Overview

The gripping story of Taiwan's past and precarious present from one of Taiwan's top foreign correspondents. With all eyes on Ukraine and the Middle East, Taiwan is emerging as the next geopolitical tinderbox. Despite sitting at the heart of the tense relationship between China and the US, Taiwan's history and its people have long been overlooked and misunderstood. In Ghost Nation, Taiwan-based journalist Chris Horton tells their stories and explores why this diplomatically isolated country has become such an important player on the world stage. As China's military preparations continue apace, the stakes have never been higher. Perched precariously on the fault-lines of global power, the fate of this vibrant democracy and tech colossus will shape Asia's future - either containing or facilitating China's expansionist goals. Drawing from over a decade of living and reporting in Taiwan, and informed by interviews with everyday citizens, presidents and other key figures, Horton provides a panoramic view of this fascinating country. Ghost Nation will leave readers with a profound appreciation for Taiwan's struggle for self-determination - and its pivotal role in our shared future.

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9781035034024

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If you think it's an exaggeration to say that Taiwan is the fulcrum on which the world's balance of power rests, then Chris Horton's book should change your mind. Apart from crushing a vibrant democracy, a Chinese takeover of Taiwan would be a victory for authoritarianism everywhere. Few books qualify as essential reading but Ghost Nation is one of them -- Clive Hamilton, author of <i>The Hidden Hand</i> Indispensable and timely — this is an urgent moment for everyone to better understand Taiwan, one of the most interesting democracies in the world — written engagingly by the international journalist who knows the country best -- Melissa Chan, Emmy-nominated International Affairs Correspondent and author of <i>You Must Take Part in Revolution</i> Through fascinating details and keen insights, Chris Horton’s exemplary storytelling brings to life Taiwan’s complex political and social circumstances. Ghost Island is an absolutely compelling read -- Shawna Yang Ryan, award-winning author of <i>Green Island</i> For the past decade, Horton has been one of the most reliable and incisive foreign journalists based in Taipei. He has used that experience, knowledge and access to produce an unmissable account of Taiwan's political trajectory . . . Accessible, entertaining and immaculately researched -- Dr Jonathan Sullivan, co-author of <i>Taiwan: A Contested Democracy Under Threat</i> and former Director of the China Policy Institute Horton’s retelling of Taiwan’s past and present through the eyes of everyday people who experienced Taiwan’s highs and lows firsthand will leave readers with a deep sense of empathy and hope. It is a must read for anyone invested in peace and understanding on either side of the Taiwan Strait -- Lev Nachman, Assistant Professor at National Taiwan University and author of <i>Contested Taiwan: Sovereignty, Social Movements and Party Formation</i> Accessible and borne from on-the-ground reporting. Delves far beyond the headlines, deep into the history and the forgotten personalities that helped make modern Taiwan -- Dr Samir Puri, author of <i>Westlessness: The Great Global Rebalancing</i>

[A] compelling and important book on [Taiwan]'s recent history and politics . . . crisp and deeply researched -- Rana Mitter, <i>The Observer</i> If you think it's an exaggeration to say that Taiwan is the fulcrum on which the world's balance of power rests, then Chris Horton's book should change your mind. Apart from crushing a vibrant democracy, a Chinese takeover of Taiwan would be a victory for authoritarianism everywhere. Few books qualify as essential reading but Ghost Nation is one of them -- Clive Hamilton, author of <i>The Hidden Hand</i> Indispensable and timely — this is an urgent moment for everyone to better understand Taiwan, one of the most interesting democracies in the world — written engagingly by the international journalist who knows the country best -- Melissa Chan, Emmy-nominated International Affairs Correspondent and author of <i>You Must Take Part in Revolution</i> Through fascinating details and keen insights, Chris Horton’s exemplary storytelling brings to life Taiwan’s complex political and social circumstances. Ghost Nation is an absolutely compelling read -- Shawna Yang Ryan, award-winning author of <i>Green Island</i> For the past decade, Horton has been one of the most reliable and incisive foreign journalists based in Taipei. He has used that experience, knowledge and access to produce an unmissable account of Taiwan's political trajectory . . . Accessible, entertaining and immaculately researched -- Dr Jonathan Sullivan, co-author of <i>Taiwan: A Contested Democracy Under Threat</i> and former Director of the China Policy Institute Horton’s retelling of Taiwan’s past and present through the eyes of everyday people who experienced Taiwan’s highs and lows firsthand will leave readers with a deep sense of empathy and hope. It is a must read for anyone invested in peace and understanding on either side of the Taiwan Strait -- Lev Nachman, Assistant Professor at National Taiwan University and author of <i>Contested Taiwan: Sovereignty, Social Movements and Party Formation</i> Accessible and borne from on-the-ground reporting. Delves far beyond the headlines, deep into the history and the forgotten personalities that helped make modern Taiwan -- Dr Samir Puri, author of <i>Westlessness: The Great Global Rebalancing</i> Taiwan is too often reduced to a geopolitical talking point . . . In Ghost Nation, journalist Chris Horton offers a vivid, clear-eyed account of a place that has defied the odds. Far from a passive player, Taiwan emerges here as a vibrant democracy shaped by its own history, people and political will. Drawing on over a decade of reporting, Horton reveals the deeper stakes of Taiwan’s survival—and why its future matters to us all -- Clarissa Wei, author of <i>Made in Taiwan</i> Ghost Nation is a vivid, timely, and deeply informed portrait of modern Taiwan that has been masterfully crafted through Horton's unparalleled on-the-ground insights. His work blends digestible insights on contemporary Taiwan with richly drawn historical anecdotes, culminating in a must-read for anyone seeking to understand how Taiwan's complex past has made it into the vibrant democracy it is today -- Lauren Dickey, Senior Associate at the China Power Project and former senior advisor and acting director for Taiwan policy in the US Department of Defense From the longest period of martial law in Asia to the region's greatest beacon of freedom and democracy, Taiwan has had a history of extremes. Chris Horton's incisive political history unpacks a remarkable and unknown story -- Joe Studwell, journalist and author of <i>How Asia Works</i> News headlines constantly warn that Taiwan may bring the US and China to war. But Horton takes us beyond the sabre-rattling to reveal Taiwan on its own terms — a country whose history and culture are unique, and whose people have forged a democratic nation against all odds -- Bethany Allen, author of <i>Beijing Rules</i> Gripping, urgent and approachable . . . full of local texture, linguistic nuance, and social insight rarely found in foreign reporting on Taiwan -- Julia Bergström, <i>Taiwan Business TOPICS</i>, American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan Thoroughly researched and packed with interviews . . . lucid and up-to-date -- Robert Wihtol, <i>The Strategist, </i>Australian Strategic Policy Institute

Author Information

Chris Horton is a reporter who has covered covered cross-strait politics, domestic politics, the economy, culture and breaking news in Taiwan for The New York Times, Bloomberg News, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Financial Times and Quartz. He has lived in Taiwan since 2015 and in China and Hong Kong for the decade preceding that. He is the last foreign journalist to interview former President Lee Teng-hui, arguably the midwife of Taiwanese democracy and one of the most underappreciated post-war Asian leaders. He is fluent in Mandarin. Ghost Nation is his first book.

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