by Frederic A. Sharf and Peter Harrington
Greenhill, 2000, ISBN 1-85367-409-5, $19, 96 pages

Published to coincide with a museum exhibition, this softcover marks the centenary of the Boxer Rebellion in China. It reproduces original artwork from the 1900-1901 period from a variety of European and Japanese sources.

The text is rather sparse and serves as an introduction to the Rebellion rather than a history of the uprising, running from page 6 to 33. It includes a few maps, a four-page chronology, 10 pages of artists' comments and observations, and a few photos.

A three-page summary of the activities of pre-President Herbert Hoover follows.

Thirty-seven illustrations, one per page, cover the European perspective, with a wide variety of war and peace scenes. Most are in black and white, and uniform details range from superb to average. Twelve illustrations from Japan chronicle Japanese participation, especially Captain Hattori's successful, if fatal, storming of the Taku forts. Oddly enough, Japanese illustrators depict Hattori in three different colored uniforms--one all white, one all black, and one with black jacket and white pants. The Boxers have different uniforms depicted, but that's to be expected.

Each illustration contains the artist name, date published, size, medium, and a short summary describing the event depicted. Of note, some of the illustrations were done from a photograph.

For Boxer Rebellion fans, this is a treat. For all others, it's an interesting booklet that should make you cognizant of the events in 1900, and worth flipping through.