women standing up every day to China's persistent repression." --Jeffrey Fiedler, US China Economic Security and Review Commission"In a rare glimpse into the chaotic nature of the June 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, activist Tang (Anthems of Defeat: Crackdown in Hunan Province 1989 - 1992), charged and imprisoned afterward as a "counter-revolutionary," recounts the painful experiences of his rise to become one of China's most outspoken dissidents....China's government has gone to extraordinary lengths to erase Tiananmen Square from the memory of its people.VERDICT Aninsightfullook into the conditions in China's hidden prison systems...Recommended." --Library Journal