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Hong Kong Skyline

An important bit of journalistic history. Mahtani don't pretend toward objectivity, being partisan for the movement for freedom in Hong Kong, which is fine with me. Mahtani seeks to preserve an account actively being erased by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), so it's a side of the story in need of recording. For those who lived through the time and kept up with the headlines, there aren't any major surprises here. But Mahtani does pick certain individuals in the Hong Kong movement to turn into characters and delve deeply into their lives and their efforts with the movement, which certainly personalizes it and makes it more of a series of stories rather than just a bit of dusty history. One can hope other similar stories are recorded about Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang, Tianamen Square, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and Taiwan(?), so the truth is not lost to future generations. The serious nature of the subject doesn't exactly make this a beach read, but the personal story approach makes it very accessible nonetheless. A good read and an important record.

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