Manchu

Imperial China #2

by Robert S. Elegant

This novel transports the reader back to the savagery and the passion, to the opulence and sensuality, and to the great adventure of the last days of a dying dynasty.

Genres: Historical Fiction, China, Fiction, Historical, Novels, Literature, Asia

560 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Robert Sampson Elegant (born March 7, 1928) is a British-American author and journalist born in New York City. He spent many years in Asia as a journalist. The Asian settings of all but one of his novels reflect that experience. He covered both the Korean and the Vietnam Wars, as well as four or five lesser conflicts.

Reviews

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a while to finish this book but I learned a lot about China in the mid 1600s. Seems a constant was was going on, Europeans, mainly Portuguese were involved, although the main character was an Englishman; whose main skill was in artillery, both making and using canon. Also learned about the large spread of Christianity in China in the 1600s and the disagreements between the various Catholic branches like the Jesuits. How the Europeans military was helping Chinese armies, both technically and by selling arms to both sides of a dispute.
This is a Trilogy so will be reading the other 2 books in the series soon.

[John Eliade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really well-written novel of the Manchu takeover of China (spoiler alert, the Manchu win) that does well to bring the reader into not only the intricacies of the Ming and Manchu courts, but also into the culture and history of the times. It's an interesting point of view, to put the reader into the mind and heart of Francis Arrowsmith, an English artilleryman, who is assisting the Jesuit Mission to China. The story is told almost entirely from the point of Catholic characters, giving it that interesting point of view as we see flawed characters who struggle to justify their soldiery or smutty activities with their faith. It's an interesting perspective that ultimately limits the book, even if that perspective is incredibly well fleshed out and detailed. I enjoyed it. Lovers of Chinese history will love it too for the fresh perspective (since most work on Chinese history tends to ignore this point of view).

[Ajay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in School. Picked it up at random from the school library shelves and was hooked. It was a rollicking good yarn. I learned a bit more about Chinese culture and felt enriched. Of course this was before the internet and growing up in India where you idea of Chinese culture would be Bruce Lee and Hong Kong Martial Arts films.

[Brenda N · Rating 2 out of 5]

I sure struggled to finish this book! I was so looking forward to reading this book. I can’t quite put my finger on what irked me about this book. Character development? Topic? Not sure except that I only finished the book so that I could be sure that I got all I could out of it.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got me interested in China and Chinese culture, an interest that would literally change my life. So for that I will always be grateful to Machu and Robert Elegant.

[Steve R]

I read this 1979 novel sometime in the late 1980s while enthralled with all Asian historical novels. It tells of the replacement of the Ming Dynasty by that of the Manchus, which occurred in the sixteenth century. As with Clavell’s novels on Chinese history, Elegant’s works concentrate on protagonists of European background, in this case one Francis Arrowsmith, an English artilleryman who assists a Jesuit mission in China.

Thirty or so years later, I have to confess that it left no lasting impression or significant memory.
Recommended.

[Enrique · Rating 2 out of 5]

Demasiado largo y lo que es peor, con un personaje principal insulso y quejica.
Es interesante para conocer sobre la cultura China y Manchú del siglo XV. La manera en la que están descritos los colores y sabores de Asia a los ojos de un europeo es bastante buena, así como algunos de los personajes secundarios, sin embargo, el conjunto es flojo y la historia no fluye, lo cual, para un libro de casi 500 páginas hace que su lectura se convierta más en una prueba que en un placer.

[Elsa Binder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up at random in the high school library shelves. I still remember what a good read it was.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Readers must remember that this book was written in 1984, before some of the more recent upgrades in attitudes towards women. Women in China have always – and still – have a problem with male attitudes. The portrait of a woman as subservient would be even more applicable back in the 17th Century than even now.

This is an exciting book about China, albeit somewhat condescending regarding an Englishman coming to the rescue, as per usual in these types of books. The ruling Ming dynasty is being invaded by the Manchus. Francis Arrowsmith, the Englishman is question, aids the corrupt Ming dynasty.

It is well written and easy to understand. This book is an adventure for sure.

Thank you to Netgalley and Open Road Integrated Media for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.

[Nae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bogs down in some places, and I just somehow could not warm up to the central character, but the background was painted in lush words that made me keep reading just for that.

[Jeffrey Cavanaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fair early-modern, West-meets-East saga that is enjoyable but is otherwise dragged down by an annoying main character and an over-emphasis on Christianity's prospects in late Ming China.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I already was familiar with Robert Elegant having read his articles on Asia in Newsweek and the Los Angeles Times over the years.

This book is a reissue. What I also didn't realize is that it's part of a trilogy--Manchu is the first novel, followed by Mandarin, then Dynasty. A huge commitment if you are so inclined.

If you like historical fiction [as I do] and especially that on Asia [here, in particular, China], this may be the read for you.

Set in the 17th century, the novel starts in the Spanish Lowlands but quickly moves back and forth to Macao, then Peking [Beijing] and other parts of China.

It deals with the Ming Dynasty and of course, the Manchus. The story is told by Francis Arrowsmith, an Englishman.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throw in soem passion, great battle scenes and a look into the mystery and intrigue of the royal Chinese court, and you have a winner. I enjoyed this tale of old China through the eyes of an Englishman.

[Joost · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short review;

- Overall a good book
- Interesting description of China during the Ming Dynasty
- Missing parts in the storyline that in my opinion could've made it better
- Some parts seem superfluous
- Probably more fun to read while in China (due to references)

[Jc · Rating 1 out of 5]

China in the early 17th century, a Young English catholic lieutenant in the portuguese army gives a hand to the Chinese to fight the Mongols. It sounded very promising. After 110 pages nothing has happened, there is a myriad of different characters none very endearing or interesting. I give up.

[Thom Dunn]

(My copy has no dj....Assume this is same book as the pb pictured above.}

[Marius van Blerck]

I placed this book on my "to read" list solely on the basis of Spike Milligan's observation that "All men eat, but Fu Manchu".

[Sergio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un romanzo lento e macchinoso che stenta a decollare e di questo risente la lettura che non è mai fluida. Peccato perchè l'ambientazione geografica e storica è quella giusta.

[Melody K Bienfang · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was fantastic. The detail extensive. Easy to love, hate and connect to the characters.

[The Idle Woman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes a book wears you down. You find yourself plodding away at it, determined to finish but finding that the number of remaining pages never seems to get any less. This, I'm afraid, was one of those books. A sweeping epic following the Jesuit mission in China in the mid 17th century, and told through the eyes of an ambitious young Englishman, it had scope to be very engaging. And it isn't screamingly bad. It's well-informed and detailed to a fault. But one is left with the powerful sense that 200 of its 634 pages could have been cut without any great loss to the story - in fact, probably to its advantage...

For the full review, due to be published on 11 April, please see below:
https://theidlewoman.net/2017/04/11/m...

[david · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Japanese v. The Chinese a long time ago.