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Twilight in The Forbidden City (Illustrated and revised 4th Edition) | 
| Author: Reginald Fleming Johnston
Publisher: Soul Care Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $28.95
Buy New: $19.09
You Save: $9.86 (34%)
New (11) from $19.09
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 237059
Media: Paperback
Edition: 4Rev Ed
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 488
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 5.8 x 1.1
ISBN: 0968045952
EAN: 9780968045954
ASIN: 0968045952
Publication Date: March 18, 2008
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Product Description
As the British-born Tutor to the Dragon Emperor, Johnston was the only foreigner in history to be allowed inside the inner court of the Qing Dynasty. Johnston carried high imperial titles and lived in both the Forbidden City and the New Summer Palace. Twilight in the Forbidden City reflects his eyewitness accounts of the memorable events of the time. He provides an first hand account of daily life in the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and gives many detailed descriptions of ceremonies including Pu-yi's wedding. Johnston provides a good deal of anecdotal material for the last days of the Ch'ing Dynasty court before the 1911 Revolution He knew many of the active players in those events, and of historical significance are his observations on the Ch'ing court's political structure, and in particular the Nei Wu Fu or Imperial Household Department. If you are planning to travel to China, or want to understand China better, then this book is a must read as it provides an eyewitness account of the events of period! A 'must read' for anyone interested in China!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Takes you to a different time and space. May 6, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Love this book, since being young I have borrowed this book from interlibrary loans, now I have my own copy. Pictures and diagrams are not bad from the copied original. Maybe one day I can own a 1st printing, but for now I am glad to have a copy on my own book shelve.
Bonus chapter and illustrated edition make this the best choice! April 10, 2008
I was very happy to have this book as this edition has all the original photograph's and a previously unpublished bonus chapter (written by Johnston under a pen name) about his meeting with the 13th Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama and the Empress Dowager both held the title of Living Buddha and were to be in Peking on the same day... a difficult issue for the court to resolve... this extra chapter explains how the situation resolved itself!.
Johnston provides a good deal of anecdotal material for the last days of the Ch'ing (Qing Dynasty) court before the 1911 Revolution. He knew many of the active players in those events, and of historical significance are his observations on the Ch'ing court's political structure, and in particular the Nei Wu Fu or Imperial Household Department. Johnston had little use for the Empress T'zu-hsi (Empress Dowager Cixi) and many other principal players in these events.
Twilight in the Forbidden City is very much a history of an entire period and not an exclusive portrait of the last Emperor of China. The latter impression is perhaps a result of the film The Last Emperor having been based on the book.
In the fourth impression, published in December 1934 by Victor Gollancz Ltd., additional information such as the fully spread fan was developed and some important parts of the history, such as confinement of Ts'ao K'un (Cao Kun) and K'ang You-wei's (Kang Youwei) refuge country, were reviewed for modification with "preface to the fourth impression"
In the 4th edition, Johnston also reveals the name of a key character in the story.
A must read for understanding the goings in in the last days of the Manchu empire and for anyone planning to visit China.
COMMENTS ON TWIGHLIGHT IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY January 29, 2006
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
Tis is a book written by the tutor of Pu Yi, last emperor of the Manchu dynasty in China. It contains a wealth of information concerning life in the forbidden city in the last years of the dynasty. The movie, 'the Last Emperor,"shows Johnston as Pu Yi's tutor and is also excellent in its portrayal of events in the early years of the 20th century as seen from the forbidden city.The child emperor's first question of Johnston illustrates the cultural gap between them: "Where are your ancestors buried?" and the response -- "In Scotland, your majesty."
 History of China and of colonialism January 24, 2004
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
Johnston's book is a fascinating study of the end of imperialism in China, but also, as an object of study itself, of the agencies of colonialism. I recommend the book on that basis as much as on the value of Johnston's firsthand account of the last days of the Manchu emperors. "Enjoy with..." as the foodies say, James Morris' lively "Pax Brittanica" trilogy, for example, or letters/memoirs of Gertrude Bell and TE Lawrence. To my mind all of these give a fascinating insight into the good-hearted, brilliant-minded but often disastrously wrong-headed players in colonialism. It's clear in Johnston's book that he went into his job as imperial tutor with an agenda: within days of starting he's outlined a plan to radically disrupt the status quo. All with best intentions, true integrity, and a thorough knowledge of the country and culture. There's a lot for us to learn here. FWIW, I consider myself a history "dabbler" and these books keep my limited attention,intellect and curiosity fully engaged, so don't be put off by worrying that they're too like the classes we all slept through...
Twilight, the beginning of an end. August 9, 2001
12 out of 25 found this review helpful
Mr. Johnson's work romanticizes the truth behind the opulence that existed within the Forbidden City. The vislual feast presented in the book differed much from what was provided in the film, but, both touched upon the essence of what the author suggested; there was granduer, there was, glitter, and, there was truth in what the author saw. The traumatic changes in the social order of the day happened over years, not minutes. The book did little to present what was happening outside of the palace walls, and the film did even less. The film did focus on the attrocities being committed upon the Chinese people by the invading Japanese during the war, but, it did not touch upon those committed by the foreign influences, and, the ruling class itself. Maybe it was a good thing that this truth was not presented in the film, because,the film would then have to be called, "The Saga of the Twilight in the Forbidden City." Sometimes its better if you just read and understand the book in, and, of itself, then attempt to understand the historical truth being presented by any ONE the book. Go figure!
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