A New Book on Taiping Rebellion

choi

Gordon G Chang, Chaos Under Heaven. New York Times, Apr 1, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/0 ... tephen-r-platt.html
(book review on Stephen R Platt, Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom; China, the West, and the epic story of the Taiping civil war. Knopf, 2012)

Note:
(a) The book in Knopf web site:
http://media-center.knopfdoubled ... by-stephen-r-platt/
(b) HONG Rengan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Rengan
(1822-1864; 洪仁玕; 干王)
(c) Hong Xiuquan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Xiuquan
(洪秀全; 1814-1864; section 5 Death)
(d) The review says, "China in the middle of the 19th century was in ferment."

ferment (n):
"2a : a state of unrest : AGITATION
b : a process of active often disorderly development <the great period of creative ferment in literature — William Barrett>"
www.m-w.com

(e) Sun Yat-sen was also Hakka.
(g) The book talks about "the British Bruce brothers, one of whom led troops that ransacked the Qing Summer Palace while the other helped save the failing dynasty."

The Bruce Brothers were
(i) James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bruce,_8th_Earl_of_Elgin
(section 2.3 China and Japan)

and (ii) Frederick Wright-Bruce
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Wright-Bruce

(iii) Both were sons of

Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bruce,_7th_Earl_of_Elgin
(section 4 Family)
(iv) Consult

Earl of Elgin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Elgin