Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Premier Zhao Ziyang (Traditional Chinese Version)
Category: licheng
The book is a memoir recorded from the oral account of the late Zhao Ziyang, the former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. According to reports, when Zhao Ziyang passed away in January 2005, individuals who were aware of these recordings made a concerted and complex effort to gather the materials and transcribe the recordings for publication.
Zhao Ziyang's former political secretary, Bao Tong's son, Bao Pu, and his wife spent four years translating these recordings into English, and the book was published on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident. The English title of this memoir is "Prisoner of the State," which translates to "The Prisoner of the State" in Chinese.
In the memoir, Zhao Ziyang reflects on the Tiananmen Square incident, describing it as a tragedy. One passage in the book records Zhao's feelings as the People's Liberation Army advanced into Beijing and killed hundreds, possibly thousands, of students. Zhao Ziyang recounts: "On the evening of June 3rd, my family and I were sitting in the courtyard, when we heard intense gunfire... The shocking tragedy that shook the world had not been averted and had indeed occurred." A few days later, he was removed from his position as the General Secretary.
The book provides a firsthand account of the events leading up to and during the Tiananmen Square incident, offering a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the Chinese Communist Party at the time. Zhao Ziyang's reflections and insights shed light on the complex political dynamics and the personal toll he faced as he grappled with the government's harsh crackdown on the pro-democracy protests.
The publication of this memoir, made possible through the efforts of Zhao Ziyang's close associates, has been widely regarded as a significant contribution to the historical understanding of one of the most pivotal events in modern Chinese history. The book has been praised for its candid and introspective nature, as Zhao Ziyang navigates the ethical dilemmas and difficult decisions he was forced to confront during his tenure as the Party's top leader.
product information:
| Attribute | Value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| publisher | 新世紀; First Edition (January 1, 2009) | ||||
| language | English | ||||
| tankobon_softcover | 384 pages | ||||
| isbn_10 | 9881720273 | ||||
| isbn_13 | 978-9881720276 | ||||
| item_weight | 1.1 pounds | ||||
| dimensions | 5.98 x 1.18 x 8.98 inches | ||||
| best_sellers_rank | #2,001,969 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) | ||||
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