The Dragon Empress: The Life and Times of Tz'u-hsi, Empress Dowager of China, 1835-1908

by Marina Warner

Book Overview

Marina Warner's biography of the Empress Dowager Tz'u-hsi the daughter of a minor mandarin who held supreme power in China from 1861-1908. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0006C4SLO
• ISBN13: 8601300183718
• Release Date: January 1972
• Publisher: Macmillan
• Length: 271 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Very informative

I was doing my report my Tz'u Hsi and this book has a lot of information, probably more information than people need. Half of the time, it tells about war and China's situation at the time instead of Tz'u Hsi herself. For me I'm very interested in Chinese history and this book really satiated my thirst for it. This book can be a bit boring at times, but for the most part, it's interesting. It gives people an insight about chinese traditions and of course, the empress dowager herself. I recommend reading it!

Superbly written, very perceptive.

The best-written and most accurate biography of the Empress-dowager Tz'u-hsi. Although Marina Warner never studied Chinese, her account almost always tallies with the vernacular sources. She offers a shrewd, plausible and perceptive analysis of Tz'u-hsi's character. Her appraisal of the period has more insight and balance than Sterling Seagrave's jaundiced politically correct approach. An excellent introduction to the late Ch'ing dynasty.