The Rape of Nanking

By: Iris Chang

Narrated by: Anna Fields

In December 1937, in the capital of China, one of the most brutal massacres in the long annals of wartime barbarity occurred. The Japanese army swept into the ancient city of Nanking and within weeks not only looted and burned the defenseless city but systematically raped, tortured and murdered more than 300,000 Chinese civilians. Amazingly, the story of this atrocity- one of the worst in world history- continues to be denied by the Japanese government.

The Rape of Nanking tells the story from three perspectives: that of the Japanese soldiers who performed it; of the Chinese civilians who endured it; and finally of a group of Europeans and Americans who refused to abandon the city and were able to create a safety zone that saved almost 300,000 Chinese. It was Iris Chang who discovered the diaries of the German leader of this rescue effort, John Rabe, whom she calls the "Oskar Schindler of China." A loyal supporter of Adolf Hitler, but far from the terror planned in his Nazi-controlled homeland, he worked tirelessly to save the innocent from slaughter.

©1997 Iris Chang (P)1997 Blackstone Audiobooks

Necessary reading.

Evil. exists not in the"other" but in every individual human being.

Weakness/capitulation is no solution.

A Must LISTEN

Would you listen to The Rape of Nanking again? Why?

Yes, with a pen and paper to get the facts written down.

What did you like best about this story?

The incredible research that has gone into the work.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It astounded me

Any additional comments?

Anyone living-with or dealing with the Chinese should listen to this to gain an understanding into their intense distrust of their neighbours.

A dark history brushed under the rug

Where does The Rape of Nanking rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the top.

What did you like best about this story?

Using first hand accounts helps give the story a face.

Which character – as performed by Anna Fields – was your favorite?

No one really. Just a good narrator

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Very much so

Great book great author sad story

such a wonderful story about an absolutely horrible tragedy. I don't believe how cruel people can be and how this has changed my outlook in so many ways. This was a great book. Open your eyes and give this 1A chance

Best narrator!

Iris Chang's crisp and economic delivery makes this one of the best nonfiction audiobooks I have ever enjoyed.

The evil perpetrated upon the conquered Chinese by the Japanese is appalling. To think, even the local Nazi contingent felt things had gone too far and set up a safe zone for the persecuted to find succor behind the swastika...