Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Preface by Jeff Widener, Pulitzer finalist, photojournalist of the
iconic "Tank Man" photo at Tiananmen Square
Introduction by Robert Thurman, Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of
Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Columbia University
"Engaging, accessible for general readers, and clear as a bell. Perhaps the book will serve as a wake up call for the international community, which should step up efforts at democracy promotion for such an important country. The China Support Network highly recommends this book.”
—John P. Kusumi, founder of the pro-democracy China Support Network
“My Two Chinas is beautifully written... The bravery shown by Tang and other Chinese students who stood up to the Communist Chinese government was extraordinary. Their story deserves to be known. This is the place to start.”
—Edward I. Koch, former mayor of New York City (from 1978 -1989),
influential political commentator
“Good versus evil. A fractured nation. A family torn apart. The banished hero continues to fight from exile. This book carries all the hallmarks of myth, and yet it really happened. Tang Baiqiao has torn back the veil. Let the world take a good long look. Here is a true story of Tiananmen Square.”
—Thomas Guo Guoting, leading human rights attorney, law professor, author
“There are many Chinese—more than a billion of them—but there are relatively few to speak for them: to speak for their rights, their dignity, and their freedom. Baiqiao Tang is one such person. He speaks, not only for himself, but for masses of his countrymen, who are gagged. If the Communist dictatorship in China ever falls, Tang will be one of those who gave it a hard, wonderful push.”
—Jay Nordlinger, senior editor, National Review
At this moment, people in China are being imprisoned and tortured by their own government. These people are not hardened criminals, murderers, thieves, or terrorists. They’ve done nothing wrong. They are student leaders, journalists, bloggers, human rights activists, and monks whose only “crime” is that they want democracy. They want their voices to be heard in a nation they’ve helped to build.
My Two Chinas is the memoir of one such political prisoner. Baiqiao Tang is one of China’s most influential modern dissidents. Tang’s name became legendary during the time of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Over the past 21 years, he has remained on the front lines of the Chinese pro-democracy movement, where he has vowed to keep fighting until the dream of a free China is realized.
In 1989, Tang was a student leader organizing pro-democracy demonstrations in Hunan province. On June 4 of that year, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) quashed the movement Tang helped to lead in the now infamous Tiananmen Square massacre. During the nationwide crackdown that ensued against “counterrevolutionaries,” the CCP issued a warrant for Tang’s arrest. Tang recalls in detail his shock upon seeing his face plastered on a “wanted” poster at a train station. He attempted to flee to Macau but was captured before he could cross the border. In prison, Tang witnessed and endured medieval tortures that no human should ever experience. Eventually, he escaped to America with help from the United States government.
Now living in exile in New York City, Baiqiao Tang has become a living legend among the millions of people worldwide who fight for a free and open society. China’s recent, stratospheric rise to prominence on the world stage has brought its government under increased pressure to account for its notorious human rights atrocities inflicted on its own people.
This unique, timely, suspenseful, and ultimately inspiring memoir will resonate with people from all walks of life and from all backgrounds who care about human rights and the future of free society.
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 316 (photos)
ISBN: 978-1-61614-445-6
Shipping Weight: 2lbs
Author Bio:
Baiqiao Tang is the chair of the China Peace and Democracy Federation and the author of Anthems of Defeat (Human Rights Watch, 1992) and numerous articles in such publications as Columbia University’s Journal of the School of International and Public Affairs, The Secret China, Liberty Times, Open magazine, and the Epoch Times. He has also been a special commentator for Radio Free Asia, New Dynasty TV, and other programs. He is frequently interviewed by national and international media, including ABC, NBC, the BBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and other media outlets.
Damon DiMarco is the author of Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11, with a foreword by 9/11 Commission Chairman Thomas H. Kean, and Shock and Awe: Soldiers’ Voices from the Front Lines in Iraq. He is the coauthor with Roy Simmons of Out of Bounds: Coming Out of Sexual Abuse, Addiction, and My Life of Lies in the NFL Closet. Mr. DiMarco is also an actor. He has written two books on acting, and has taught the subject at colleges, trade schools, and in private sessions.
