“Taiwan has become a stresspoint of global geopolitics, and Jonathan Clements has done the world a favour with his indispensable account of its complex history. This illuminating and endlessly fascinating book can’t help but change the way we see the Taiwanese people and what they have built.”
Clive Hamilton, author of Hidden Hand
“Rebel Island narrates the long arc of Taiwan’s history in vivid prose and with admirable sensitivity to contemporary views regarding the island’s politically charged past. Clements provides an even-handed treatment of controversies old and new, while engaging readers with revealing anecdotes and his trademark wit.”
Paul D. Barclay, author of Kondo the Barbarian
“Clements’s pacy and engaging account offers a valuable counterpoint to today’s news coverage of Taiwan. Rebel Island offers a compelling portrait of a perennially fragmented place, subject across centuries to a succession of claims on its territory, resources and identity — of which Xi’s is but the latest.”
Christopher Harding, The Telegraph
“Excellent ... Clements’s brisk narrative is related with style and brio and an appropriate amount of caution, given the various competing narratives surrounding the island’s history, and he draws on an impressive trove of documentation, Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, and western. The result is a splendid portrait of the layers of identity and resistance in what is no less a settler society than the United States, Australia, or Argentina.”
Oliver Farry, The Irish Times
“With great uncertainty in the region, Clements brings readers up to speed on the history of this incredible Rebel Island.”
Samuel Bernard, The Australian
“Clements writes accessible narrative histories of East Asia designed for a general readership. In this book, his informative accounts of time and place are interleaved with human interest stories written in a no-nonsense style to provide a bird’s-eye view of the challenging terrain that is Taiwan’s past.”
Antonia Finnane, Inside Story
“A concise journey through the island’s complex history and all the different ethnicities, refugees, mavericks, and nationalities that have come together to make modern Taiwan.”
Ramona Magazine
Praise for The Emperor’s Feast:
“A galloping journey through thousands of years of Chinese culinary history … a timely reminder that the country’s modern cuisine is the delicious fruit of a rich, ancient and perhaps surprisingly multicultural tradition.”
Fuchsia Dunlop, Spectator
Praise for A Brief History of Japan:
“Perfect for travelers or students … A wonderfully fun, interesting, and informative introduction to Japanese history. Clements blends culture, politics, military, economics … all with a wit and humor that carry the narrative forward and make it real.”
Mark Zachary Taylor, author of The Politics of Innovation
Praise for Japan at War in the Pacific:
“This is a fascinating historical tour of one of the world’s great cities, exploring Tokyo’s long past with an eye to its present form and its bustling contemporary population. Clements digs deep into place names, and into the wider context of Japan’s long history, to offer an account that visitors to Tokyo—whether first-timers or old regulars—will no doubt find invaluable in helping them to make sense of a city that can sometimes feel overwhelming in its size and vibrant complexity.”
Chris Harding, author of Japan Story
