''City on Fire: The Fight for Hong Kong'' is a nonfiction book by
Antony Dapiran. It discusses the
2019–2020 Hong Kong protests
The 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests (also known by other names) were a series of demonstrations against the Hong Kong government's introduction of a bill to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance in regard to extradition. It was the largest ...
, which the author described as "a battle for Hong Kong's very soul".
Background
Dapiran, from Australia,
lived in Hong Kong for an extended length of time and provided consulting to Chinese companies over a 20-year period.
[
Dapiran was present at several of the 2019 protests.][
]
Contents
The first chapter discusses tear gas
Tear gas, also known as a lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the Mace (spray), early commercial self-defense spray, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the ey ...
.[ the catalyst for the protests, the ]murder of Poon Hiu-wing
Amber Poon Hiu-wing (5 August 1997 – 17 February 2018), zh, first=t,j, t=潘曉穎, s=潘晓颖, j=pun1 hiu2 wing6, p=Pān Xiǎoyǐng a 20-year-old pregnant woman from Hong Kong, was killed in Taipei on 17 February 2018 whilst on vacation wit ...
; the 2019 Hong Kong local elections
The 2019 Hong Kong District Council elections were held on 24 November 2019 for all 18 District Councils of Hong Kong. 452 seats from all directly elected constituencies, out of the 479 seats in total, were contested. Nearly three million people ...
;siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The 2019 Hong Kong Polytechnic University campus conflict, also referred to as the siege of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, occurred from 17 to 29 November 2019 on the campus of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), during the 2 ...
.[
The book includes a prediction that the Chinese government would increase its direct control on Hong Kong, something Dapiran describes as "a slow and steady squeeze".][ The book also describes how Hong Kongers perceive an erosion of their own sense of self, and how there was, on the British side during the ]Handover of Hong Kong
The handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China was at midnight on 1 July 1997. This event ended 156 years of British rule in the former colony, which began in 1841.
Hong Kong was established as a specia ...
in 1997, what was described as "wishful thinking" by Nicholas Gattig, in the ''Japan Times
''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
History
''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...
''.[ The book's content ends whilst the conflict was still ongoing.][
Gattig stated that Dapiran's support for the protest movement and the author's "love of the city ervadethe book".][
]
Release
Published by Scribe
A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of Printing press, automatic printing.
The work of scribes can involve copying manuscripts and other texts as well as ...
, the book was released in March 2020.[
]
Reception
Gattig praised the "smooth, heady prose".[ He stated that the book "never feels rushed or less than coherent" despite how quickly it was written and published after the protests.][ Will Higginbotham of the '']Australian Book Review
''Australian Book Review'' is an Australian arts and literary review. Created in 1961, ''ABR'' is an independent non-profit organisation that publishes articles, reviews, commentaries, essays, and new writing. The aims of the magazine are " ...
'' praised the "journalistic prowess" and how the author "excels at contemplating both the small and big events".[ Joshua Wallace of ]Tarleton State University
Tarleton State University is a Public university, public research university in Stephenville, Texas, United States. It is a founding member of the Texas A&M University System and enrolled over 15,000 students in the fall of 2022. It is Carnegie C ...
stated that the book is a "fascinating read".[ Graduate student Joe Bauer, of the ]Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
The School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a graduate school of Johns Hopkins University based in Washington, D.C. The school also maintains campuses in Bologna, Italy and Nanjing, China.
The school is devoted to the study of int ...
, praised the author's "ability to bring the narrative to life".[
]
References
{{reflist
2020 non-fiction books
Works about the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests
Books about Hong Kong
Books about politics of China
Scribe (publisher) books