LOST COLONY: The Untold Story of China’s First Great Victory over the West

by Tonio Andrade

Published: 2011

Genre: History

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Summary

Holland had command over the seas in the seventeenth century. Yet, the Chinese warlord, Koxinga, defeated them in the Sino-Dutch War. Tonio Andrade, dives into the history of the Dutch colonies on the island of Taiwan. He begins with the power struggle within the Dutch command, but also the powerhouses of China and how Koxinga’s background influenced him and the men who fought with him. This book has a balance of military strategy, historical inventions, and the characters that played out this important historical battle.

Recommendation?

I read this book because I live on the island of Taiwan and have visited both Dutch forts, but I did not know the history all that well. As I read about this important battle, I discovered that Koxinga, aka Zheng Chenggong, was a TCK/CCK. His father, Zheng Zhilong, is said to be a Chinese pirate. While in Japan he married and abandoned his wife and son for many years. Koxinga was raised in Japan amongst the samurai. Most likely he was trained by them as well. Andrade notes a conflict stirs between father and son after Zhilong returns to train him to be the next in command. Whereas Zhilong put family and fortune above all else, his son did not. His son valued “righteousness and a warrior’s loyalty to his lord” (p. 61). This loyalty was to the Emperor, not to his father’s wishes. Andrade poses the question, “But what else can you expect when you abandon your son to be raised by samurai?” (p. 59).

So, if you are interested in Taiwan, the Sino-Dutch War, or the military battles of the seventeenth century, I recommend this book. If you are not, I probably told you enough about Koxinga to help you understand how being a TCK/CCK influenced his life. That was only a small part of the book, but very fascinating.