America, Through the spectacles of an Oriental diplomat

by Tingfang Wu

A beguiling account of twentieth-century America through the eyes of an outsider, a remarkable inversion of the standard 'Westerner observing the exotic' travel writing formula. Wu Tingfang wrote this book at an intriguing juncture in history - aeroplanes and motion pictures had recently been invented (and his musings on both of these have proven correct) and while he did not know it, a tremendous cultural shift was about to take place in the West due to the First World War. The unassuming and inquisitive diplomat delves into topics such as: immigration; the Arms Race and changes in technology; religion and ethics in the classroom; women's equality; fashion; violence in the theatre; vegetarianism; and cruelty to animals. His observations are enlightening and remain as relevant today as the era in which they were written. In particular, the exploration of the 'American character' and the nation's attitude toward commerce and international relations have a powerful resonance.

102 pages, ebook

First published April 1, 2001

Reviews

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out interesting. Given that it was written just over 100 years ago, it is interesting to see which observations are still relevant and which ones have been overcome by events of the past century. Towards the end, though, Wu (for me) became obsessed with matters of fashion and dinner parties and he lost me.

[Rainier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read about the United States from the perspective of a Chinese diplomat living in that country in the early 20th century. First person historical account, race, culture, relations from his perspective. Certainly a book of its time.