The Dragon Empress: Life and Times of Tz'u-Hsi, 1835-1908, Empress Dowager of China by Marina Warner: A Book Review

The Dragon Empress: Life and Times of Tz'u-Hsi, 1835-1908, Empress Dowager of China
Author: Marina Warner
Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography
Publisher: George Weidenfeld & Nicholso
Release Date: 1972
Pages: 271
Source: My State Public Library
Synopsis: From 1861 to 1908 a woman - the Empress Dowager Tz'u-hsi, born the daughter of a minor mandarin - held the supreme power in China. Opportunist, ruthless, malicious, she ruled over 400 million people. This biography explores her complex personality - her extreme conventionalism, her hatred of foreigners, her passion for power and intrigue, her vanity and her delight in ritual, her extravagance and corruption, and her love of gardens, painting and the theatre. The book also portrays a China in rapid decline, as poverty, civil war and foreign exploitation and invasion brought about the fall of the Ch'ing dynasty.

My Review: Empress Dowager Cixi is one of history’s most controversial empresses. It was during Cixi’s rule that the rule of imperial China ended. Empress Dowager Cixi ruled for nearly fifty years. In this biography of the Empress Dowager, Cixi is portrayed as ruthless, power-hungry, and malicious. Despite her negative qualities, the author shows how she was a strong and politically-adept woman.

Marina Warner largely portrays Empress Dowager Cixi in a bad light. Unlike Sterling Seagrave’s biography that describes Cixi as an illiterate woman, who had no experience in politics, Marina Warner portrays her as an intelligent woman who knew how to rule. When she was the favored concubine of Emperor Xianfeng, she mostly ruled during his reign and criticized him for being a coward. During her reign as regent, she was shown to be morally corrupt, indulging in earthly pleasures such as picnics, boat rides, and theater. She was portrayed as so evil that sometimes it almost seemed very cartoonish, and at times I found it utterly comical and unbelievable.

Overall, there is not much new in this biography. It portrayed Empress Dowager Cixi in the traditional light. There was so much negativity about her that I honestly questioned its validity in some aspects. When I looked at the sources that the author mentioned, I found that some of them were questionable. However, it was very easy to read. I also loved the illustrations and thought it enhanced the reading experience. Therefore, it was an entertaining read. However, I suggest that you should read it with caution. The best and most balanced biography of Cixi to date that I have read is Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang. After you finish reading the biographies by Marina Warner and Sterling Seagrave, immediately read the biography by Jung Chang in order to form a well-rounded portrait of the Empress Dowager.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint (Women in Antiquity) by David Potter: A Book Review

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Saint (Women in Antiquity) Author: David Potter Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, History Publisher: Oxford University Press Release Date: November 4, 2015 Pages: 288 Source: Publisher/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Two of the most famous mosaics from the ancient world, in the church of San Vitale in Ravenna, depict the sixth-century emperor Justinian and, on the wall facing him, his wife, Theodora (497-548). This majestic portrait gives no inkling of Theodora's very humble beginnings or her improbable rise to fame and power. Raised in a family of circus performers near Constantinople's Hippodrome, she abandoned a successful acting career in her late teens to follow a lover whom she was legally forbidden to marry. When he left her, she was a single mother who built a new life for herself as a secret agent, in which role she met the heir to the throne. To the shock of the ruling elite, the two were married, and when Justinian...

Guest Post: The Ladies-in-Waiting: Lady Isabel Baynton by Alexandra Walsh

Today's guest writer is Alexandra Walsh. She is the author of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy , which is a historical thriller surrounding the infamous Tudor queen. In this guest post, Mrs. Walsh discusses the life of Catherine's lady-in-waiting, Isabel Baynton. This post will be sure to fascinate fans of Tudor era. If you enjoy her post, please pick up a copy of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy ! Thank you, Mrs. Walsh! The Ladies-in-Waiting – Lady Isabel Baynton by Alexandra Walsh One of the most enjoyable things about writing an historical novel is discovering the tiny details that make the period real on the page. While I was researching The Catherine Howard Conspiracy , I spent a great deal of time hunting out the life stories of the women who surrounded the young queen in order to create a group of realistic friends and confidants. There are some well-known names linked with Catherine and her downfall: Lady Jane Boleyn,...

Guest Post by Cheryl Anne Stapp: Sacramento Women in the Pioneer Era

Today's guest writer is Cheryl Anne Stapp. She is the author of Before The Gold Rush - The Sinclairs of Rancho del Paso 1840-1849 , and Disaster & Triumph: Sacramento Women, Gold Rush Through the Civil War . I am currently reading Before the Gold Rush , and I find it fascinating! In this guest post, she writes about stories of pioneer women that settled in Sacramento. I hope you find these stories captivating and that it will give you some insight into her novel. Thank you, Mrs. Stapp! Sacramento Women in the Pioneer Era I don’t write fiction. I tried, but soon found that I have no talent for plotting. My first and only attempt at a historical romance was actually pretty far along when an editor friend pointed out there was more historical matter than romance in the manuscript…and as far as a well-constructed storyline with surprising plot twists, well… But in 2009 I found my niche, largely inspire...

History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

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