幽影之國：台灣的故事與其奮鬥求生的400年

by Chris Horton, 盧靜 (Translator )

原書甫出版，隨即引發各界熱烈討論
資深駐台美籍記者的第一手紀錄
【台灣史補課】通識讀本的最佳選擇


台灣的護照進不去聯合國總部大樓參觀，
但台灣出國免簽的國家超過130個
到底是為什麼？

從亞細亞的孤兒、「誰理你們」到「我那小小多山的國家」
以資深駐台記者的外在視野，全面審視、理解這座島嶼的歷史、人民與百分之百的奮鬥

如果你看過紀錄片「看不見的國家」，更不該錯過這本書！

※台灣不再是前國民黨官員口中的「鬼島」，而是一座有著自己故事與個性的島嶼。

※這本書帶領我們，重新探問：這個在外交上孤立無援的國家，是如何成為今日牽動全球局勢的重要關鍵？

隨著中國軍事部署持續侵略擴張，台灣面臨的風險與政治壓力之高，達到前所未有的程度。這個位處全球權力斷層帶上的民主國家，不僅擁有高度運作的民主政治體制、蓬勃多元的生命力，也掌握著全球科技供應鏈的關鍵核心。最重要的是，台灣未來將何去何從，不僅將左右世界局勢，更將影響台灣人的日常生活方式，並且關乎已經延續、累積好幾世代台灣人的奮鬥將歸向何處，以及台灣社會的下一代將以什麼樣的姿態活著。

作者何貴森在台生活超過十年，並在台灣、香港與中國擁有超過二十年的第一線報導經驗，《幽影之國》是他傾盡心力的第一本著作，講述台灣這個在外交上處境孤立的民主國家，如何躍升為全球地緣政治的核心。隨著華府與北京之間的緊張局勢持續升溫，作者詳實的報導與平易近人的敘述，帶領我們深入剖析台灣的歷史、認同，以及島上人民是如何爭取自身命運的歷史。

書中也提到為何台灣會遭受外國媒體的「特殊待遇」，以及「來自台灣」為何成為「被消失」的選項，這些都是台灣人遭遇到的共同經驗與現在進行式。而作者認為台灣逐漸被國際社會「看見」的轉捩點，正是因為擁有自己的獨特故事，展現出與鄰近各國截然不同的政治體制、立法與政策實作等，包括同性婚姻合法化與covid-19防疫政策經驗。

本書開頭回溯四百年來台灣的殖民、移民與威權政權更迭，藉由重要的代表性人物與事件，鋪寫台灣歷史與社會的樣貌，並討論台灣在全球當代秩序中，如何一步步成為美中競逐的重要核心。訪談包括前總統李登輝、蔡英文等政要與學者，也殷實紀錄下無數市井小民、一般民眾的看法與心聲。

拉長時間軸來看，台灣在歷史上曾遭逢無數艱難的時刻，並且受制於各國際勢力角力的競逐，然而，台灣似乎總能化險為夷、走過重重難關。這是一部描述「幽影之國」的著作，更是一部談論幽影之國如何從歷史縫隙中現身，脫離幽影、掌握自身命運與發聲的作品。

※為何最終把書名訂為「幽影之國」（Ghost Nation）而非「鬼島」（ghost Island）？
日本人曾稱台灣為「鬼界之島」、台灣有「鬼月」習俗等，然而幾經考量，作者最重要的理由是為了強調台灣是主權國家。儘管台灣是國家，在國際上卻被視而不見；世界處處可見台灣的蹤跡，卻也每每被奪取「台灣」這個名字。比起鬼島，更適合的描述是「幽影之國」。

必讀原因：
※雖然「台灣常被世界忽略」，但最容易忽略台灣的，可能反而是我們自己？
唯有了解自己的歷史，才能和理地看待自己，擁有自信並掌握自己未來。

※台灣長年處於美中對抗的最前線，然而有關台灣的歷史與民眾的聲音，卻始終在國際視野中被忽略與誤解。本書藉由歷史資料與大量訪談，明確駁斥中國官方「台灣自古以來屬於中國神聖不可分割」的官方論述，反駁國民黨版本的「一個中國九二共識」。

※一本就能掌握台灣今昔與國際現況的最佳入門。推薦給國際友人。

台灣人民必讀，
中國人想了解真實台灣現狀與心聲，更必讀！

Genres: History, Nonfiction, China, Politics, Audiobook, Asia, International Relations

320 pages, Paperback

First published July 17, 2025

Reviews

[David Frazier]

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.

[Li Ya 🪷]

Ta książka + „Tajwan: Wyspa w Oku Cyklonu” są chyba najlepszym wprowadzeniem do współczesnej problematyki Tajwanu

Edit. 3.5/5.00

[Mateusz Płocha]

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.

[Patrick Fassnacht]

Another good one.
Not as knowledgeable on the situations and history here, I defer to other readers' sentiments of this possibly being the best/fullest/real understanding of what, how, and why things are as they are.

Interesting how each of us find import in different parts and aspects of things. Where people thought a part dragged, I appreciated the additional context. Where I started to drift, others loved it. Overall, it was extremely thorough and informative throughout. It had a depth and lived-in closeness that many do not have. It has a perception born through living in, and growing through, the events. One enmeshed with others in the same upbringing. Projecting this interpretation & chronology up to such recent time, it does exceptionally well in spelling out what Horton sees the implications to be.
If nothing else, reading the last 3rd of the book would be highly beneficial for us all.

[Ver]

This is everything what you wanted (or not) to know about Taiwan. It is a country that other big countries would like to ambush due to its geopolitical location and current technological production.
The book itself is a bit too political for me and therefore a bit boring perhaps. If someone is interested, Taiwan's situation is very well explained, it was just a bit too long for me.

[Hania]

dobrze napisana wartościowa książka

[SLAM]

Good blow by blow account of historical Taiwanese democracy.

[Anastasia]

Very informative book, I personally liked the pacing and structure. It reads like a novel, great for people not used to reading history books. I highly recommend it.

[natalia]

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]

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

[Kathy]

a heartbreaking but necessary read that sheds light on how much the Taiwanese have suffered to gain their hard fought independence.

[Blaise Keller]

The struggle for the Taiwanese to be recognized as its own nation, its own people, has been going on since the Dutch colonized the island back in the 17th century. Since then, China as well as Japan have ruled over the island, which boasts a landmass slightly larger than Maryland. Chris Horton documents how the Taiwanese have never given up on being recognized as their own people.

Taking the readers through a trouble, bloody and hopeful history, Horton covers the Dutch settling Fort Zeelandia in the early 1600s, the Qing rule beginning in the late 1600s, the industrial rise under Japanese rule beginning near the start of the 1900s, the fall of the Japanese rule at the end of World War Two and the near 40 years of martial law. Within the martial law decades, the reader learns about how the Taiwanese felt going from one ruler to another, a change of rules, language and ways of living as well as the deadly 228 day, which occurred a few years before marital law.

Horton also takes readers to the present day and how Taiwan’s independence is crucial to the current status-quo around the world.

[Juan Manuel]

This is a book I bought at the Hare bookstore in Edinburgh, in my escapade from Friday during the conference to disconnect from the social interactions. I was not looking for such a book, but it was on display and I thought the timing was right as we are planning some holidays to Taiwan. The book was published in 2025 so I thought it should be quite updated.

The author does a good job at summarizing the history of this country, and providing a picture of why it is so difficult for many politicians to refer to it as a country today. While I am convinced by his arguments, I felt he strawmaned the opposite arguments. Or said it in a different way, after reading the book I feel curious to hear the argument from Chinese politicians into way they claim Taiwan should be theirs. I assume they must know Taiwan has historically been separate from China even though the market the opposite. Is it truly only a power battle? We are given the picture of Xi Jinping as an expansionist, power-seeker dictator. I may be naive and overly optimistic, but could it be that from his point of view annexing Taiwan would bring more good than bad?

[Gary Roberts]

An excellent book and one that taught me so much more about Taiwan’s history than I previously understood. I have visited Taiwan many times for business and last year and this summer for pleasure. I have friends there but rarely talk about the challenges facing the country. This book puts those challenges into clear focus and talks in alarming detail about what could happens if China does decide to take the country by force. The book also serves as a stark reminder of Taiwan’s past. I was not aware until my visit this year that Martial Law was in place until 1987. I thank Chris for putting together such a well documented history and a read I found hard to put down!

[Daniel Kukwa]

What I enjoyed about this book was the examination of what makes Taiwan unique...the peoples and cultures that made this island pre-date imperial China, and both the ROC and the Japanese had to adapt (or surpress) the independent spirit that was already present. This is the book for those who think there is no real difference with mainland Chinese culture...and shouldn't believe the history that comes out of the mainland.

[Jon Wilcox]

I've read a few intros to Taiwan and this is among the most accessible and engaging

[charlie]

great contemporary analysis (though could be structured a bit better). athena shoutout.

[Martyna Kaczorowska]

4,5

[Ally Yang]

【7 Sept 2026 / 博客來 /382】17 Sept

[Liz Lin]

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.

[Peter A]

An outstanding overview of Taiwan’s history and current challenges. For a person wanting to capture a sense of Taiwan and her people, I’d recommend this book.

Chris Horton is a reporter who has lived in Taiwan since 2015. With a reporter’s eye, Horton tells Taiwan’s story through the lives of individuals, many he has interviewed. His writing is crisp, filled with sufficient details that establish his credibility. Finally, he shares this story of Taiwan from the perspective of its people, who are often voiceless or unrepresented in the headlines. It is their perspective, that of people who wish to own their own destiny, that he conveys.

The book covers the indigenous peoples, the string of colonizers—Dutch, Spanish, Ming Rebels, Qing, Japanese, Chiang Kai-shek’s refuge—the pivotal moment that set that pitted those living on the island pre 1945 against the KMT on February 28, 1947, the 38 years of martial law called White Terror, the fight to open the political system, to today’s opportunities and challenges, especially with the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

On the other hand, as the shackles of martial law were removed and the corresponding veil of silence dissipated, the people of Taiwan began to enjoy their unique experiences and embraced their being Taiwanese, not Chinese.

The resilience of the Taiwan’s people is clear in their persistent push for democracy (1947-1996) and controlling their own future after centuries of occupation. And that resilience is tested with each generation. In 2013-14, the then KMT President Ma attempted to rush a trade deal with the PRC without any discussion. Students objected and, with the support of citizens, halted that progress (this is known as the Sunflower Protest).

Moreover, with the PRC’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) development of ships and equipment necessary to invade Taiwan, that resilience will be tested.

But it is not just Taiwanese resilience. What will other countries do? There is much at stake for the world should the PLA invade Taiwan. Taiwan is the home of 90% of advanced computer chip production, which is used in aviation, automobiles, and many other facets of today’s life. The economic impact of COVID will seem trivial in comparison.

Throughout the book, the author repeatedly challenges the PRC’s claims that Taiwan is part of China. The claim that the indigenous people were Baiyue from China thousands of years earlier is hardly a claim of ownership. The 1971 UN resolution 2758—which gave the PRC representation of China at the UN—never mentioned the ROC, Taiwan, or the people of Taiwan. The 1992 consensus of only one China has been intentionally misinterpreted as the PRC dominating Taiwan. Calling the PRC the motherland of Taiwan is factually incorrect—the ROC was established in 1911, the PRC in 194. The PRC’s obsession with returning all lands to China ignores vast swaths of territory in northern Manchuria ceded to Russia in the Treaties of 1858 (Aigun) and 1860 (Convention of Peking).

This book joins a list of others written about Taiwan that maintain a Taiwanese-centric focus.

Because of the crisp writing, the personal stories, and the gentle passion of the author, I’d recommend this book to someone who wanted a brief introduction to the country, its people, and its uniqueness.


Two final notes.

The author did not refer to the Treaty of San Francisco of 1951, in which Japan relinquished claims to Taiwan (and other countries), though the treaty is silent on to whom the territory was ceded. Japan acquired Taiwan in the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki.

An article by Ming-Yeh T Rawnsley captures the transformation (from 1991 to 2026) of becoming Taiwanese.
Rawnsley Ming-Yeh T. From ‘China’s Last Frontier’ to ‘Ghost Nation’: Rethinking Taiwan Across Three Decades of Change. Taiwan Insight. University of Nottingham. May 7, 2026.
https://taiwaninsight.org/2026/05/07/...

[The Priest]

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.

[Jim]

Although it starts off slowly with some fuzzy stories that don’t really come together about Tawian’s indigenous minority peoples, Ghost Nation provides a good overview of the political history and the contemporary political situation of Taiwan - a society shaped by occupations by the Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, and then the KMT.

Horton’s explanation of the 228 incident in 1947 and the violent suppression of the Taiwanese people by the KMT early in their occupation of Taiwan, followed by the almost 50-year long “White Terror” period of martial law ending in the late 1980s, helped me understand why democracy is so important to the people of Taiwan.

I also got a much better understanding of Chiang’s role in isolating Taiwan (including refusing a seat in the United Nations) due to his stubborn insistence on recognition for the KMT’s claims over China, long after it was obvious that the People’s Republic of China had become the legitimate government, and that the KMT would never be able to reclaim their control over the mainland. The KMT justifiably comes across as villains in the story, and I am still trying to wrap my head around the KMT morphing from enemies of the Chinese CCP into a pro-integration party aligned with the Chinese government under Xi Jinping

The book ends with predictable, but well-written analysis of the PRC’s increasing threats against Taiwan’s sovereignty, the US schizophrenic policy of “strategic ambiguity”, and the importance of TSMC’s “digital shield” (and how this is being undermined by other countries, especially the US, insistence on near-shoring TSMC’s semiconductor fabs) in protecting Taiwan.

Some of the political analysis (especially of contemporary issues) gets too much into the weeds, and the profiles of modern Taiwanese politicians and journalists do not add to the goal of understanding Taiwan’s situation and will only be interesting to political junkies. The audiobook’s sing-song narration (and some egregious mistakes in pronounciation) will get on your nerves.

[Amit]

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]

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]

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.

[WiseB]

The book can serve as a concise history of how it was and becomes now. The epilogue of the book synthesizes Taiwan’s situation being in the “eye of the storm” … calm on the surface and surrounded by escalating tension.

The author reiterates on Taiwan’s historical resilience, persistence of external threats, and the stakes for global democracy. The narrative emphasizes also uncertainty due to no guaranteed outcome, increasing pressure from China, and dependence on international response.

The concluding message is strategic and moral: Taiwan’s fate will shape the future of global order. A conflict over Taiwan would likely escalate regionally, disrupt global supply chains especially semiconductors), and potentially trigger a broader systemic crisis. Conversely, Taiwan’s continued autonomy reinforces democratic norms and regional stability.

[Christine Yen]

Picked this up in hopes of learning a little more about recent Taiwanese history (and several orders of magnitude more than I'd ever learn from my parents), and on that front: success!

On the other hand, I need to stop picking up random history nonfiction books by folks who don't have a verified talent at narrative nonfiction, because my appetite for reads that feel like textbooks is... limited.

I did get through it, though, and got quite a bit out of it—and I especially appreciated the chapter entirely about TSMC and its impact on the global economy at the end. It's almost like the author had a history he needed to tell, and then tacked on a separate, timely piece of "and here's a long-form article about one particular aspect of all of this."

[Konrad Iturbe]

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.

[Torin]

Much to think about
I think it was well constructed and I learned a lot. I had my doubts initially about an American author but it’s made up of tons of interviews with Taiwanese people including some very influential figures. Also if it were to be any American at least this guy has some serious credibility. I feel like I have a better understanding of the history of the relationship between Taiwan and China. Also a better understanding of how complicated diplomacy can be. It really is like chess, except more interesting. I don’t like chess at all.