Formosa Betrayed is a detailed, impassioned account of Chinese Nationalist (KMT) misrule that remains the most important English-language book ever written about Taiwan.
In this definitive edition Kerr scholar Jonathan Benda has added a detailed, thoroughly-researched introduction as well as a biographical sketch of the author..
It is a powerful classic that has withstood the test of time, a must-read book that will change the way you look at Taiwan.
A 1974 Chinese-language translation increased its impact still more.
It has an explosive effect among overseas Taiwanese students; for many, the book was their first encounter in print with their country\'s dark, forbidden history.
Formosa Betrayed has served as a foundational text for generations of Taiwanese democracy and independence activists.
The United States was in large part responsible for handing Taiwan over to the Nationalists and helping them maintain their grip on power.
The Betrayed in the title refers not only to the crushing disappointment Taiwanese felt when they realized KMT rule was worse than that of the Japanese but also to the culpability of the American government.
As well as chronicling KMT repression during the early years of the White Terror, Kerr documents widespread corruption, showing how the island was systematically looted. diplomatic mission in Taipei, where he was an eyewitness to the February 28 Massacre and the subsequent mass arrests and executions.
From 1945 to 1947, Kerr served as vice consul of the U.
S.
Navy as a Taiwan expert.
During the war, he worked for the U.
S.
Kerr lived in Taiwan in the late 1930s, when the island was a colony of Japan.
Author George H.
Formosa Betrayed is a detailed, impassioned account of Chinese Nationalist (KMT) misrule that remains the most important English-language book ever written about Taiwan
