In this book and his others, "Simon Leys" (a non-de-plume for Belgian sinologist Pierre Ryckmans) gives some of the best perspectives on Chinese politics and culture you'll ever read. Besides The Burning Forest, see also The Chairman's New Clothes (1971), Chinese Shadows (1976), and Broken Images (1981). The collection titled The Angel and the Octopus (1999) contains a number of essays on Chinese matters, political and cultural. His Wiki page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Leys) lists several more, but these are in French only. The experience of reading Leys/Ryckmans is like having a bucket of cool -- but not cold -- water poured over your head on a hot day.
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.