---
product_id: 14306481
title: "Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy: The Story of Kawashima Yoshiko, the Cross-Dressing Spy Who Commanded Her Own Army (Asia Perspectives: History, Society, and Culture) Hardcover – Illustrated, April 7, 2015"
brand: "phyllis birnbaum"
price: "€ 46.81"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 6
url: https://www.desertcart.ie/products/14306481-manchu-princess-japanese-spy-the-story-of-kawashima-yoshiko-cross
store_origin: IE
region: Ireland
---

# Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy: The Story of Kawashima Yoshiko, the Cross-Dressing Spy Who Commanded Her Own Army (Asia Perspectives: History, Society, and Culture) Hardcover – Illustrated, April 7, 2015

**Brand:** phyllis birnbaum
**Price:** € 46.81
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy: The Story of Kawashima Yoshiko, the Cross-Dressing Spy Who Commanded Her Own Army (Asia Perspectives: History, Society, and Culture) Hardcover – Illustrated, April 7, 2015 by phyllis birnbaum
- **How much does it cost?** € 46.81 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ie](https://www.desertcart.ie/products/14306481-manchu-princess-japanese-spy-the-story-of-kawashima-yoshiko-cross)

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- phyllis birnbaum enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted phyllis birnbaum brand quality
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## Description

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## Images

![Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy: The Story of Kawashima Yoshiko, the Cross-Dressing Spy Who Commanded Her Own Army (Asia Perspectives: History, Society, and Culture) Hardcover – Illustrated, April 7, 2015 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91-aL+he10L.jpg)
![Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy: The Story of Kawashima Yoshiko, the Cross-Dressing Spy Who Commanded Her Own Army (Asia Perspectives: History, Society, and Culture) Hardcover – Illustrated, April 7, 2015 - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51FMKBJOjnL.jpg)
![Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy: The Story of Kawashima Yoshiko, the Cross-Dressing Spy Who Commanded Her Own Army (Asia Perspectives: History, Society, and Culture) Hardcover – Illustrated, April 7, 2015 - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31ty3e-3i0L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    excellent story of the daughter of the last emperor of ...
  

*by Z***S on Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2015*

excellent story of the daughter of the last emperor of Manchu, China . And her exploits in China and Japan.  Zona Roberts

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    The Audacious Princess/Spy
  

*by D***M on Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2015*

Manchu  Princess, Japanese Spy by Phyllis Birnbaum.As an American reader who was totally unfamiliar with the life of Kawashima Yoshiko, I found the story of this real-but-legendary woman, jaw-droppingly incredible.  Already of only elementary school age Yoshiko drew great attention to herself for her outlandish behavior, especially in conservative Japan. She rode a horse to school, dressed and talked as a man, spoke up to adults like equals (she was a Chinese princess, after all); andby her mid twenties she had lovers—male (who were high-up in the power structure of Japan), and likely female as well. She seems to have been a spy, either for Japan or China, or both; she was an aviator, a dancer, a restaurateur, and the model for the (somewhat) fictionalized character in a very  popular Japanese book of 1933, The Beauty in Men's Clothing.  And, oh, did I say she was also the commander of an army that was involved in the Battle of Rehe in 1932? (The early 1930s were really big years for her).  Besides all of this she had a lust and knack for publicity—the Japanese public devoured every tidbit they could find about her, and there was lots in the newspapers. In short, the myth grew much greater than the woman and she became like contemporary media personalities of today who are famous for being famous.All of the foregoing is to inform the reader what Phyllis Birnbaum was up against in presenting a credible account of this utterly unbelievable character. I would think the task similar to trying to figure out the facts in a murder mystery—what really happened and what didn't.  Birnbaum took an approach similar to a particular style of movie or television documentary (think Grey Gardens). She does not tell the story chronologically.  Facts regarding Yoshiko's early life are mixed together with later facts, and material that is only hearsay or has obscure sources appears on the same pages with information stemming from direct interviews between Birnbaum and the very few remaining relatives who directly knew the Manchu princess.  What was real, what was myth?  Gradually by presenting the various story fragments, one by one, and out of sequential order, a structure of the whole life of a picaresque character emerges, whether all the details are true or not.  Birrnbaum's account suggests the truth, but doesn’t insist on it. She rigorously quotes her sources and has opinions on their reliability. Nevertheless, she leaves it to the rational, thinking reader to sift through "facts" along with her to construct a plausible persona that fits historical reality. Even accepting a minimal amount of information as factual, the old adage that "truth is stranger than fiction" certainly fits a description of this Manchu princess who was also a Japanese spy.  But besides being an amazing biography, those unfamiliar with Sino-Japanese relations of the 1930s-40s will also find Birnbaum's book an interesting an illuminating read.

### ⭐⭐⭐ 3.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    And forever a mystery she remained
  

*by D***N on Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2024*

The narrative reads well and I like the fact that she resisted the misapplications  queerness onto Yoshiko like many academics did in their queering of Walt Whitman.Nevertheless this linear and sweeping narrative avoids complications by focusing to much on Yoshiko's associates and family members. There's so much lacking that the author flip flops on Yoshiko's narratives / lies to the point that it appears she wants to erect a nice and tidy picture of a sordid past - abuse, trauma, dislocation, sexual promiscuity, gender confusion, etc. - to make some sort of sense of this early 20th century enigma.Expectedly, the Last Emperor (1987) is mentioned as a catalyst to reopen curiosities about Yoshiko - mainly to Western mind's- however she overlooks the many Chinese and Euro-American popular works re-igniting her legend that have came before and since - the biopic starring Hong Kong actress Anita Mui comes to mind.  The authors use of mainly Japanese sources reveals a thinly veiled agenda of sorts to present an official narrative - a narrative that would satisfy Japanese and American audiences that strip Japanese of agency - although in this case we have a complicated Pacifist.  But why bother? The narrative simply writes her off as a lying burdensome, scheming anomaly!Enjoyed the read, but longed for more info on Yoshiko. Why did she open a Chinese restaurant? How did she procure Opium? How was she injured by an airplane propeller? How did she become such a jet setter? The book left so many unanswered questions that I feel compelled to read the fictitious novels regarding her exploits as they would be more entertaining.

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*Product available on Desertcart Ireland*
*Store origin: IE*
*Last updated: 2026-03-13*