Among the Braves: Hope, Struggle, and Exile in the Battle for Hong Kong and the Future of Global Democracy

by Shibani Mahtani, Timothy McLaughlin

Through the eyes of two frontline journalists comes a gripping narrative history of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement centered around a cast of four core activists, culminating in the 2019 mass protests and Beijing's brutal crackdown. 

Hong Kong was an experiment in governance. Handed back to China in 1997 after 156 years of British rule, it was meant to be a carve-out between hostile a bridge between communism and capitalism, authoritarianism and liberal democracy. “One country, two systems” kept its media free, its courts independent and its protests boisterous, designed also to convince Taiwan of a peaceful solution to Beijing’s desire for reunification.

Yet this formulation excluded Hong Kong’s own people, their future negotiated by political titans in faraway capitals. In 2019, an ill-conceived law spear-headed by a sycophantic leader pushed millions to take to the streets in one of the most enduring protest movements the world has ever seen. Xi Jinping responded with a draconian national security law that sought not only to end the demonstrations but quash the “problem” of Hong Kongers’ identity and desire for freedom.

Reverend Chu, who believed Hong Kong had to carry the spirit of students at Tiananmen Square, saw his silver-haired comrades who birthed the city’s modern pro-democracy movement handcuffed and taken from their homes. Tommy, an art student radicalized into throwing Molotov cocktails, watched “braves” like him brutalized by police before his own arrest prompted him to flee. Finn epitomized the decentralized nature of the movement and its internet-fueled victories, but online anonymity couldn’t stop his life from unravelling. Gwyneth could predict her eventual fate when she chose to give up her career as a journalist to stand for election as an opposition candidate, and did it anyway.

In Among the Braves, Shibani Mahtani and Timothy McLaughlin tell the story of Hong Kong’s past, and what the sacrifices of its people mean for global democracy’s shaky foundation.

Genres: Nonfiction, China, History, Politics, Asia, Audiobook, Journalism

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 7, 2023

Reviews

[Erin Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must. One of the best NF I've read in a long time. An incredible collection of stories woven together and beautifully handled by the writers.

[Kirat Kaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has single-handedly altered my view of Hong Kong forever. It tells the story of the 2019 protests through the lens of 4 Hong Kongers who participated in the movement and who often drove its outcomes. It provides a lot of context and historical background about events and political dynamics that led up to 2019, including the history of British colonisation, valuable information on HK civil society, it’s evolving relationship with Britain and China, and the external forces at play. I really appreciated that the journalists who wrote this chose not to take themselves completely out of the story. I liked that they were transparent about their process and their own vantage points in covering the story.

Never again will I make superficial comparisons between Singapore and HK - we are such vastly different places. For one thing, we have the vote and Hong Kong does not. For another, HKers are so much braver and have such a strong sense of community - we have much to learn from them.

If you follow the news at all, you can guess how this book ends. Yet not all hope is lost. I was most enamoured by Reverend Chu’s trajectory, and after a lifetime of being involved in justice-seeking projects his words at the end of the book really moved me.

Hong Kong zindabad. May your spirit live on.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes me terribly sad for Hong Kong. There is hope in the telling, but little by the end. It is hard not to feel the utter helplessness of going against the one party controlling state. The detail of the story and the lives of those that stood up make this book very powerful. Very well written; highly recommend, unfortunately.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid research and writing on recent events that haven't been covered in many books.

[David Siu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A critical reminder how quickly and violently social political systems could change.

[Preeti Mahatme · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative narrative of the Pro-Democracy movement in Hong Kong and the prominent players behind it. Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China in 1997. since then it has been struggling to maintain its identity and basic freedoms. Touted as a One Country Two System policy, the book reveals how China has slowly but steadily been imposing its authoritarian rule on Hong Kong and snuffing out any form of democratic opposition. The book describes in detail the 2014 Umbrella movement as well as the 2019 protests and the fallout from the same. The story is still evolving with many of the protagonists either facing trial or in exile. Listened to this as an audiobook but I would recommend keeping a list of the characters' names and background for a better reading experience.

[Michael Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the style of nonfiction I typically gravitate to (I usually prefer something a little more top-down and less personal story based), but very well done. This tells the story of the pro-Democracy movement in Hong Kong from the perspectives of everyday people who resisted the CCP takeover and paid the price for their efforts. Crisp writing. Remarkable stories of normal people who showed abnormal courage. What can you say? Hong Kong is a wonderful city and it's just tragic that it's been subsumed into an authoritarian state.

[Steven Coomber]

I bought the audio version planning to listen to it on a long flight coming up but once I had a little sample I found I couldn't stop. It is very descriptive and the authors and the reading really transports you back in time to the colonial days of the 1800s and through the decades to the trials and tribulations and social upheaval of modern times. Well researched and a vibrant, authentic relaying of oral history. A terrific read.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, although it did take me a bit longer to finish. In my opinion, the book definitely deserves a 5-star rating. While it is clearly written from a Western perspective, I believe the authors made a concerted effort to be accurate and conducted thorough research (although I did notice one mistake - they mentioned Wen Jiabao as President of China, which is incorrect).

I learned a great deal from this book, such as the history of how Hong Kong was returned to China and the hard negotiations involved; how the Tiananmen Square event influenced the identity of Hong Kongers at that time and why the memory of June 4th event is so significant to Hong Kong; the role of Carrie Lam in the transformation of Hong Kong in recent years, among other things.

I particularly appreciate the writing style; I believe the authors are excellent storytellers. By choosing representative yet not widely recognized figures, they made the story more authentic and relatable. As the multiple story lines converged around the halfway point of the book, I could sense the passion and excitement myself, reminiscent of reading "Les Misérables." While the ending of the book (as well as the reality) may seem bleak, setbacks are inherent in progressing forward, and the only constant we have is hope.

[John Defrog: global citizen, local gadfly · Rating 5 out of 5]

English-language books about the 2019 Hong Kong protests tend to have a specific hook or angle based on the personal experience or expertise of the author, so while each volume may not be comprehensive, they do add up to a broader picture when you put them together. This one illustrates the complex history of the pro-democracy movement in HK and how it evolved over time before 1997 (when Britain gave the city back to China under the “One Country Two Systems” principle that promised to preserve HK’s freedoms and common-law system for 50 years, and allow it to become a proper democracy) and after, until the National Security Law 0f 2020 crushed it.

Shibani Mahtani and Timothy McLaughlin – who covered the 2019 protests at street level – tell that story by focusing on four key people – Rev. Chu Yiu-ming, one of the pioneers of the pro-democracy movement; “Tommy”, an art student on the front lines of the 2019 protests; Finn Lau, who played a key role in the decentralised, online side of the protests; and Gwyneth Ho, a journalist who gave up her career to run for election and went to jail for it. Each of their stories serve to ground the overarching narrative of the pro-democracy movement at the human level – it’s not just about the politics, but what drives people to take a stand against creeping authoritarianism, and the human cost of doing so.

As always, it feels weird to read about events I’ve only recently lived through, but it’s good to be reminded of what really happened – not least because the HK govt has already recast the 2019 protests as a violent, foreign-funded terrorist revolution that came out of nowhere and was masterminded by newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai, rather than what it actually was: a decentralised grassroots movement 30+ years in the making that was finally pushed too far by Chief Executive Carrie Lam, whose cold, harsh handling of protests against a controversial extradition bill made everything progressively worse. Mahtani and McLaughlin tell the real story, and they tell it well. It's by no means comprehensive (which would require it to be at least twice as long), but they cover all the necessary bases to understand what happened and why.

NOTE: Ironically, I actually managed to buy a copy of this in Hong Kong, which one could take as a sign that we still have freedoms, etc. That said, the store I bought it from, Book Punch, is one of a shrinking number of independent bookstores who sell books like this as well as other political books, and are constantly harassed by the govt over technically unrelated minor things like building, health and fire safety codes. So it's hard to say how much longer books like this will be available here.

[W · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who grew up watching TVB dramas, HK films and listening to Cantopop, Hong Kong always felt like the cooler older sibling of Singapore, a city to be admired.

When the Umbrella Movement first started, it was a bit of a shock. And then of course when the protests about the extradition law came and the police reacted the way they did, that was when it really hits that Hong Kong is no longer Hong Kong as I knew it. The book did a really good job covering the background on how Hong Kongers have always made their voices heard though now it appears that their voices have been silenced.

While I would like to think there is still hope for them to have some form of democracy, it is most certainly not going to happen under XJP. Regardless I think it’s still important to read this book and remember the ones who fought so long and hard to be heard. It’s not just the Joshua Wong or Nathan Law, there are actually countless others who were involved as well and this book provided their perspectives as well.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great source of information about Hong Kong’s struggle to maintain its own identity in the midst of China’s control.
A must read for anyone interested in global politics, autonomous challenges, and what really occurs under Chinese rule.
Thanks to Hachette Books for the physical copy.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. An important book to read to understand history of the region and the current situation for Hong Kong.

While there are many individuals and events described in the book it is not hard to follow/keep track.

Well written, eye opening, and heartbreaking.

Must read.

[Cozette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among The Braves: Hope, Struggle, and Exile in the Battle for Hong Kong and the Future of Global Democracy is a book written by two journalists who tell the story of Hong Kong and the 2019 protests through the stories of four people who participated in the movement. It gives the history leading up to it and provides a whole new world of knowledge about the topic. My parents are both from Hong Kong, yet before I read this book, I had little to no knowledge about what happened; I knew what happened and how some of the people I had interacted with were reacting, but not in depth. The four people this book revolves around are all different, but they are all so inspiring and fight for themselves. They have not lived easy lives, yet they fight with such bravery and hope. What Hong Kong has gone through is a lot, and the way this book was written made it very engaging and was able to pull emotion from me. The research in the book is very thorough and the book itself is so well written. This book is a must-read for those who want to know more about the situation; it was very informative and personal. It is a story of fighting for what one believes in and inspires me to try and be more brave. I give this book a 5 star rating and I would recommend this book to more mature readers or adults, as the reading level for this book is quite advanced.

[Jimmy Chow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book recreates a partial view of Hong Kong's years of struggle and resistance in the midst of confusion in 2019. Hong Kong is undoubtedly one of the best cities in the world to live in, with all the modernization compared to other places, and most importantly, the quality of citizenship and social order left behind by the British colonization. However, everything they were promised by the new rulers when they were abandoned seems never be attained, they chose to fight in 2019 as it became more and more impossible for what promised by the joint declaration between China and UK.

It was a struggle that lasted the longest and was the largest in the civilized world, yet everything was crushed under the iron fist of the Communists.

There is no sadder story than that. The United States, under a beautiful lie, abandoned Hong Kong because, in its business with Communist China, the latter was more important. Britain barely did a little to make up for the hangover of its earlier abandonment. However, many more Hong Kong people were plunged into Communist oppression and silenced.

If one cannot understand how good Hong Kong once was, then one cannot understand how sad Hong Kong people are today.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tragedy well documented through the eyes of characters who lived as HongKongers, distinct from mainland Chinese. The ordinary citizens of HongKong who represented hope, resistance, idealism but if we are realistic were doomed to fail against a regime which always was Marxist-Leninist but under Xi brooked no dissent. I lived in HK from 1997 till 2007 - in hindsight the glory days post handover when expectations were low but reality was pleasantly normal. Regina Ip’s truncated attempt in 2003 to push Article 23 was a blip. When I left HK, never did I imagine violence and police brutality in such a vibrant city where people are/were amongst the most industrious and materialistic in nature. In today’s world, HK’s transformation could well be a blue print for how autocrats will crush dissident societies or minorities, accentuated by social media and echo chambers.
This book is a must read for anyone who had or has any association with HongKong. The authors are detailed in their reporting and chose apt people to represent the angst, frustration and descent into chaos for society. A tragedy for most yet so many even today live in a bubble with events erased from memory. This book serves as a testimony for what happened.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

An important bit of journalistic history. Mahtani don't pretend toward objectivity, being partisan for the movement for freedom in Hong Kong, which is fine with me. Mahtani seeks to preserve an account actively being erased by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), so it's a side of the story in need of recording. For those who lived through the time and kept up with the headlines, there aren't any major surprises here. But Mahtani does pick certain individuals in the Hong Kong movement to turn into characters and delve deeply into their lives and their efforts with the movement, which certainly personalizes it and makes it more of a series of stories rather than just a bit of dusty history. One can hope other similar stories are recorded about Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang, Tianamen Square, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and Taiwan(?), so the truth is not lost to future generations. The serious nature of the subject doesn't exactly make this a beach read, but the personal story approach makes it very accessible nonetheless. A good read and an important record.

[SY · Rating 4 out of 5]

An account of what transpired in those few fateful years. To many from the city, revisiting the events in such vivid detail is like having a wound re-opened anew. So don’t dive into this unless you feel ready. This book addressed a number of key unknowns, but crucially: whether Lam acted out of her own initative, how the ‘embrace fry’ team operated, whether the administration had a role to play in the Yuen Long attack, and what went on behind the scene diplomatically. The writers didn‘t draw conclusions. Readers looking for definitive answers will be disappointed. Instead, they laid out the knowns from which the reader should make reasonable inferences.

While sources of key findings had not been consistently cited, this is understandable given the circircumstances and nature of the subject matter. Most of their claims are actually quite modest and generally fit well with both already-known facts and the perception of how the CCP had historically operated in Hong Kong.

This book brought me closure, if not clarity. Highly recommended.

[Eeeps :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really upsetting but important to read. I had to read the ending first before I could read the beginning and middle just so I knew how it ended. Knowing how the protests ended and where the protagonists are now, no matter how sad, gave me the ability to keep on reading through difficult parts. It gave me the foreknowledge to combat my intense anxiety about uncertainty and politics that I don’t have the luxury of in our current political environment. It also made me feel even more in awe of the protagonists because they had so much on the line and lived with such uncertainty for so long.

I did not know much about the 2019 Hong Kong protests other than they were huge and they failed. I only really started reading the Economist, and therefore paying attention to global news a lot, in 2020 so I missed that period of real-time coverage. I enjoyed getting the perspectives of several different people who had very different experiences and backgrounds, but all took part in the protests in some way. Some of the moments gave me chills. I was really impressed by the solidarity of the movement and how the braves and the more restrained protestors set aside roles for each other instead of turning on each other. I think that could be an important technique to use for other protests in the future in Hong Kong or elsewhere.

I recommend this book to everyone. You don’t need any prior knowledge about Hong Kong to follow this book. The authors do a great job about giving the reader the necessary background knowledge to understand the protests and other relevant events discussed. I also think that it is important for people to bear witness to the bravery of Hong-Kongers, especially now that they cannot safely speak out.

[Brandon Adelbock · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chilling reminder that Honk Kong, a once vibrant democracy, disappeared by the hand of an authoritarian Chinese regime in 2021. Hong Kong thrived in the last century, becoming one of the most economically successful communities in the East. Hong Kongers fought through two decades adjusting to a hybrid government that gave the appearance of democracy under China's rule, giving residents the option to vote, but only granting rule to pro-Biejing candidates and squashing dissenting voices as quickly as possible.

This book follows the stories of four unique Hong Kong protestors from 2019 and their attempt to forge democracy under an authoritarian government and the dissipation of families and freedoms that occurred as a result.

[Todd Ewing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. Having experienced Hong Kong Protests in late 2019, this book broke my heart. I highly recommend this book for a readable, compelling, and informative book on the crisis in HK. I would put this book in the top 5 of my HK books along with Umbrellas in Bloom by Jason Y. Ng, Daprin's City on Fire, Joshua Wong's Unfree Speech and Nathan Law's book on Freedom. This is a must read work on anyone interested in the disaster that was the West's betrayal of HK, and the heroic people who lived in the shadow of China's evil. I would give this book ten stars, but I am limited to 5.

[GM · Rating 4 out of 5]

rounding up from 3.5*.

covers the protests from a mainly "yellow" POV with a focus on Finn (Stand with HK), Gwyneth (Reporter), Chu (one of the original protestors / organisers), Tommy (Protestor) but also talks about the over the top anti-China rhetoric and attitude. separates the protesters into "braves", support, others.

imo could have covered more socioeconomic factors which led to the 2019 protests - personally, I don't think it was all about democracy but also about declining standards of living in HK. could've also given more background to those who don't know much about the protests - e.g. the "we" in the intro was a bit confusing, so was "yellow"

[M-Bot · Rating 4 out of 5]

what an incredibly sad, yet important book. I feel I’ve learned so much about Hong Kong’s history, their fight to maintain their identity and freedom, the beauty of this city, and the horror of how quickly things can change.
They did an amazing job at connecting us to the stories of these Hong Kongers, what their lives were, and how hard they fought. Reverend Chu was my favorite to follow, and his words at the end were so moving.
A tragic but incredible book. I need to hug a puppy or something

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend of mine once asked why are we still reading about current events and not just gasp the information from the internet. Books like this remind us why it is important to document the lives behind movements that shape history. We read and bear the weight of those who walked on behalf of us and can no longer do so. In books like this we learn about their personalities, their families, love and hope and despair and all that precious and faint details that too often are lost in the wind of history.

[Literatures Movies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informational but dense and dry. It did fill in on the details that news outlet didn't talk about during 2019-2020 protest but I didn't find it revolutionary. I think I went into this book expecting some more dirt than what meets the eye but everything was so linear that it was a tad boring.

Still an informational read though.


Blog: http://literaturesandmovies.com

[Jessie Hoekstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4.5 stars. While I am an avid reader of non fiction/investigative journalism books, I don't tend to gravitate to these types of storytelling. I knew a little bit about what was shared in the Western media as far as the protests go, but had no idea what was really going on so this book was very informative and eye-opening.

[Javier Ramalleira · Rating 4 out of 5]

O libro conta historias persoais arredor das protestas de 2019 en Hong Kong, que demandaban maior democracia e autonomía ante a supeditación cada vez maior das súas institucións á autoridade de Beijing.

Nun acto de paranoia impropio de min, lino antes de viaxar a China. Non o quixen levar na viaxe, quíxeno acabar antes de marchar… e non colguei a review aquí ata que volvín.

[Snow Chang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book overall. It objectively reveals some facts that are not covered by the news back then. However, compared with the author's subjective views on some events, authors take up too much text on the protagonist's stories that unfold in the book.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the book. I learned more about Rev. Chu, whom I had previously met because of mutual friends. The book made me cry because of the sad story of Hong Kong, my home town. I keep praying that all the political prisoners will be freed and the exiles will be happy and safe.

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like a fine thriller novel, yet from the story of the four persons it gives you the background and details of how the 2019 protest evolved. A 5 stars for anyone who wish to know what happened to Hong Kong in 2019, and its consequences.