Ghost Nation: The Story of Taiwan and Its Struggle for Survival

by Chris Horton

The gripping story of Taiwan's past and precarious present from one of Taiwan's top foreign correspondents.

With all eyes on Ukraine and the Middle East, Taiwan is emerging as the next geopolitical tinderbox. Despite sitting at the heart of the tense relationship between China and the US, Taiwan’s history and its people have long been overlooked and misunderstood. In Ghost Nation, Taiwan-based journalist Chris Horton tells their stories and explores why this diplomatically isolated country has become such an important player on the world stage.

As China’s military preparations continue apace, the stakes have never been higher. Perched precariously on the fault-lines of global power, the fate of this vibrant democracy and tech colossus will shape Asia’s future – either containing or facilitating China’s expansionist goals.

Drawing from over a decade of living and reporting in Taiwan, and informed by interviews with everyday citizens, presidents and other key figures, Horton provides a panoramic view of this fascinating country. Ghost Nation will leave listeners with a profound appreciation for Taiwan’s struggle for self-determination – and its pivotal role in our shared future.

Genres: History, China, Nonfiction, Asia, Audiobook

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 17, 2025

Reviews

[David Frazier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read several of the new Taiwan explainers, histories, and general introductions, i.e. "Taiwan books" out on the market (in addition to reviews of nearly all of them), and also having worked as a journalist in Taiwan for 20+ years, I can say this is probably the best of the lot. It's highly readable and the only one written from extensive on-the-ground experience in Taiwan––the author Christ Horton has been a reporter in Taipei for a decade, writing for NYT, the Guardian, and the Atlantic. This is also the only recent book to do justice to Taiwan's contemporary politics, as most of the other new Taiwan books were written by armchair experts in the UK, Washington DC, North Atlantic think tanks, etc, who are pretty clueless on anything that happened in Taiwan's domestic political arena after about 2005. Most importantly, Horton does something that none of the others do: provide a decent history of Taiwan's evolution from dictatorship to democracy, a movement which then segues into the current-era emergence of "Taiwanese identity" and a majority-supported movement for self-determination.

Most standard analysis of Taiwan btw focuses on Taiwan as part of a power triangle dominated by Washington DC and Beijing, and as a result tends to ignore the Taiwanese, who they are, and what they want. If you want to understand these things, then this is a very good book to give you a basic primer.

As for drawbacks, the organization of certain chapters can feel a little disjointed, especially in the tail end of the book. (The middle section of the book is extremely solid and the best part.) I should also note that the author also writes as a partisan of Taiwan's pro-independence green / DPP faction, and casts Taiwan's other major political party, the KMT, as a perpetual bogeyman, a characterization they deserve, but not all the time. To paraphrase Deng Xiaoping, one might say the KMT were 30% in the wrong; as a 113-year-old political party, they deserve a more unprejudiced and nuanced examination than you'll find here. Still, for a reasonably solid understanding of Taiwan today, this is probably the best "Taiwan book" currently out there.

[Mateusz Płocha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Konkretna dawka rzetelnej wiedzy na temat Tajwanu. Tłumaczenie niektórych zależności było na pewno bardzo trudne do zredagowania ale udało sie. Mam poczucie, że dużo lepiej rozumiem z czym zmaga się Tajwan.

[natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

imo autor zrobił kawał dobrej roboty, jeśli chodzi o przybliżenie historii Tajwanu czytelnikom (szczególnie tej współczesnej). dobra na początek, taka dosyć solidna baza

[Kang-Chun Cheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

well-researched, well-written, incredibly informative yet enjoyable read!

[Martyna Kaczorowska · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

[The Priest · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book overall, a bit all over the place - packed with some details, personal anecdotes and biographical elements that make it much wider than necessary, but an interesting read nonetheless.

Randomly ordered take-aways:
1. a KMT (Kuomintang, descendant of a ruling communist party from the dictatorship) party having a majority (shared?) in parliament is basically controlled by China. In 2025 they already rejected a budget with increased defense spending and are doing a lot to make Taiwan defenseless.
2. TSMC builds factories in Texas, Japan and Germany (in cooperation with Intel there). For now most advanced chips only in Taiwan.
3. TSMC's success can be attributed to: anticipating the future, not yet established market;a great, technical founder working with top-notch US companies before; grat scale of investment and gov support; low cost of labor + relatively highly skilled workers; good timing of the market; having Americans to copy the technology from and an external investor -> Philippa. Huge R&D spending is a necessity to maintain the competitive edge, while tech giants make for a big share of revenues (Apple 20%, Nvidia probably a lot too).
4. China is trying to be invasion ready at 2027 (Xi Jinping's order). Invasion would be tough due to unclear waters, long sea shelf, only a few beaches on the shore to land (worse than Normandy 1944), and mountainous terrain, but fighting power disproportion is staggering -> only US can balance it, which depends on how quickly it will become self-suffient in chip-making.
5. TSMC spending on R&D was planned at USD 30B while defense spending was aimed at USD 20B. Clearly shows what's the biggest deterrent. On that note, not only the Chinese invasion, but also blockade or other similar scenario would affect the whole global economy.
6. 50s globally were much, much bloodier than 70s and 80s when it comes to crushing protests, punishments, death penalties, tortures etc. -> globalisation I think plus generational replacement, new ideas. Basically world changed a lot and became much wealthier as a whole. It's much easier to be "civillised" when you are not hungry, overworked and can afford staples and maybe even some amusement.

[Amit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always wanted to know more about the china Taiwan equation , the conflict and the history. It’s one of the geo political issues i knew almost nothing about. And in my quest to know came along this book . That was my lucky moment.
This is a book that is a must read for anyone who is desiring to understand the issue in any detail. The book begins from the Portuguese invasion of indigenous Taiwan then called farmosa and covers the history till current modern day Taiwan. The Japanese era, Americans role , ROC and Chinese chiang Kai shek rule , martial law, the democracy and loss of status as a nation to Xi and china exerting pressure and current day challenges.
This journey incudes the rebellions the growth the cultural identity and sacrifices made by the people. It also details the growth of semi conducting industry and role it plays in modern day world and why that in itself is the most important reason to safe Gaurd Taiwan from the Chinese annexation.
I never knew Taiwan is not recognised anymore by the UN and how it lacks a presence on the global stage. It is a book that engages you and educates you. The scenario planning and facts about a possible annexation by china and the consequences for the world are enough to not let that happen.
At the beginning the indigenous history has been a little too much detailed and could be a struggle to navigate . The other thing is too many similar sounding names that create confusion.
It’s a must read for anyone who is interested in world politics , economics and events that have power to shape the future.

[Shreela Sen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks @IBC & Pan Macmillan for this book.

Ghost nation is really absorbing, simple & at the same time hard-hitting,
an intimate modern history of Taiwan.

Horton really tells Taiwan's "story", seen through a lens both extensively studied, & personally experienced. It speaks of misunderstandings & atrocities, of blind territorial greed & deep sense of belongingness, of pitiless despots & believers in humanity & dignity, of breathtaking technological forward march & decades of progress wiped away in a day.

It is a sobering & humbling read... I am so lucky that I am reading this; not living this!!
I was seriously impressed & genuinely moved how organically women are a part of the revolutions & politics... Not as an afterthought!

I enjoyed both Horton's selection of information included, & his tone & direction. This is a really great introductory book, can't say how much those who are already well-acquainted with the subject will enjoy it.

[Nikhil Ahirwar · Rating 4 out of 5]

for me it was pretty good read to know more about Taiwan. And more profoundly the relationship between China and Taiwan. Before this book i know only like normal people out there and here that Taiwan is island and there is only one ethnicity which is Chinese, they are fighting for democracy with their own kinds of people which is quite not true. Taiwan is country comprises of different ethnicity, they are standing or fighting for not only country but also for culture, custom, tradition which is totally different from so called 'Chinese' tradition. Taiwan is not only fighting to external force that is China but also internal who are Chinese people(migrating when communist party took over China).

downsides to book are sometime its feels like too much history or information oriented, though some people finds it good but i don't like it.

Conclusion: I would like everyone to read this book, and particularly for those who are interested in Geopolitics.

[Konrad Iturbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Understanding the history of this tiny island that holds massive importance in the global economy and modern functioning of the world is something I've had on my todo list for a while. Chris' book goes thru the varied history of Taiwan, and shows a country that grew in a way quite similar to mine. From a military dictatorship, different invaders and empires shored up on different time-frames, to a democracy trying to resist the ever entrenched claws of the CCP, creeping in every aspect of their life.

[Liz Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Taiwanese, I don't know why, but I was expecting more from this book.
I enjoyed reading this book, and I enjoyed the research and hard work that Chris put into the book.
Nevertheless, I was looking for something more than just history I guess.

Still recommended tho. especially if you are not familiar with Taiwan's History. Thank you to Chris for speaking up for Taiwan and telling our story.

[Pratap Padode · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taiwan is largely misunderstood and the general impression is that it is part of China. This narrative has been spun to kill the nation’s spirit which has faced a tough past and survived to build a free democratic nation. Unfortunately the UN too has also denied the country its recognition. This book unravels Taiwan’s ordeal and continuing challenges.

[Og · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember when I first came to Taiwan about a decade ago asking around if there is a good book that would introduce Taiwan's history and politics to me. Finally, here it is.
Chris Horton is one of the most knowledgeable foreign reporters based in Taipei. In Ghost Nation, he tells Taiwan's story in a concise and engaging way. Anyone who is curious about Taiwan should read it.

[Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive but highly partisan. The author loves every neoliberal touchstone (muh democracy, muh globalhomo) and laps up the DPP's talking points. Nevertheless, probably worth the read.

[Otto Jacobsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to Taiwan and current issues. Succinct historical analysis and a good primer on the importance of the semiconductor industry to Taiwan and the world.

[Max Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is far and away the best, and most comprehensive, introduction to Taiwan I’ve read. Horton places the Taiwanese, rightly, at the center of the discussion. A fabulous book.

[Qingjia 🦊 · Rating 4 out of 5]

ze wszystkich książek o Tajwanie, które przeczytałam, ta chyba podobała mi się najbardziej

[Gianluca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I visited Taiwan before reading this book.
One day I’ll go there again and observe it with different eyes. I knew the history of this magnificent island was troubled, but not this much.

[Steph Barter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gave such an insight into Taiwan and the politics that play out there, explained in understandable terms!