Full Description
Winner of the Joseph Levenson Post-1900 Book Prize
This cultural study of public space examines the cityscape of Taipei, Taiwan, in rich descriptive prose. Contemplating a series of seemingly banal subjects--maps, public art, parks--Joseph Allen peels back layers of obscured history to reveal forces that caused cultural objects to be celebrated, despised, destroyed, or transformed as Taipei experienced successive regime changes and waves of displacement. In this thoughtful stroll through the city, we learn to look beyond surface ephemera, moving from the general to the particular to see sociocultural phenomena in their historical and contemporary contexts.
Watch the book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBdGIoox7zM
Contents
Preface
Note to Readers
Prologue
1. Mapping the City
2. Picturing the City
3. Traffic in the City
4. A Park in the City
5. Display in the City
6. Statues in the City
7. A Horse in a Park in a City on an Island in the Sea
Postface: Theoretical Considerations
Notes
Chinese and Japanese Glossary
Works Cited
Index
