From Emperor to Citizen: The Autobiography of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi

by Puyi

Other authorsW. J. F. Jenner (Translator)
Paperback, 1988

Status

Available

Call number

951.04092

Collection

Publication

Oxford University Press (1988), Edition: Reprint, 536 pages

Description

In 1908 at the age of two, Henry Pu Yi ascended to become the last emperor of the centuries-old Manchu dynasty. After revolutionaries forced Pu Yi to abdicate in 1911, the young emperor lived for thirteen years in Peking's Forbidden City, but with none of the power his birth afforded him. The remainder of Pu Yi's life was lived out in a topsy-turvy fashion: fleeing from a Chinese warlord, becoming head of a Japanese puppet state, being confined to a Russian prison in Siberia, and enduring taxing labor. The Last Manchu is a unique, enthralling record of China's most turbulent, dramatic years.

User reviews

LibraryThing member edwinbcn
Although I had expected this book to be a pure piece of propaganda, it read like a thorough personal account of history, often bringing out personal anxiety and experience of Puyi. Interestingly Puyi is very hard on Sir Reginald Johnson, and the picture we get of their relation is very different
Show More
from Johnson's own in "Twilight in the Forbidden City". Altogether a very good read.
Show Less
LibraryThing member surreality
A very interesting autobiography that is in parts very, very carefully written. One can't help wonder whether the story wouldn't have been very different if it had been written outside China. Names tend to be avoided, as are concrete dates.
LibraryThing member autumnesf
The autobiography of Pu Yi - the last emperor of China. This was an interesting book, but seemed to be done rather carefully. As another reader mentioned, I wonder if it would have been different if it was written outside of China. It's really a rather human story of a man trying to stay alive and
Show More
trying to keep his standard of living. Once imprisoned by the Communists, he really does suffer mentally from abuse by those that were "loyal" to him while he was the emperor. I found that very sad. A really good read and worth the buy if you want non-fiction books related to Chinese history.
Show Less
LibraryThing member tonynetone
Last Emperor of China 1 July 1917 – 12 July 1917 he was a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference from 1964 until his death in 1967. Those 12 days, one small bomb was dropped over the Forbidden City by a republican plane, causing minor damage the first aerial bombardment
Show More
ever in Eastern Asia.

Aisin-Gioro Puyi (simplified Chinese: 溥仪; traditional Chinese: 溥儀; pinyin: Pǔ yí) (7 February 1906 – 17 October 1967)
Emperor Pu Yi is the last Emperor of the Dynasty before the Chinese Republic. The first President of the Republic of China Yuan Shikai,claimed the title of "Emperor of China"

The most interesting people living in China, never using an individual's clan name on complete contravention with the old Chinese and Manchu rule, a way to desecrate the old order quite young at that time see what all this people perceive by sight or have the power to perceive, that December 2, 1908 Pu-Yi became Emperor of a country of China, under the reign name Hsuan T'ung. Puyi succeeded to the Manchu throne at the age of three, when his uncle, the Guangxu emperor, died on Nov. 14, 1908,become the 12th emperor of Qin. The Forbidden City in Beijing. It is a complex composed of several buildings in a variety of styles, including the architectures of Chinese, Japanese, and European.

Was courted by the Japanese who had acquired the former German concessions in Manchuria In order to bring the region under their control the Imperial Japanese Army for China's last emperor Puyi to live in as part of his role as Emperor of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo 1945. After the fall of Manchukuo, the palace was damaged when Soviet troops looted Xinjing
Show Less
LibraryThing member GTTexas
Exceptionally good. Enjoyed the movie years ago (Last Emperor), but appreciate it even more after having read this auto-biography.
LibraryThing member datrappert
Ghost-written "autobiography" of the Last Emperor is basically a work of propaganda, but is still interesting.

Language

Original language

Chinese

Physical description

536 p.; 5.13 inches

ISBN

0192820990 / 9780192820990

Local notes

TMK
Page: 0.345 seconds