Ghost Nation

'Compelling and important' - Rana Mitter, The Observer

'Few books qualify as essential reading but Ghost Nation is one of them' - Clive Hamilton, bestselling co-author of The Hidden Hand

The gripping story of Taiwan's rich past and precarious present from one of the country'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.

Ghost Nation offers a panoramic and compelling history of Taiwan. Horton charts its evolution from a colonial outpost, enduring 400 years of foreign rule, to a thriving democracy and global technological powerhouse. Drawing from over a decade of living and reporting in Taiwan, the book provides a deeply researched account of the seismic events that shaped its destiny. This is the definitive story of how Taiwan became a global economic and technological leader with an indispensable role in our world.

A deeply researched and accessible book, it provides a comprehensive overview for anyone invested in peace and understanding on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. As Taiwan faces an aggressive and authoritarian China, Ghost Nation is a compelling and timely guide to the island's past, its precarious present and the global stakes of its future.

'Indispensable and timely' - Melissa Chan, Emmy-nominated international affairs correspondent

'An unmissable account . . . Accessible, entertaining and immaculately researched' - Dr Jonathan Sullivan, co-author of Taiwan: A Contested Democracy Under Threat and former Director of the China Policy Institute