The Diary of a Manchu Soldier in Seventeenth-Century China-轻识

diary is normally a window on the views andexperiences of a person at a moment in time. It may not address the the major causes and affects of history but it does give the reader a sense of what participants thought and felt during the occurrences of history. It is therefore very fortunate that a series of events with dedicated scholars have brought this book, The Diary of a Manchu Soldier in Seventeenth-Century China, to the English language reader. While Dzengseo, the author of the diary, was not a common soldier he was a participant in the Manchu suppression of the final Ming hurrahin 17th century China.

Unfortunately this book was part of a longer diary but of the four parts, this,the final part, is the only part known to still exist. It was originally discovered by a Chinese scholar in the 1970s in a Chinese library and then published in the 1980s. The editor and translator of this version, Nicola Di Cosmo, went back to the Manchu language version originally as a means to learn the Manchu language but then turned his study into this book.

Di Cosmo does not ask the reader to jump into the diary without preparation. He has written anextensive introduction that explains how a Manchu soldier was writing this diary. His introduction looks at the rise and expansion of the Manchus into China. Key figures in the Manchu forces as well as the rebellious forces. He explains how the rebellion came to the point where the diary is set. He also introduces the Manchu Army to the reader so that the various military terms are not too unfamiliar. All these sections were very well done and nicely balanced given that the diary itself is relatively short and so did not overwhelm the reader before the diary proper started.

Di Cosmo's advice about Dzengseo's views on matters was interesting but I did not entirely agree with what Di Cosmo said. I would concede willingly that Di Cosmo was reading the Manchu text which probably contained nuances that are hard to pass into English without potentially changing the meaning or intent of the original author. Di Cosmo's view about Dzengseo being fed up with the Army and his war weariness upon his return to his family are probably not an indication of an anti-military bent from Dzengseo but I would say are an understandable private outpouring from someone who has been through what Dzengseo experienced.

The diary is not a blow by blow account of battles. Much of the action occurs elsewhere with brief mentions of rebels surrendering to other units. There is some fighting in the text and it does give an interesting insight into the way battle was conducted. The sieges of the cities seemed to occur with minimum use of siege machines and instead envelopment and starvation were the preferred methods. Because Dzengseo was an officer his story gave an indication about logistics and also command. The almost chaotic move back to Beijing adds far more colour to an understanding of the Manchu Army than a historian noting that 'the Army returned from the war.'

While the book will probably never be a best seller I do thoroughly recommend it. Nicola Di Cosmo's introduction is full of much insightfulinformation for readers interested in the time period and Dzengseo's words are a unique view from a rare first hand account.