51 pages • 1 hour read
Iris ChangThe Rape of Nanking
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1997A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang chronicles the 1937 Nanking massacre, where the Imperial Japanese Army, over six weeks, killed between 260,000 and 400,000 Chinese noncombatants and violated between 20,000 and 80,000 women. Published in 1997, the book is lauded for highlighting Japanese wartime atrocities and has significantly impacted awareness and understanding of these events. The text includes graphic descriptions of violence, sexual assault, and torture.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Iris Chang's The Rape of Nanking is widely acclaimed for its rigorous research and emotional depth in narrating the Nanking Massacre. Praised for bringing attention to historical atrocities, it is also critiqued for occasional factual inaccuracies and a sometimes sensational tone. Nevertheless, it remains a crucial work in documenting one of history's brutal chapters.
Who Should Read The Rape of Nanking?
The ideal reader of Iris Chang's The Rape of Nanking is someone interested in World War II history, human rights, and Asian studies. They likely appreciate detailed, harrowing accounts similar to those in Elie Wiesel’s Night or Primo Levi’s If This Is a Man, where personal and historical narratives intertwine to shed light on atrocities and their impact.