Barbarian at the Gate: From the American Suburbs to the Taiwanese Army

by T.C. Locke

Barbarian at the Gate: From the American Suburbs to the Taiwanese Army is the unique account of a young American doing military service in the ROC (Republic of China) army.

Locke fell in love with Taiwan during a year of language study and decided to make the island his home. Acquiring Taiwanese citizenship as a way to make life easier proved anything but. The bureaucratic nightmare found him trapped and stateless in Hong Kong for six long months, and after settling into life in Taiwan he received a surprise call-up for military service.

It was a daunting challenge for the perennial outsider, the softly-spoken introvert needing to conform to military life in a setting – where as the only westerner – he was the ultimate odd-man-out. After basic training at the country’s toughest boot camp he served the rest of his two years’ at a mountain base in Miaoli County.

Barbarian at the Gate is a detailed and brutally honest insider’s look at Taiwan’s military, and also the personal story of the search for identity and the struggle to assimilate. Locke describes the nerve-wracking lottery system, the rigors of training, his assignments ranging from running a karaoke bar for officers to slaughtering diseased pigs, the camaraderie of the barracks, and how – unexpectedly – he developed a deeper sense of belonging and acceptance than he ever had before.

The book is an intimate portrait of an important part of Taiwanese life that has never been written about in English before. Military service is for many Taiwanese males the most memorable experience of their lives, a difficult rite of passage into manhood that is remembered with dread and nostalgia, and so it proved for Locke.

Genres: Asia, Nonfiction, China

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 4, 2014

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and its author. Even though he was a white American, I could identify with himself through being American, and one who knows some things about Chinese culture, yet wishes he could be more. I have also been to Taiwan and it is one of my most cherished vacations, so the book was like a tour around other parts of the island I did not visit. My father was also in the ROC army for a short time, so this book was a glimpse into that. And it took place the 90's and I could feel like being in that same universe where Deng Xiao-ping dies and missiles get lobbed over the Taiwan straits.

Reads better than the average military memoir as the author was very good at noticing interesting things.

[Alvis Yu · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an R.O.C. citizen who just finished his national service (though it only lasted for a year), I can relate to the stories and tales in this book. I am not sure if I'd do the same if I were in his shoes, i.e., renouncing much-coveted American citizenship in exchange for R.O.C citizenship whose country is not officially recognized by most of the members in the international community. That said, I enjoyed the book from cover to cover, feeling like I was also being yelled at by the master sergeants and given all the raw deal along the way as I flipped through it. Indeed, I did get roughly the same "treatment" as the author did in the army, and that in a way only manifests an important point he'd been seeking :being treated like anyone else, not left alone.
I am glad he found a sense of belonging to the place where I was born and raised, for I feel the same for her.

For foreigners wanting to know more about Taiwan, aka Formosa, you don't want to miss this book.

[Johnathon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting account of a very unique scenario. While providing insight into Taiwan at times, this book is more about the common experience of stress, fear, bonding, and eventual separation that most veterans experience—albeit with a significant cultural wrinkle.

[Zhara Bowen Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having good friends who devour and treasure military biographies and autobiographies, I knew there was a fan-base for such things, but I'd never encountered one that could hold my attention beyond the first page. I wondered what I'd gotten myself into when a friend asked me to read T.C. Locke's new book. What I found was a story of perseverance, and of bravery. Not the battle-shocked, testosterone-drenched bravery that typical military buffs might be looking to find; instead, this book documents one man's bravery to pursue his own path. No small feat, as these obstacles are of phenomenal duration.
Many of us would suffer one quick but terribly unpleasant episode to get something we really, really want. Many of us would get in a single unpleasant argument with Mom & Dad to stand our ground over some issue of great importance to us. We all can put up with one or two people calling our ideas crazy or impractical - but the notion of alienating oneself from almost everyone, tolerating discouragement and discrimination, and taking on hard labor in uncomfortable conditions, for two entire years - all to pursue a dream? That's the real bravery inside the Barbarian at the Gate.
The stories of day to day military life, the bizarre assignments, the descriptions of the dense terrain and challenging climate in this island nation are all interwoven into this intensely personal story. When it comes to descriptions of people - be they civilians or military personnel and officers, Locke gives you exactly what you need to know in the fewest words possible to completely understand what a person is about. The ability to sum up characters, define them, and to do so sleekly makes for a quick read; the adventure he undertook makes for a fascinating one. All in all, a page turner. Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read. Good to learn a bit about one aspect of Taiwanese culture, but even more about a very unique perspective and life experience.