Forbidden Nation
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| File:Forbidden Nation.jpg | |
| Author | Jonathan Manthorpe |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Subject | History of Taiwan, Cross-strait relations, Political status of Taiwan |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Set in | Taiwan |
| Publisher | St. Martin's Press |
Publication date | 14 October 2005 |
| Pages | 286 |
| ISBN | 9780230614246 Search this book on  . (Paperback) |
Forbidden Nation: A History of Taiwan is a 2005 book by Jonathan Manthorpe. The work surveys Taiwanese history from early indigenous settlement and European contact to the early 21st-century political landscape. Manthorpe details the country's strategic geopolitical positioning, its successive colonial administrations, its late-20th-century democratization and its complex relationship with the People's Republic of China. The book opens and concludes with an analysis of the 2004 shooting of President Chen Shui-bian, which occurred just before the 2004 Taiwanese presidential election. Manthorpe released the volume amidst heightened international discourse regarding democratic consolidation in Taiwan and fluctuating cross-strait security dynamics.[1]
Summary
The narrative traces Taiwan's history through multiple eras, beginning with early Taiwanese indigenous populations and initial European trade outposts established by the Dutch East India Company. It progresses through the eras of Qing dynasty administration, Japanese colonial rule, and the eventual arrival of Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang government following the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War.
A central focus is the emergence of a distinct Taiwanese national identity and contemporary questions of sovereignty. Beijing's historical claims over Taiwan are legally and historically tenuous by highlighting that Chinese imperial administration under the Qing dynasty was geographically limited and failed to control the entire island before its cession to Japan in 1895. The text also analyzes modern milestones, including the presidency of Chiang Ching-kuo, the lifting of martial law, and subsequent democratization processes.[2]
Themes
In the book, the author connects historical precedents directly to contemporary cross-strait flashpoints, where he focuses on state formation, national identity, and the legal parameters of Taiwan's international status. While characterizing Taiwan's historical trajectory as fundamentally separate from China, the analysis notes that its geopolitical future remains constrained by regional powers and geography.
Reception
Critical commentary generally focused on the book's accessibility and its detailed parsing of the country's political development. Writing for the Taipei Times in February 2006, reviewer Bradley Winterton characterized the work as a clear and balanced foundational introduction to Taiwanese history. Winterton highlighted the author's meticulous attention to the evolution of Taiwanese sovereignty.[3]
Philip Courtenay reviewed the book for the Taiwan Today. He wrote that Manthorpe's background as a journalist made the text more accessible to general readers than typical academic histories. Courtenay noted that the book's main strength was its extensive coverage of Taiwan's history prior to 1895, particularly the Dutch colonial period, the House of Koxinga, and the 19th-century modernization reforms under Governor Liu Mingchuan. However, he noted an imbalance in the book's pacing, pointing out that the 50-year period of Japanese colonial rule was covered in only 14 pages despite its major impact on the nation's development.[4]
Other commentators credited the author with delivering a readable, fair-minded introductory overview that avoids overtly polarizing rhetoric. However, some recent critics observed that the volume leans heavily on a state-centric analysis focused primarily on political elites, thereby dedicating less analytical space to the social histories of Indigenous peoples, women, and everyday civilian life in the country.[5]
See also
- The Struggle for Taiwan
- Ghost Nation: The Story of Taiwan and Its Struggle for Survival
- Rebel Island
- The Taiwan Tinderbox
- Taiwan: A Contested Democracy Under Threat
- History of Taiwan
- Political status of Taiwan
- Cross-Strait relations
References
- ↑ "Forbidden Nation: A History of Taiwan". Goodreads. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ Manthorpe, Jonathan (2009). Forbidden Nation: A History of Taiwan. St. Martin's Press. p. 286. ISBN 9780230614246. Search this book on
- ↑ Winterton, Bradley (5 February 2006). "The case for a 'Forbidden Nation'". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ Courtenay, Philip (September 22, 2006). "Journalist reassesses 'leaf on the waves'". Taiwan Today. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- ↑ Cody, Jenna Lynn (August 13, 2021). "Intertwined Narratives: A Survey of Books on Taiwanese History". Ketagalan Media. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
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