“[Epstein’s] dramatic account of history in the making shouldn’t be missed.”
--Library Bookwatch
A sweeping memoir spanning over 80 years, My China Eye is the final work of Israel Epstein (1915-2005), one of the last of the “Old China Hands” and one of the very few Western journalists to experience the Chinese Communist revolution firsthand. Born in Warsaw, Poland and raised in the Chinese cities of Harbin and Tianjin, Epstein served as a war correspondent from the front lines of the Chinese War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, as well as during the Communist-Nationalist struggle after World War II.
My China Eye details Epstein’s Jewish-Chinese upbringing, his reporting from China’s front lines, his flight from advancing Japanese troops and his escape from a Hong Kong detention camp. The book also covers his travels abroad in Europe and in the U.S. at the dawn of the Cold War and McCarthyism. After returning to New China to what first appeared like a socialist nirvana, in a supreme twist of irony, Epstein was imprisoned for 5 years during the Cultural Revolution. During this dark period, Epstein found his ideals challenged in ways he never imagined, yet his lifelong struggle for social equality and China’s revolutionary process has never wavered. This powerful memoir resonates with some of the 20th Century's most turbulent years and is a fascinating read for anyone interested in Chinese history. With color illustrations.
