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THE GOOD MAN OF NANKING: The Diaries of John Rabe
The Good Man of Nanking is a crucial document for understanding one of World War II's most horrific incidents of genocide, one which the Japanese have steadfastly refused to acknowledge. It is also the moving and awe-inspiring record of one man's conscience, courage, and generosity in the face of appalling human brutality.
Until the recent emergence of John Rabe's diaries, few people knew about the unassuming hero who has been called the Oskar Schindler of China. In November 1937, as Japanese troops overran the Chinese capital of Nanking and began a campaign of torture, rape, and murder against its citizens, one man-a German who had lived in China for thirty years and who was a loyal follower of Adolph Hitler-put himself at risk and in order to save the lives of 200,000 poor Chinese, 600 of whom he sheltered in his own home.
Until the recent emergence of John Rabe's diaries, few people knew about the unassuming hero who has been called the Oskar Schindler of China. In November 1937, as Japanese troops overran the Chinese capital of Nanking and began a campaign of torture, rape, and murder against its citizens, one man-a German who had lived in China for thirty years and who was a loyal follower of Adolph Hitler-put himself at risk and in order to save the lives of 200,000 poor Chinese, 600 of whom he sheltered in his own home.
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 1998
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About the author
John Rabe
10 books10 followersJohn Rabe was a German businessman who is best known for his efforts to stop the atrocities of the Japanese army during the Nanking Occupation and, failing in those efforts, his work to protect and succour Chinese civilians during the event. The Nanjing Safety Zone, which he helped to establish, sheltered some 200,000 Chinese people from slaughter during the massacre.
His war-time diaries are published in English as The Good German of Nanjing (UK title) or The Good Man of Nanking (US title) (original German title: Der gute Deutsche von Nanjing).
His war-time diaries are published in English as The Good German of Nanjing (UK title) or The Good Man of Nanking (US title) (original German title: Der gute Deutsche von Nanjing).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
December 31, 2019
I had delayed reading this important book for a long time simply out of sheer fear of having the atrocious scenes imprinted on my mind.
In June 2011 I had attended a talk by Iris Chang’s mother, Dr. Ying-ying Chang, in Vancouver about her book The Woman Who Could Not Forget: Iris Chang Before and Beyond the Rape of Nanking. At that event I had also seen a documentary recording the heinous acts committed by the Japanese soldiers during the invasion and occupation of Nanking between 1937 and 1938. (As mentioned in this book, the film documentary was produced by Rev. John Magee, an American missionary.) So I was mentally prepared going into The Good Man of Nanking. Still, I found myself consciously skimming the photos in the book as best as I could.
I had not previously read Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking, the research of which in fact relied heavily on these diaries, which were not published as a book until forty-nine years after John Rabe’s death in 1949. The fact that John Rabe had not intended for his diaries to be published (he had only meant them for his family members’ reading) adds to the value of the book as an authentic and unassailable true account of what really happened, without any hidden agenda. The plain, sometimes emotional, but always from the heart, monologue style of writing, while speaking to readers’ mind and soul, gives good insight into the selfless and compassionate character of this good-hearted German. The monstrosities that he had to try to deflect from some 250,000 Chinese refugees were in ironic contrast to the humanitarian efforts of a handful of Westerners including him who happened to be in Nanking.
The first entry was made on September 21, 1937 and the last one was dated February 28, 1938.
This January 25, 1938 entry gives a good idea of the gist of the events on record:
“There is one case that we don’t record: A Chinese worker, who has worked all day for the Japanese, is paid in rice instead of money. He sits down in exhaustion with his family at the table, on which his wife has just placed a bowl of watery rice soup: the humble meal for a family of six. A Japanese soldier passing by plays a little joke and urinates in the half-full rice bowl and laughs as he goes his merry way.
The incident made me think of the poem “Lewwer duad us Slaav” (“Better Dead than a Slave”), but one simply can’t expect a poor Chinese worker to behave like a free Frisian. The Chinese are far too downtrodden, and they patiently submitted to their fate long ago. It is, as I said, an incident that is given the scantest notice. If every case of rape were revenged with murder, a good portion of the occupying troops would have been wiped out by now.”
After Rabe and his wife returned to Germany in April 1938, they went through days of hunger and destitution in 1945 and 1946. When the Chinese Military Mission in Berlin made him an offer to resettle in China in exchange for appearing as a witness for the prosecution at the Tokyo war crimes tribunal, Rabe declined.
In a message he left for his grandchildren, he explained: “I didn’t want to see any Japanese hang, although they deserved it…..There must be some atonement, some just punishment; but in my view the judgment should be spoken only by their own nation.”
In June 2011 I had attended a talk by Iris Chang’s mother, Dr. Ying-ying Chang, in Vancouver about her book The Woman Who Could Not Forget: Iris Chang Before and Beyond the Rape of Nanking. At that event I had also seen a documentary recording the heinous acts committed by the Japanese soldiers during the invasion and occupation of Nanking between 1937 and 1938. (As mentioned in this book, the film documentary was produced by Rev. John Magee, an American missionary.) So I was mentally prepared going into The Good Man of Nanking. Still, I found myself consciously skimming the photos in the book as best as I could.
I had not previously read Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking, the research of which in fact relied heavily on these diaries, which were not published as a book until forty-nine years after John Rabe’s death in 1949. The fact that John Rabe had not intended for his diaries to be published (he had only meant them for his family members’ reading) adds to the value of the book as an authentic and unassailable true account of what really happened, without any hidden agenda. The plain, sometimes emotional, but always from the heart, monologue style of writing, while speaking to readers’ mind and soul, gives good insight into the selfless and compassionate character of this good-hearted German. The monstrosities that he had to try to deflect from some 250,000 Chinese refugees were in ironic contrast to the humanitarian efforts of a handful of Westerners including him who happened to be in Nanking.
The first entry was made on September 21, 1937 and the last one was dated February 28, 1938.
This January 25, 1938 entry gives a good idea of the gist of the events on record:
“There is one case that we don’t record: A Chinese worker, who has worked all day for the Japanese, is paid in rice instead of money. He sits down in exhaustion with his family at the table, on which his wife has just placed a bowl of watery rice soup: the humble meal for a family of six. A Japanese soldier passing by plays a little joke and urinates in the half-full rice bowl and laughs as he goes his merry way.
The incident made me think of the poem “Lewwer duad us Slaav” (“Better Dead than a Slave”), but one simply can’t expect a poor Chinese worker to behave like a free Frisian. The Chinese are far too downtrodden, and they patiently submitted to their fate long ago. It is, as I said, an incident that is given the scantest notice. If every case of rape were revenged with murder, a good portion of the occupying troops would have been wiped out by now.”
After Rabe and his wife returned to Germany in April 1938, they went through days of hunger and destitution in 1945 and 1946. When the Chinese Military Mission in Berlin made him an offer to resettle in China in exchange for appearing as a witness for the prosecution at the Tokyo war crimes tribunal, Rabe declined.
In a message he left for his grandchildren, he explained: “I didn’t want to see any Japanese hang, although they deserved it…..There must be some atonement, some just punishment; but in my view the judgment should be spoken only by their own nation.”
February 21, 2013
A harrowing and emotional true life account about the first days of the Japanese occupation in Nanking, Rabe really captured a narrator's voice while writing in his personal journals. While sometimes difficult to read (in the sense that the brutality described is almost too bestial to be true) the translated diary's of John Rabe stand as reminder of the Holocaust that was committed, and then forgotten about, in China during WWII. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Chinese, Japanese, and German history, as well as World War II and memoir readers.
July 26, 2011
Had the diary been written/published by a Chinese author, it'd be criticized again as propagating the anti-Japanese sentiment. But, this gruesome account of the suffering had been documented by a German, whose home country at that time was an ally of the Japanese army. Which I meant to say that J.Rabe's account of the Rape of Nanking must have been unbiased and reported as it was. As evinced in this book.
The atrocities committed by the unruly Japanese soldiers still, no doubt, would make one's blood seethe, but it was all sadness and incomprehension (of why there was even wars to begin with) as I turned the last page.
A diary as good as Pepys'.
The atrocities committed by the unruly Japanese soldiers still, no doubt, would make one's blood seethe, but it was all sadness and incomprehension (of why there was even wars to begin with) as I turned the last page.
A diary as good as Pepys'.
December 28, 2016
John Rabe's diary provides the concrete details of the atrocity in Nanjing around the winter of 1937. As the head of the Safety Zone Committee, he saved many lives and helped countless. And thanks to him and others like him, we have accounts of what happened in Nanjing at that time despite the Japanese army's attempt to destroy the evidence. As Iris Chang said, he is "the Oskar Schindler of China."
June 21, 2013
What a tragic story! Einstein said that he thought the only to things that are infinite are the universe and the capacity for human stupidity, although he wasn't sure about the universe. I think the other thing that is infinite is the capacity for human cruelty. Hard to imagine the sort of brutalisation and indoctrination that soldiers must go through to be able to do do these things. The best and worst of the human condition on show here. Should be read by anyone who still view war as righteous and honourable. Really showed women and children as the true victims of war. Something we so often forget when we honour the bravery of soldiers. A very powerful and disturbing read, and a book that needs to be read by a much wider audience.
January 12, 2008
Not compelling but a competent first-person account of the Rape of Nanjing. I read it in conjunction with my stay in Nanjing where I studied Chinese. My school, Nanjing Normal University, was inside the "safe zone" that John Rabe set up in the midst of mass murder.
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June 9, 2011I read half of the book the fall of 2009 when I focused on the Nanking massacre for all of my papers in my Writing II class. John Rabe may have been part of the Nazi Party, but he lived most of his life in China where he had a great hand in saving 250,000-300,000 Chinese lives.
May 15, 2018
There is no denying that John Rabe was an incredibly brave fellow; standing in the face of oppression and potential violence to protect others. He needn't have stayed in Nanking once the Japanese invaded, but he did so to help a population that he had grown fond of.
When he was writing his diaries, he was not thinking of those of us, almost a century later, reading about the events. As such, there is an awful lot of personal family stuff which, frankly, is of no interest to me as a reader. I mean no disrespect when I say that, but I wished to read his account of a historic event. I appreciate, however, that sometimes those personal anecdotes do add context.
He seems quite obsessed with rape. I don't think I have ever read a book where sentences like "raped five times in a row" appear almost in passing. Maybe, back then, rape wasn't such a shocking event.
Ultimately, I remained disappointed. I wanted to learn more. I wanted to know more. I liken this book to peeking around the curtains rather than standing in full view. You get a hint of the events rather than the full, horrific onslaught.
I also found his admiration of the Nazi party and Hitler quite a distraction. It is hard to understand a man who helped so many when he casually throws in an anti-semetic phrase. It is not overt, but there is an undercurrent of fervent Nationalism which is hard to ignore.
There is, at the end of the book, a section written from Berlin just at the end of the war. By that time, he has denounced Nazi-ism and seems to be somewhat aware of attrocities committed by the German forces, but you sense he almost cannot believe it. Or maybe doesn't want to believe it. He distances himself from it without condemning it. It would have been nice to have a bit more background that fills in the blanks. After all, he has family still living that could have provided (what I feel to be) important information.
When he was writing his diaries, he was not thinking of those of us, almost a century later, reading about the events. As such, there is an awful lot of personal family stuff which, frankly, is of no interest to me as a reader. I mean no disrespect when I say that, but I wished to read his account of a historic event. I appreciate, however, that sometimes those personal anecdotes do add context.
He seems quite obsessed with rape. I don't think I have ever read a book where sentences like "raped five times in a row" appear almost in passing. Maybe, back then, rape wasn't such a shocking event.
Ultimately, I remained disappointed. I wanted to learn more. I wanted to know more. I liken this book to peeking around the curtains rather than standing in full view. You get a hint of the events rather than the full, horrific onslaught.
I also found his admiration of the Nazi party and Hitler quite a distraction. It is hard to understand a man who helped so many when he casually throws in an anti-semetic phrase. It is not overt, but there is an undercurrent of fervent Nationalism which is hard to ignore.
There is, at the end of the book, a section written from Berlin just at the end of the war. By that time, he has denounced Nazi-ism and seems to be somewhat aware of attrocities committed by the German forces, but you sense he almost cannot believe it. Or maybe doesn't want to believe it. He distances himself from it without condemning it. It would have been nice to have a bit more background that fills in the blanks. After all, he has family still living that could have provided (what I feel to be) important information.
May 17, 2014
John Rabe is a quirky individual but with a good heart. "Dear God, watch over over my family and good humor; I'll take care of the other incidental's myself." His accounts of the atrocities in Nanking following the invasion of the Japanese are a sad reflection of the brutality of humanity. His boldness and courage were admirable, though I had hoped to hear more about what happened to the refugees after John Rabe left China, two months after the invasion. So strange that the Europeans and Americans could almost act with immunity amongst the Japanese forces, providing a partial, yet not always an effective protective shelter for the Chinese refugees. Sad that such a man could so quickly fall into obscurity.
January 25, 2019
This book demonstrates that the truth is often far more complicated than we think. The fact that a member of the Nazi Party is a humanitarian hero in Nanking is a little mind-boggling.
October 1, 2025
There are two English Language editions of this book. One is ‘The Good German of Nanking’. The American version editors presumably could not fathom how describing a ‘German’ in the 1930's as good could attract readers and renamed it “The Good Man of Nanking”. Nobody dared publish with the title “The Good Nazi of Nanking”. But he was one. Can a bad man do good things. Yes. Even saintly things. Can a man who wistfully writes of the days of the great Kaiser but ‘prefers Hitler’ be good. Maybe. He was in China, far from Germany, and it was "early" in the Nazi regime. Maybe he was ignorant of their true nature. That is what he claims in 1945. But that is what they all claimed after the war. Maybe. The trouble is that some of his other claims, in the 1945 denazification period, are demonstrably false. I have no doubt that his 1930's journal entries identifying Japanese attrocities are very real.
He writes, in 1945, that 'everyone' in China in the 30's joined the party. They didn't. And he didn't write this in the 1930's when he might have been proud of such a statistic (rather than using it as an excuse as he did in 1945). Werner Straubel was in Nanjing working for Zeiss, with a Jewish mother he clearly didn't, it would not even be possible. Hans Melchior was in Nanjing working for Carlowitz, he didn't (as determined by the British who released him from prisoner of war camp in 1939 in part for that reason). There was great pressure in the German community in China at the time to buy Nazi war bonds, and return to Germany, all in support the war effort. But not everyone did. Rabe was all in on Hitler. Others were not. One of the reasons he was a pauper at the end of his life, is almost certainly that he invested his money, when he was wealthy in China, in Nazi bonds and German banks.
It seems there are no Rabe journals for the period between 1938, when Rabe enthusiastically returns to Germany to support the war effort, as did some of his colleagues, such as Kröger, and 1945 after the German defeat. The editor of this book states that his relatives found the journals in the attic, didn't read them and turned them all over for history and publication. I am highly dubious. Of course they read them, why on earth would they not? This claim is totally implausible, even ludicrous. Perhaps they read and discarded journals from 1938 to 1945 since these did not paint a picture they were proud of. Or maybe Rabe himself destroyed them so as not to undermine his case for denazification. Either of these scenarios seems more likely to me, than the story that he simply stopped his voluminous journal writing during his time in Nazi Germany. Indeed, as far as I can make out, Rabe himself nowhere writes that he did not have such journals, we only have his relatives and the editors word on this. Anyway, as a result of this lack of record, I suppose we'll never know how he transitioned from ardent Nazi in the 1930s to his 1945 Berlin Journal where he is keen to be, and eventually is, 'denazified'. It is interesting to note that in his 1945 journal, he mentions an interaction with the Gestapo, which had occured shortly after his return, so perhaps in 1939 or so, and states they didn't like him criticizing Japan. He seems to have shown none of the fortitude with which he opposed the Japanse Government, when dealing with the German government, but rather simply kept quiet in the face of atrocities (In Deutschland ist er, ganz im gegenteil zu China, stumm geblieben)
There were in fact a lot of good people in Nanjing when the Japanese invaded. The ones that were Chinese, when they did anything whatsoever to resist, or even if they didn’t, were bayoneted, burned and raped. The Germans who were not Nazis correctly fled for their lives during the Japanese bombing before the land invasion. They did not have a Nazi armband to wave at the Japanese in defiance and were thus much more vulnerable. So Rabe, as a local Nazi leader, was uniquely positioned to play the ‘savior’ role he played. He did play it though, and this was clearly very difficult, self sacrificing and to be lauded. Whether a few months defending Chinese refugees against the horrors wrought by Japan balances out over a decade as an ardent Nazi and makes him a 'good man' is not clear at all.
He writes, in 1945, that 'everyone' in China in the 30's joined the party. They didn't. And he didn't write this in the 1930's when he might have been proud of such a statistic (rather than using it as an excuse as he did in 1945). Werner Straubel was in Nanjing working for Zeiss, with a Jewish mother he clearly didn't, it would not even be possible. Hans Melchior was in Nanjing working for Carlowitz, he didn't (as determined by the British who released him from prisoner of war camp in 1939 in part for that reason). There was great pressure in the German community in China at the time to buy Nazi war bonds, and return to Germany, all in support the war effort. But not everyone did. Rabe was all in on Hitler. Others were not. One of the reasons he was a pauper at the end of his life, is almost certainly that he invested his money, when he was wealthy in China, in Nazi bonds and German banks.
It seems there are no Rabe journals for the period between 1938, when Rabe enthusiastically returns to Germany to support the war effort, as did some of his colleagues, such as Kröger, and 1945 after the German defeat. The editor of this book states that his relatives found the journals in the attic, didn't read them and turned them all over for history and publication. I am highly dubious. Of course they read them, why on earth would they not? This claim is totally implausible, even ludicrous. Perhaps they read and discarded journals from 1938 to 1945 since these did not paint a picture they were proud of. Or maybe Rabe himself destroyed them so as not to undermine his case for denazification. Either of these scenarios seems more likely to me, than the story that he simply stopped his voluminous journal writing during his time in Nazi Germany. Indeed, as far as I can make out, Rabe himself nowhere writes that he did not have such journals, we only have his relatives and the editors word on this. Anyway, as a result of this lack of record, I suppose we'll never know how he transitioned from ardent Nazi in the 1930s to his 1945 Berlin Journal where he is keen to be, and eventually is, 'denazified'. It is interesting to note that in his 1945 journal, he mentions an interaction with the Gestapo, which had occured shortly after his return, so perhaps in 1939 or so, and states they didn't like him criticizing Japan. He seems to have shown none of the fortitude with which he opposed the Japanse Government, when dealing with the German government, but rather simply kept quiet in the face of atrocities (In Deutschland ist er, ganz im gegenteil zu China, stumm geblieben)
There were in fact a lot of good people in Nanjing when the Japanese invaded. The ones that were Chinese, when they did anything whatsoever to resist, or even if they didn’t, were bayoneted, burned and raped. The Germans who were not Nazis correctly fled for their lives during the Japanese bombing before the land invasion. They did not have a Nazi armband to wave at the Japanese in defiance and were thus much more vulnerable. So Rabe, as a local Nazi leader, was uniquely positioned to play the ‘savior’ role he played. He did play it though, and this was clearly very difficult, self sacrificing and to be lauded. Whether a few months defending Chinese refugees against the horrors wrought by Japan balances out over a decade as an ardent Nazi and makes him a 'good man' is not clear at all.
May 1, 2025
Mensen die geen leider willen zijn, zijn vaak de beste leiders. John Rabe trad nooit uit overtuiging aan als voorzitter van de Veiligheidszone Nanking, maar nam die verantwoordelijkheid op zich omdat niemand anders het wilde doen. Hij beantwoordde zelfs persoonlijke bezwaren aan zijn partij én zijn eigen veiligheid om tweehonderdduizend Chinezen te beschermen. Zijn terughoudendheid dwong hem juist zorgvuldig te handelen: hij onderhandelde met Japanse officieren, organiseerde voedselvoorraden en medisch personeel en hield zijn dagboeken bij als getuigenis van de gruwelijke gebeurtenissen. Omdat hij geen roem zocht, keek hij alleen naar de concrete noodzaak en de mensen om hem heen – en juist die bescheiden toewijding maakte hem tot de redder die Nanking zo hard nodig had. Dit boek verteld zijn bijzondere verhaal, dat niet vaak genoeg naverteld kan worden.
September 4, 2021
It's one of a depressed thing to read.. took me 17 hours to finally finished the diary. Salute to this good man. Its not their job to save the citizens yet they all did more than the country could. Definitely a good man.
June 15, 2024
It says a lot about the Japanese army if the Nazi was the actual hero in this book
January 27, 2016
1998
The Diaries of John Rabe, a Nazi, who built an safety zone in Nanking to try and save the Chinese people from being killed by the Japanese Army.
Nanking's population in 1937 was around 1.3 million. It's revealed that Nanking had actually gone through an earlier massacre. The Taiping Rebellion (1852-1864) led to Imperial Troops retaking Nanking from them, killing almost all the civilians in the city and burning it to the ground, so the Japanese massacre was not the first one at all.
The book then goes into the diary entries by Rabe, and they are quite interesting, revealing details of what happened from someone who was actually there at the time.
In one of his entries, he notes that Soochow was being plundered by retreating Chinese troops. He also notes about someone he knows whose father would have risen in the diplomatic ranks more if he had not had a Jewish grandmother.
There were also numerous telegrams to Japan to get the safety zone made official, but there was a lot of trouble with that. One wire said " To whatever extent possible, Japanese wish to spare the city, national government, lives, property, foreigners, as well as a peaceful Chinese populace."
Rabe writes that he saw groups of Japanese soldiers, ten to twenty in a group, enter the city and plunder the various shops. There are also numerous references to reports of Chinese being taken out by the Japanese and executed. He also writes about the numerous rapes of women, including 1,000 in one night alone. This included nurses at hospitals.
He includes how some of the Chinese girls were selected by the Japanese to work at a brothel. He also writes about many people who were bayoneted to death.
The book goes on and on with example after example of the atrocities, and also has numerous photographs that are quite gruesome.
For those who argue that the Rape of Nanking did not take place, I'll point out that this book, with its numerous reports and photographs, was written by a Nazi who was reporting to his superiors in Germany. At the time, Germany was an ally of Japan, so there is no reason Rabe would be lying about what the Japanese were doing.
This is a very, very upsetting book, but, at the same time, it's a very valuable historical reference.
The Diaries of John Rabe, a Nazi, who built an safety zone in Nanking to try and save the Chinese people from being killed by the Japanese Army.
Nanking's population in 1937 was around 1.3 million. It's revealed that Nanking had actually gone through an earlier massacre. The Taiping Rebellion (1852-1864) led to Imperial Troops retaking Nanking from them, killing almost all the civilians in the city and burning it to the ground, so the Japanese massacre was not the first one at all.
The book then goes into the diary entries by Rabe, and they are quite interesting, revealing details of what happened from someone who was actually there at the time.
In one of his entries, he notes that Soochow was being plundered by retreating Chinese troops. He also notes about someone he knows whose father would have risen in the diplomatic ranks more if he had not had a Jewish grandmother.
There were also numerous telegrams to Japan to get the safety zone made official, but there was a lot of trouble with that. One wire said " To whatever extent possible, Japanese wish to spare the city, national government, lives, property, foreigners, as well as a peaceful Chinese populace."
Rabe writes that he saw groups of Japanese soldiers, ten to twenty in a group, enter the city and plunder the various shops. There are also numerous references to reports of Chinese being taken out by the Japanese and executed. He also writes about the numerous rapes of women, including 1,000 in one night alone. This included nurses at hospitals.
He includes how some of the Chinese girls were selected by the Japanese to work at a brothel. He also writes about many people who were bayoneted to death.
The book goes on and on with example after example of the atrocities, and also has numerous photographs that are quite gruesome.
For those who argue that the Rape of Nanking did not take place, I'll point out that this book, with its numerous reports and photographs, was written by a Nazi who was reporting to his superiors in Germany. At the time, Germany was an ally of Japan, so there is no reason Rabe would be lying about what the Japanese were doing.
This is a very, very upsetting book, but, at the same time, it's a very valuable historical reference.
June 27, 2015
The amazing true story of a Nazi party leader and Siemens employee in China who worked with an International committee in Nanking to help protect Chinese civilians from massacre, famine, and rape at the hands of Japanese soldiers in 1937-8. His main collaborating angels? American missionaries!
Like many other readers, I came to this book through Iris Chang, who in fact helped to make Rabe's diaries known to the world. This book is primary source material, a well-chosen collection of Rabe's diary entries, supplemented by other primary documents such as telegrams, letters, etc. from those he worked with. The book is significant not only because it documents the brutality and horror of the war, in words and images (many graphic and disturbing) but because it offers the promise of what a handful of individuals can accomplish working together and standing up for the poor and the helpless in a seemingly hopeless struggle.
I also found this work insightful into the failures of the Japanese government which allowed for such grave injustices. Time and time again the various internationals noted that the Japanese embassy and the civil government seemed to have little to no control over the military.
Finally, the book shows a little of the brutality of the defeat of Germany as well and the unfairness of labeling all Nazi party members as evil. As an old, sick, disillusioned man, all Rabe wanted was to be able to work so that he could eat!
Learn about this man, his times and his legacy. You will plunge into horror but emerge in hope.
Like many other readers, I came to this book through Iris Chang, who in fact helped to make Rabe's diaries known to the world. This book is primary source material, a well-chosen collection of Rabe's diary entries, supplemented by other primary documents such as telegrams, letters, etc. from those he worked with. The book is significant not only because it documents the brutality and horror of the war, in words and images (many graphic and disturbing) but because it offers the promise of what a handful of individuals can accomplish working together and standing up for the poor and the helpless in a seemingly hopeless struggle.
I also found this work insightful into the failures of the Japanese government which allowed for such grave injustices. Time and time again the various internationals noted that the Japanese embassy and the civil government seemed to have little to no control over the military.
Finally, the book shows a little of the brutality of the defeat of Germany as well and the unfairness of labeling all Nazi party members as evil. As an old, sick, disillusioned man, all Rabe wanted was to be able to work so that he could eat!
Learn about this man, his times and his legacy. You will plunge into horror but emerge in hope.
July 16, 2018
Horrors of War
A remarkable, though sad eyewitness account of the Japanese invasion of Banking by the Japanese. A sobering tale that makes one ponder how people, even in times of war, can act so inhumanity. Yet, it is also an account of others, especially a group of foreigners, who responded with courage and compassion. Not a light read, but a valuable historic record of the horrors of war.
A remarkable, though sad eyewitness account of the Japanese invasion of Banking by the Japanese. A sobering tale that makes one ponder how people, even in times of war, can act so inhumanity. Yet, it is also an account of others, especially a group of foreigners, who responded with courage and compassion. Not a light read, but a valuable historic record of the horrors of war.
April 3, 2022
I was worried that a diary would be really boring, but it wasn't at all. It was very engaging. This is one of those pieces that's hard to rate, though, because it's not written to be a piece of interesting literature. At the same time, the information and the historicity of the piece is so invaluable, it's hard to not rate that aspect five stars. I split the difference and went with four.
One aspect I love about this is the idea that this "good man" is a loyal Nazi. The absolute dissonance there is insane, and it also goes to show that history and the evil people in it are far more complex than we like to think. In this aspect, the book would pair very well with "They Thought They Were Free." But you also get glimpses of this complexity in that it's easy to look into the Rape of Nanking expecting to find that the Japanese are animalistic madmen - and you'd be right. But within Rabe's diaries he highlights that the Chinese did egregious evil only decades before. Likewise, as Rabe heads back to Germany, he documents how the Russian troops were raping and murdering the Germans.
The point is, while the scale of the Nanking atrocity is mind-blowing, what we see there isn't inhuman, it's what humans do (as one of my wife's professors loves to say). We can ask what precipitated the scale of the Nanking atrocities, but far too many use this as a way to dehumanize certain groups as evil rather than introspect about themselves and ask why humans across the board do these things (see also the Milgram Experiment and the book "Ordinary Men").
One aspect I love about this is the idea that this "good man" is a loyal Nazi. The absolute dissonance there is insane, and it also goes to show that history and the evil people in it are far more complex than we like to think. In this aspect, the book would pair very well with "They Thought They Were Free." But you also get glimpses of this complexity in that it's easy to look into the Rape of Nanking expecting to find that the Japanese are animalistic madmen - and you'd be right. But within Rabe's diaries he highlights that the Chinese did egregious evil only decades before. Likewise, as Rabe heads back to Germany, he documents how the Russian troops were raping and murdering the Germans.
The point is, while the scale of the Nanking atrocity is mind-blowing, what we see there isn't inhuman, it's what humans do (as one of my wife's professors loves to say). We can ask what precipitated the scale of the Nanking atrocities, but far too many use this as a way to dehumanize certain groups as evil rather than introspect about themselves and ask why humans across the board do these things (see also the Milgram Experiment and the book "Ordinary Men").
June 10, 2019
There are a couple things that come to mind from listening to this one. I asked my Austrian cousin once whether he could recommend to me a good history of Austria written in German that I might use to sharpen my language skills. I was mildly stunned when he told me that the best histories of Auatria were written by Americans in English. Rabe's diary is clearly written in his own hand for similar purposes, in his native German and they have been translated well. We have been given quite a gift with their writing and translation. But I wonder how many other truly great stories will never be translated?
Rabe's final years were touching. At war's end he was back in Germany to witness its degradation at the hands of its Russian and American foes. He went for lengthy periods without food or work, and he a hard time being "denazified." However, the Chinese had not forgotten him and came to his aid for all he had done for them when he alleviated their suffering at the hands of the Japanese. Quite a poignant story and well worth your time.
Rabe's final years were touching. At war's end he was back in Germany to witness its degradation at the hands of its Russian and American foes. He went for lengthy periods without food or work, and he a hard time being "denazified." However, the Chinese had not forgotten him and came to his aid for all he had done for them when he alleviated their suffering at the hands of the Japanese. Quite a poignant story and well worth your time.
June 10, 2023
This is a very good book. It is based on the diaries of John Rabe while he worked for Siemens in Nanjing, China. It covers his time in the city during the Japanese invasion and occupation of the city. It describes his efforts to protect the citizens of the city through the founding of an international relief organization and eventually becoming the virtual mayor of the city. Rabe, a Nazi party member, worked alongside English and Americans to promote the safety of the Chinese. He is credited with saving 250,000 Chinese.
The book also describes his return home and his discontent with the Nazi Party. He describes himself as an avowed nationalist. In this he means a patriot rather than a wholehearted supporter of the Nazi Party. In his own words he despaired at the excesses of the Nazi Party. The book also describes his experiences with the fall of Berlin.
I recommend the book for anyone who is interested in war refugees, the Japanese occupation of Nanjing and or the fall of Berlin. It is a very good read.
The book also describes his return home and his discontent with the Nazi Party. He describes himself as an avowed nationalist. In this he means a patriot rather than a wholehearted supporter of the Nazi Party. In his own words he despaired at the excesses of the Nazi Party. The book also describes his experiences with the fall of Berlin.
I recommend the book for anyone who is interested in war refugees, the Japanese occupation of Nanjing and or the fall of Berlin. It is a very good read.
February 27, 2019
Living in Nanjing, I was able to visit Purple Mountain, the Sun Yat-Sen Masoleum, the Massacre Museum, Rabe's House, the Safety Zone, Nanjing University, etc. and connect well with the places mentioned in the book. All that aside, the book was a most interesting read that shed light on the Pacific side of World War II. It seems my education has nearly always focused on Europe other than the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor. The second half of the book focuses on Rabe's return to Germany and the Russian invasion there that brought Rabe to poverty in the end which I found most unfortunate indeed.
February 13, 2020
I had never even heard of the Rape of Nanking/Nanking Massacre until I read this book. We were assigned to research about a person for school and I somehow found John Rabe. This book is the diaries of him in Nanking during that time, and it gives you a real insight on the horrible atrocities that happened. It is difficult to even imagine that people were capable of such evil, but it good to know so we can learn from it. I recommend reading it because it is a part of history that should be acknowledged and learned from.
September 9, 2022
The diary of John Rabe, a Siemens businessman and Nazi diplomat who saved thousands of lives when he established the Nanking Safety Zone during the Nanking Massacre in 1937.
This book is a two part diary, the first documents the atrocities committed by the Japanese in Nanking and Rabe's efforts to stop/prevent them while the second is a brief account his time in Berlin during the end of World War II.
An amazing albeit terrifying book which undoubtedly demonstrates that John Rabe is a hero.
This book is a two part diary, the first documents the atrocities committed by the Japanese in Nanking and Rabe's efforts to stop/prevent them while the second is a brief account his time in Berlin during the end of World War II.
An amazing albeit terrifying book which undoubtedly demonstrates that John Rabe is a hero.
December 22, 2018
John Rabe's edited diaries of 1937-38 in Nanking, China. A horrifying first-person look at the assault on the civilians of Nanking by the Japanese. Rabe was a Germany who lived through those days trying to protect the Chinese civilians around him. Well worth the read for those interested in asian history.
February 19, 2021
I learned so much from this book. Japan was SO brutal when they invaded China in the 1930's. And John Rabe did so much to save the Chinese people. I love reading about good Germans during WW2. The ending is sad, and there are many brutal events in China. Not for the sensitive type. But I totally recommend it.
started-not-finished
January 8, 2022This book has been sitting on my shelf for many years. I started reading it many times, but didn't get far.
Every time I put it aside, it landed on the TBR-shelf again. Until today. After stopping again at almost the point I never got past, I now decided enough is enough.
I declare a DNF and let it continue its journey.
Every time I put it aside, it landed on the TBR-shelf again. Until today. After stopping again at almost the point I never got past, I now decided enough is enough.
I declare a DNF and let it continue its journey.
April 23, 2023
I read this for a WW2 course at Clemson. It was truly interesting and incredibly horrifying throughout. There is no sugar-coating within this book and the atrocities of the Japanese military against the Chinese citizens. It was super interesting to see the dichotomy of Rabe as a Nazi versus Rabe as the “hero of Nanking.”
December 28, 2024
One man's view of the wartime atrocities of the Imperial Japanese Army of the people of Nanking. It was interesting considering this man was a member of the Nazi party from Germany.
Later, his diaries continued upon his return to wartime Germany. He witnessed firsthand the similar treatment that the Russian army inflicted on his own people.
Later, his diaries continued upon his return to wartime Germany. He witnessed firsthand the similar treatment that the Russian army inflicted on his own people.
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April 19, 2025Clear and exacting account on the ground as a civilian in occupied territory of multiple fronts in World War II— Nanking, and Berlin. The sheer number and weight of unrelenting atrocities experienced and observed in a short span of years is an indispensable perspective for anyone who can stomach the experience and learn from it to elevate what remains of humanity.
June 16, 2021
Not bad. He was a member of the Nazi Party but as he was primarily in China it is plausible that he was unaware of what the party was doing in Europe. His story serves as a an indication of the grey areas of conflict.
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