Recommended reads about Taiwan

From the ashes of war to the martial law after and eventual struggle for democracy, the history of Taiwan is vast. Dotted with personal stories and fiction based on those stories, there is a library unique to the island nation waiting to be discovered. World War II stories, history books and simple fiction all offer something to share…

Formosa Betrayed

A classic first-hand account of the founding of Taiwan. It was written by George Kerr, a US diplomat stationed in Taiwan. He witnessed the 228 Incident and the corrupt killings committed by the Kuomintang (KMT) in Taiwan after World War II.

This book was ahead of its time in understanding the political situation of Taiwan and how its founding would impact its future.

It is one of the most influential books on Taiwan’s transition from Japanese colonial rule and played a role in Taiwan’s democracy movement in the 1960s and 1970s.

Taiwan: A New History

A collection of articles written by scholars from Taiwan, the United States, and Europe. The chapters are arranged chronologically and cover Taiwan’s political, historical, and religio-cultural background.

This history of Taiwan is unique, in that it identifies Taiwan as an island frontier zone with multiple influences. Taiwan has been colonized by Chinese, Japanese, and Europeans.

The authors in this book take note to explain that Taiwan cannot be explained without looking at its colonial past and indigenous peoples. The popular narratives concerning Taiwan’s current status become more complicated and undermine arguments made by the Chinese Nationalist Part (KMT) and Chinese Community Party (CCP). This is a great book if you are wanting to dive into Taiwan’s complete history.

The Man with Compound Eyes

A novel written by one of Taiwan’s most prolific authors, Wu Ming-Yi. The book follows Atile’i a teenage boy and member of the Wayo Wayo, who inhabits a small island with almost no contact with the outside world.

Being the second son in his family, he is sent off the island due to scarce resources. Almost dying at sea, he discovers an island made of trash. This trash island is slowly drifting towards Taiwan. The trash island collides with the coast of Taiwan and Atile’i and Alice Shih, a Taiwanese professor, become entangled in an exploration of Taiwan’s indigenous culture and environmentalism.

This novel is a fascinating take on the environmental impact of ocean pollution and its karmic retribution.

Notes of a Crocodile

A post-modern take on life as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in 1980s Taiwan. The novel follows a woman nicknamed Lazi. She spends most of her time alone, reading and writing while she attends one of Taiwan’s most prestigious universities. Lazi falls in love with her slightly older female classmate. The two take turns agonizingly courting and rejecting each other.

Notes of a Crocodile, published in 1994, is a seemingly futuristic text that examines many of the themes about identity and gender that are discussed today.

The Generalissimo

A biographical account of Chiang Kai-Shek during the turbulent history of China after the Qing Dynasty. It explores Chiang’s experiments with modernization and actions in a critical but positive light. Taylor reflects on the decisions that Chiang made based on personal prejudice, political realities and the need for survival. The author attempts to paint an objective biography of Chiang by using his diaries, KMT political documents, and personal accounts of those who knew and worked with him.

Green Island

A fictional take on the events that happened after the 228 Incident. It is a novel about survival, growth, and identity.

The books title refers to the beautiful Green Island, located off Taiwan’s east coast. Green Island was a place primarily used by the KMT as a prison for political prisoners.

The novel follows an unnamed narrator born during the 228 Incident. Her father disappears after speaking in favor of democracy at a community meeting and the rest of her family attempts to navigate through Taiwan’s tumultuous martial law period.

A Pail of Oysters

A novel set during Taiwan’s White Terror era. It tells the tragic story of a Taiwanese teenager who attempts to recover his family’s stolen kitchen god and his involvement with an American journalist.

The book was banned in Taiwan and removed from US college campuses by student spies paid by the KMT.

Until recently, English copies of the novel were difficult to come by. It paints a balanced portrait of Taiwan under martial law. Giving credence to the democracy proponents in the KMT.

Fundamentally, A Pail of Oyster explores the experience of the Taiwanese trying to exist under the KMT and martial law.

The Flying Tigers

Uncovers the hidden story of the group of young American men and women who crossed the Pacific before Pearl Harbor to risk their lives defending China.

Led by legendary army pilot Claire Chennault, these men left behind an America still at peace in the summer of 1941 using false identities to travel across the Pacific to a run-down airbase in the jungles of Burma.

In the wake of the disaster at Pearl Harbor this motley crew was the first group of Americans to take on the Japanese in combat, shooting down hundreds of Japanese aircraft in the skies over Burma, Thailand, and China.

At a time when the Allies were being defeated across the globe, the Flying Tigers' exploits gave hope to Americans and Chinese alike.

Do you have any other reads of Taiwan to recommend? Feel free to reach out to authorjamesbyrne@gmail.com

There is one more book that I found in Taiwan… One about AI. I haven’t written just one blog about what I learned, but several. Keep an eye out for that!

For now, though, that’s all for this week. See you soon!