Constructing Empire

Peter Cunich, University of Hong Kong:

Constructing Empire will surely continue to be the essential guide which future authors will use in order to understand the original intentions of those who set about to create “the paradise of the East” in Manchukuo.

Alan Thornton:
[Sewell] succeeds in demonstrating the complexity of Japanese society in Changchun/Xinjing. Constructing Empire’s detailed chapters will be indispensable to graduate students and faculty researching or teaching the Japanese Empire and Japanese urban history.

Yuxin Ma:

"The quality and the amount of research [Bill Sewell] has done is very impressive, and the book is sophisticated and informative."

Sherzod Muminov:
The narrative in these chapters is grounded in vibrant historic detail, which results in a readable, empirically rich account.

Jordan Sand, professor, Department of History, Georgetown University:
Constructing Empire displays an extraordinary amount of research and erudition regarding Changchun. As the first substantial study of the capital city of Manchukuo, it is a groundbreaking piece of scholarly work.

Erik W. Esselstrom, associate professor, Department of History, University of Vermont:
This book is the first major study in English that uncovers and evaluates the rich urban history of modern Changchun. In doing so, it makes a valuable contribution to both Chinese and Japanese history, as well as the fields of comparative imperialism and urban historical studies.