It finishes with the story of Taiwan's economic miracle, the political transition from police state to vibrant democracy, and its continuing stand-off with China. Formosan Odyssey captures the rich sweep of history through the eyes of Westerners who visited and lived on the island - from missionaries, adventurers, lighthouse keepers, and Second World War PoWs, to students coming to study martial arts. Its coastline was known as a mariners' graveyard, the mountainous interior was the domain of headhunting tribes, while the lowlands were a frontier area where banditry, feuding, and revolts were a way of life. Until the early twentieth century, Taiwan was one of the wildest places in Asia.
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