--- product_id: 343940948 title: "William Collins Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China" price: "6166 som" currency: KGS in_stock: true reviews_count: 5 url: https://www.desertcart.kg/products/343940948-william-collins-wild-swans-three-daughters-of-china store_origin: KG region: Kyrgyzstan --- # Epic 20th-century China history 13M+ copies sold 3 generations of women’s stories William Collins Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China **Price:** 6166 som **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 📖 Unlock the untold saga of China’s past — because knowing history is the ultimate power move. ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** William Collins Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China - **How much does it cost?** 6166 som with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.kg](https://www.desertcart.kg/products/343940948-william-collins-wild-swans-three-daughters-of-china) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Deep Historical Insight:** Gain rare, vivid perspectives on Mao’s China, from elite life to grassroots survival under authoritarian rule. - • **Global Bestseller Phenomenon:** Join over 13 million readers who’ve experienced this unforgettable journey through China’s turbulent history. - • **Multi-Generational Narrative:** Explore the intimate lives of three women across three generations, revealing personal and political upheavals. - • **Award-Winning Cultural Context:** Ranked top 100 in History of Asia and Women’s Studies, this paperback is a must-have for informed global citizens. - • **Critically Acclaimed & Accessible:** A masterful blend of scholarly depth and compelling storytelling that resonates with history enthusiasts and professionals alike. ## Overview Wild Swans by Jung Chang is a globally bestselling paperback biography tracing three generations of Chinese women through the 20th century. With over 13 million copies sold and high critical acclaim, it offers a gripping, personal perspective on China’s political upheavals, especially under Mao’s regime. This richly detailed narrative combines historical depth with accessible storytelling, making it essential reading for anyone seeking to understand modern China’s complex legacy. ## Description OVER 13M COPIES SOLD – THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING PHENOMENON – NUMBER 8 ON SUNDAY TIMES BEST OF THE BESTSELLER LIST Few books have had such an impact as Wild Swans : a popular bestseller which has sold more than 13 million copies and a critically acclaimed history of China; a tragic tale of nightmarish cruelty and an uplifting story of bravery and survival. Through the story of three generations of women in her own family – the grandmother given to the warlord as a concubine, the Communist mother and the daughter herself – Jung Chang reveals the epic history of China's twentieth century. Breathtaking in its scope, unforgettable in its descriptions, this is a masterpiece which is extraordinary in every way. Jung Chang's book 'Fly, Wild Swans' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2025-09-22. Review: Life under Mao - What a book! Everyone in the world should know about "this" China! 650 pages and almost every sentence is packed with interesting information. I thoroughly enjoyed reading every part of it and didn't want it to end when it did. It's about the authors "elite" life in Communist China under the reign of Mao, which included her families persecution. But not only that, it also goes back to her mother and grandmothers life in China - stuff certainly not taught in my American schools, but should be. Mao and his closest collegues, including his wife and her "friends", were nothing but a bunch of thugs that ruled the Chinese people in an evil, ugly way. If Satan was ever personified it was in Mao, right down to Mao ordering that grass and flowers be destroyed as bourgeois. He controlled styles of hair, clothing,books,food,careers,and more, he even had peoples thoughts under patrol and convinced people that turning in their neighbors and torturing those who opposed him were the right things to do. I, raised in America, wonder at it all, my life was so very different, but this book gives you an idea about what it was like, and it was horrible. God help us and others who are under regimes who think like Mao did. And not only does it shed light on Mao and his power hungry, selfish greed but how people in general can be controlled by government, become corrupt by indoctrination and their own selfishness, or driven to suicide out of real dispair. It's also a great victory story in that the author and her siblings appear to have faired well in the end. But what a price to pay. Here's just a few exerpts from the book: pg 378: "Like many Chinese, I was incapable of rational thinking in those days.We were so cowed and contorted by fear and indoctrination that to deviate from the path laid down by Mao would have been inconceivable. Besides, we had been overwhelmed by deceptive rhetoric, disinformation, and hypocrisy, which made it virtually impossible to see through the situation and to form an intelligent judgement." pg 407:"The whole country was like a pressure cooker...There were no football matches, pressure groups, law suits, or even violent films. It was impossible to voice any kind of protest about the system and its injustices, unthinkable to stage a demonstration. Even talking about politics...was taboo." pg415 + 416:"We hardly even thought of going out for a walk. The atmospher outside was terrifying, with the violent street-corner denunciation meetings and all the sinister wall posters and slogans;people were walking around like zombies...As an indication of the terror of the day, no one dared to burn or throw away any newspapers. Every front page carried Mao's portrait, and every few lines featured Mao's quotations. These papers had to be treasured and it would bring disaster if anyone saw you disposing of them.Keeping them also posed a problem: mice might gnaw into Mao's portrait, or the papers might simply rot - either of these would be interpreted as a crime against Mao." pg 456: "Nearly everything, from salt, toothpaste, and toilet paper to every kind of food and clothing, either was rationed or disappeared completely...no sugar for a year...six months passed without a single bar of soap...Starting from June 1966, there was no schooling...No school meant no control. But what could we do with our freedom? There were virtually no books, no music, no films, no theatre, no museums, no teahouses, almost no way of keeping oneself occupied...'Red Guardship' became many youngsters' full-time occupation. The only ways they could release their energy and frustration were in violent denunciations and in physical and verbal battles..." (which was encouraged by Mao) Oh my word! There was so much! I have numerous pages marked with things I wanted to put into a review. Before this book my interest about China was sparked by Safely Home, by Randy Alcorn, another fantastic book revealing China. I may read Chang's other book about Mao next, but maybe later, I think I've had enough of Mao for now. Safely Home has a satisfying description of where Mao is now. Review: Compelling - This author is fantastic. After reading her biography of Empress Cixi, I immediately ordered her other two books. Her writing is comprehensive yet accessible, making complex history easy to engage with. I highly recommend her work to anyone interested in history or learning more about China. Also if you can - catch her interview on you tube - compelling. ## Features - Biographies & AutobiographiesWomen - Type: Paper Back - All Time Read - Comfortable look ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #21,047 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #74 in History of Asia #80 in Women's Studies #121 in Historical Biographies | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,759 Reviews | ## Images ![William Collins Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81iqROF+fsL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Life under Mao *by M***T on 9 May 2010* What a book! Everyone in the world should know about "this" China! 650 pages and almost every sentence is packed with interesting information. I thoroughly enjoyed reading every part of it and didn't want it to end when it did. It's about the authors "elite" life in Communist China under the reign of Mao, which included her families persecution. But not only that, it also goes back to her mother and grandmothers life in China - stuff certainly not taught in my American schools, but should be. Mao and his closest collegues, including his wife and her "friends", were nothing but a bunch of thugs that ruled the Chinese people in an evil, ugly way. If Satan was ever personified it was in Mao, right down to Mao ordering that grass and flowers be destroyed as bourgeois. He controlled styles of hair, clothing,books,food,careers,and more, he even had peoples thoughts under patrol and convinced people that turning in their neighbors and torturing those who opposed him were the right things to do. I, raised in America, wonder at it all, my life was so very different, but this book gives you an idea about what it was like, and it was horrible. God help us and others who are under regimes who think like Mao did. And not only does it shed light on Mao and his power hungry, selfish greed but how people in general can be controlled by government, become corrupt by indoctrination and their own selfishness, or driven to suicide out of real dispair. It's also a great victory story in that the author and her siblings appear to have faired well in the end. But what a price to pay. Here's just a few exerpts from the book: pg 378: "Like many Chinese, I was incapable of rational thinking in those days.We were so cowed and contorted by fear and indoctrination that to deviate from the path laid down by Mao would have been inconceivable. Besides, we had been overwhelmed by deceptive rhetoric, disinformation, and hypocrisy, which made it virtually impossible to see through the situation and to form an intelligent judgement." pg 407:"The whole country was like a pressure cooker...There were no football matches, pressure groups, law suits, or even violent films. It was impossible to voice any kind of protest about the system and its injustices, unthinkable to stage a demonstration. Even talking about politics...was taboo." pg415 + 416:"We hardly even thought of going out for a walk. The atmospher outside was terrifying, with the violent street-corner denunciation meetings and all the sinister wall posters and slogans;people were walking around like zombies...As an indication of the terror of the day, no one dared to burn or throw away any newspapers. Every front page carried Mao's portrait, and every few lines featured Mao's quotations. These papers had to be treasured and it would bring disaster if anyone saw you disposing of them.Keeping them also posed a problem: mice might gnaw into Mao's portrait, or the papers might simply rot - either of these would be interpreted as a crime against Mao." pg 456: "Nearly everything, from salt, toothpaste, and toilet paper to every kind of food and clothing, either was rationed or disappeared completely...no sugar for a year...six months passed without a single bar of soap...Starting from June 1966, there was no schooling...No school meant no control. But what could we do with our freedom? There were virtually no books, no music, no films, no theatre, no museums, no teahouses, almost no way of keeping oneself occupied...'Red Guardship' became many youngsters' full-time occupation. The only ways they could release their energy and frustration were in violent denunciations and in physical and verbal battles..." (which was encouraged by Mao) Oh my word! There was so much! I have numerous pages marked with things I wanted to put into a review. Before this book my interest about China was sparked by Safely Home, by Randy Alcorn, another fantastic book revealing China. I may read Chang's other book about Mao next, but maybe later, I think I've had enough of Mao for now. Safely Home has a satisfying description of where Mao is now. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Compelling *by N***R on 28 June 2025* This author is fantastic. After reading her biography of Empress Cixi, I immediately ordered her other two books. Her writing is comprehensive yet accessible, making complex history easy to engage with. I highly recommend her work to anyone interested in history or learning more about China. Also if you can - catch her interview on you tube - compelling. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ China : The land of subterfuge *by Y***A on 14 April 2020* I was born into the communist elite, and saw how class-ridden and hierarchical Mao's China was. Everyone was slotted into a rigid category. On every form, next to 'Date of birth' and 'Sex' was the inevitable column 'Family background'. This determined one's career, relationships and life. - Jung Chang Reading about history is like travelling in a time machine which allows us to explore, analyse and making sense of our past which makes us what who we are as a people, and as a nation. Although, historians writes about history from time to time, but somehow they misses one of the most important part of history. The stories of the common men, women and children alike. That's why personal histories, or personal memoirs are one of the most important and authentic sources which allows us to understand the psyche of a nation, and the people who resides there. Wild Swans, Three Daughters Of China, is a beautifully written personal memoir with full of emotions. It's a story of the author's grandmother, her mother and about herself during the twentieth century China. China and its civilization is one the oldest in the world. Throughout their history the Chinese civilization remained exclusive. Interactions with other people and cultures were remained miniscule. That's why when china gained their independence in October 1949 after the brutal civil war between the Communists, led by Mao Zedong, and Kuomintang, or Nationalists, headed by Chiang Kai Shek, the former after defeating the latter decided to take his country on a very different path. This book exposed that faulty path and the hypocrisy, double standards and inhumane policies of Mao Zedong. That's why this personal memoir is still banned in mainland China. The foundation of China is resting on the dead bodies of millions of innocent people who lost their lives for no reason. The regime of totalitarianism which was started by Mao is being followed in letter and spirit by his successors. This book is not everyone's cup of tea, especially for those who are not accustomed in reading heavy Nonfiction books. But for those who loves reading about history, then this book is a must read. I will end with this bon mot :- 'China is one of those few countries where human turns into living robot.' My Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) I hope you like this, Thanks for reading, Jai Hind. ## Frequently Bought Together - William Collins Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China - Memoirs Of A Geisha --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.kg/products/343940948-william-collins-wild-swans-three-daughters-of-china](https://www.desertcart.kg/products/343940948-william-collins-wild-swans-three-daughters-of-china) --- *Product available on Desertcart Kyrgyzstan* *Store origin: KG* *Last updated: 2026-09-25*