*Named a Taipei Times Notable Book of 2025
"Rich in analytical insights...Readers already familiar with the larger contours of Taiwan’s history will benefit from an adjustment of perspective...the authors honor the multiple entangled realities of Taiwan’s modern past." —Los Angeles Review of Books
“There is one thing that Taiwan scholars want: for Taiwan to be taken seriously on its own terms, for its political complexities and democratic development to be recognized, and for Taiwan to exist beyond just a foil to post-1949 PRC history. Revolutionary Taiwan: Making Nationhood in a Changing World Order convincingly shows how and why scholars and citizens around the world ought to do so.… the book’s main point: that Taiwanese nationhood is real, and that the world ought to recognize it to be as legitimate as any other national identity. At a time when more ink is being spilt fearmongering about Taiwan as simply a ‘flashpoint’ or place stuck between the PRC and the United States, this book feels particularly cathartic to read…an important resource for both Taiwan and China scholars respectively.” —The China Quarterly
"Books that attempt to explain Taiwan in an accessible manner have proliferated in recent years…but none are close to what Catherine Lila Chou and Mark Harrison have achieved in Revolutionary Taiwan: Making Nationhood in a Changing World Order. Not only does this book convey Taiwan in the 'readably academic' way that the authors intended, it uses a novel yet practical approach…Packed with elegant analogies, deftly illustrated examples, and subtle but clear, compelling arguments, this book is both educational and immensely enjoyable." —Taipei Times
"Taiwan is a complex, contradictory society. Chou and Harrison offer us a clearly written, deeply researched history that helps readers understand how Taiwan was revolutionized over the centuries—from settler colonialism, authoritarianism, democracy, and contested sovereignty. Their narrative of Taiwan is moving and powerful. Most importantly, their book centers the perspectives of Taiwanese peoples, and why their voices matter. If you buy only one book on Taiwan’s history, this is it." —James Lin, University of Washington
“Catherine Chou and Mark Harrison have written an informative account of contemporary Taiwan nationalism and Taiwan history from the nuanced perspectives of the Taiwanese themselves. The book provides a much-needed corrective to a plethora of publications that continue to see the ‘Taiwan problem’ from the perspectives of ‘two Chinas’ or the Washington-Beijing rivalry. If the emergence of Taiwanese nationalism constitutes a ‘revolution,’ it is a revolution that exposes the fundamental contradiction of our current international system, which as Chou and Harrison point out, ‘holds out the promise of self-determination and sovereignty’ but allows ‘economically and militarily powerful states to disproportionately shape the system in their interests.’” —Dominic Meng-Hsuan Yang, University of Missouri-Columbia
"Revolutionary Taiwan: Making Nationhood in a Changing World Order masterfully renders Taiwan’s complexities tangible and accessible by delving into the lived experiences of its people and the realities of its landscapes. Chou and Harrison offer a profound understanding of Taiwan that is authentically rooted in its unique identity and context. This is the book I recommend for anyone seeking a nuanced explanation of Taiwan’s political situation from a Taiwan-centered perspective." —Shawna Yang Ryan, author of Green Island
