"This autobiographical memoir, which covers Jin Luxian's life to the beginning of the period of 'Openness and Reform, ' is unique. No other religious leader in China has written in such detail about his own life. Jin remains controversial, but he is a thin

"The great strength of these Memoirs--elegantly translated and with a fine introduction--is that they are recounted by [Jin Luxian] himself. Perhaps Philip Wickeri is correct 'No other religious leader in China has written in such detail about his own life'

"Jin Luxian's career has been full of dramatic twists and turns and his actions at crucial times have been controversial. His life embodies the hopes and disappointments of the Chinese Catholic Church, and his memoirs open a fascinating perspective on man

"Bishop Jin Luxian is a key figure in the history of the Catholic Church in the PRC, and in particular in its revival and struggles in the era of reform and opening. This autobiography provides unique insights into the character and formation of the man--n

Jin Luxian is Roman Catholic Bishop of Shanghai. William Hanbury-Tenison left Britain in 1985 on a one-way ticket to study Chinese in Taiwan. He moved to Shanghai in 1994 with Jardine Matheson but left the firm in 1999 to pursue his own interests, including participation in the unfolding life of the Shanghai diocese led by Bishop Jin Luxian.