Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II is a harrowing, meticulously researched, and emotionally powerful account of one of the most horrific war crimes of the 20th century.
Published in 1997, the book brought global attention to the 1937 massacre in the Chinese capital of Nanking (now Nanjing) when Imperial Japanese troops systematically raped, tortured, and murdered hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians and prisoners of war over a period of several weeks.
Chang’s work is divided into three major sections: the lead-up to the atrocity, the massacre itself, and the international response and aftermath. She begins by setting the historical stage — the Second Sino-Japanese War and Japan’s militaristic expansion. The core of the book is a brutal, graphic recounting of the atrocities committed during the occupation. From mass executions to sexual violence on an unimaginable scale, the book spares no detail, confronting readers with the depth of human cruelty witnessed in Nanking. The final part analyses how the massacre was downplayed or denied by various parties, especially in Japan, and how survivors and historians have struggled to bring justice and acknowledgement to the victims.
What makes The Rape of Nanking so compelling is Chang’s passionate and personal voice in exposing the gory behind the massacre. Her outrage is palpable, yet she never allows emotion to overwhelm the historical rigour of her research. She draws from a wide array of sources — survivor testimonies, military records, letters, and diaries — particularly those of Westerners like John Rabe, a German businessman and Nazi Party member who helped establish the Nanking Safety Zone, saving thousands of lives.
Chang is particularly effective in exposing the long-standing silence and historical amnesia surrounding the event, especially in the West and in postwar Japan. She criticises the failure of postwar tribunals to fully prosecute the perpetrators and the continued denial and silence found in Japanese nationalist circles.
Her book helped ignite fresh debate over war memory and historical responsibility in East Asia.
The emotional toll of writing this book was immense for Chang, and it eventually contributed to her tragic death in 2004. Her commitment to unearthing suppressed history, however, left a lasting legacy. The book not only galvanised scholarly interest but also pushed for greater educational inclusion of the Nanking Massacre worldwide.
Critics of the book point to occasional factual inconsistencies and a narrative tone that blurs the line between history and advocacy. However, these do little to detract from its overall expose and purpose. Chang was not just chronicling events - she was seeking and demanding moral reckoning and justice for the victims.
The Rape of Nanking is not an easy read — nor should it be. It is a vital work of remembrance and a forceful reminder of the atrocities that can arise from unchecked militarism, dehumanisation, and historical denial. For those seeking to understand not only the events of Nanking but also the broader human capacity for cruelty and silence in the face of evil, Iris Chang’s book remains an essential read.