In The Rape of Nanking, the brutal massacre of thousands of innocent Chinese citizens is carried out through the invasion of this ancient city conquered by the Imperial Japanese Army. Iris Chang illustrates the graphic details of the murder and rape of these victims through the perspectives of different sides of the attack. Chang; furthermore, the links between genocide and mass destruction shown throughout the book with the example of the Japanese government's desperate attempt to hide the incident and the reluctance of the survivors to discuss it. Furthermore, the terrifying events of the Rape of Nanjing only further motivated an uncontrollable desire for aggression, violence, and imperialism in the Asian community, evidently leading to the imminent destruction caused by World War II. Due to the brutality of the crimes committed during this period, many people today still shy away from discussing the Nanjing Rape. The book itself suggests that the biggest factor turning people away from this topic is fear of retaliation from those who don't believe it happened, or those who want it kept from the public eye. Overall, Chang's depiction of the massacre and genocide associated with the invasion of Nanjing discusses the events that occurred before World War II and the anger that arose as a result; also examining the idea that many people still aren't aware of the severity of rape and even refuse to believe it happened. The six weeks of carnage began in December 1937 when the Imperial Japanese Army marched into the Chinese capital of Nanjing and killed 300,000 of the city's 600,000 civilians and soldiers. Therefore, due to the paper government and the fear instilled in some survivors, this event was essentially made to disappear. It is through Chang's descriptions that the reader is fully able to visualize the pain, terror, and suffering experienced during this time period. Overall, this book's depiction portrays such a horrific, detailed, and brilliant story, making it virtually impossible for the reader to forget. Works Cited Chang, Iris. The Rape of Nanjing: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II. New York: Basic Books, 1997. Print.Fogel, Joshua A. Rev. of The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II, Iris Chang. The Association for Asian Studies 57.3 (1998): 818-820. Print.Zagoria, Donald. “Asia and the Pacific”. Rev. of The Rape of Nanjing: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II, Iris Chang. Foreign Affairs 77.2 (1998): 163. Print.