Details about the subjects' personal lives provide the narratives with rich material that generates fresh perspectives by simply allowing historical data to speak for itself. Ultimately, the accuracy of the content can only be judged by experts, but the authors deserve praise for abstaining from the relatively easy job of issuing sweeping judgments on historical characters.
To add more fun to the reading, each subject is also accorded an "oblivion index" (被遺忘指數). A high index rating indicates he or she is almost completely forgotten today. At the book's end is also a 14-page parallel timeline for world and Taiwan history from 1600 to 1999. In another example of how much effort went into making the book fun, even the timeline is embellished with photos of people's daily tools -- kerosene lamps, charcoal irons, smoking pipes, grass sandals.
This, the first book in a 12-volume biographical history series, should make a good read for those who wish to better understand Taiwan's unique heritage.
For your information
Portraits of Foreigners in Taiwanese History
(正港台灣人)
By Li Huai (李懷) and Chang Chia-hua (張嘉驊)
192 pages
Yuan-liou Publishing Company (遠流出版社)
Language: Chinese
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