Taiwan: A History of Agonies was a guiding light in the hearts of intellectuals in Taiwan in the dark days under martial law with no trace of freedom of speech. No sooner had the original version in Japanese been published in the 60’s than it won a resounding support in Taiwan. The book was often torn into separate pages to be circulated among as many Taiwanese readers as possible. Every Taiwanese devoured the contents with tears in their eyes—an evidence of how the Taiwanese were moved by every word in the book.

《台灣：苦悶的歷史》曾是禁忌時期台灣知識份子心中的曙光。日文版出版於一九六○年代，刊印後立刻獲得海外讀者的共鳴，甚至為了讓更多的台灣人閱讀，把它拆散輪流看，大家「一面哭一面讀」，可見其感人之處。

In the 70’s a Chinese version was published with Dr. Ong Iok-tek himself supplementing to enrich the contents. The book is still widely read among young people in Taiwan and continues inspiring them.

一九七○年代中文版同樣問世於日本，王育德博士親自補寫，使本書內容更加充實。本書歷久彌新，至今依舊廣泛啟發台灣的年輕一代。

The book describes precisely the tread of Taiwan’s 400-year history, deeply analyzes features and phenomena in each era and eloquently adduces the legitimacy of Taiwan’s independence. The author rightly expounds: “The history of the Taiwanese is the process of their efforts in pursuit of freedom and happiness.”

本書清晰陳述台灣四百年歷史軌跡，深入分析各時代的特色與現象，同時對台灣獨立提出有力的論證。作者精確地說明：「所謂台灣人歷史，就是台灣人在追求自己的自由和幸福而奮鬥的過程。」

This is undoubtedly a masterpiece on the study of Taiwan the author had put his life in. The book not only expels undue fogs in the history of Taiwan and presents yet a fresh vista for a new history.

這本書是作者以生命為賭注，完成的台灣研究的名著，不但為讀者破除了舊的歷史迷霧，並提供新的歷史視野。

This long-awaited English version will be the foundation stone on which for the peoples of the world will deepen their understanding of the Taiwan affairs and the Taiwan-China relations.

這本期待已久的英文譯本，將為世界各地想深入理解台灣事務與台灣、中國關係的人們，提供堅實的基礎。

作者簡介：

Author
Ong Iok-tek (1924-1985)

PhD in Literature (Tokyo University)
Professor of Meiji University, Department of Commerce
Instructor in many Universities, e.g. Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Founder of Taiwan Youth (forerunner of WUFI)
Secretary-General of Council for Implementing Compensation for Ex-Japanese Soldiers of Taiwanese Ancestry

1924 Born in Tainan, Taiwan
1942 Graduated from Taihoku High School
1943 Entered Tokyo Imperial University, Faculty of Literature, Department of Chinese Philosophy/Literature (支那哲文学)
1944 Evacuated to Taiwan, served in City Office, Chia-yi
1945 Theatrical activities while teaching at Tainan First High School
1947 January, Got married
February, 228 Incident; his elder brother Ong Iok-lim who was a prosecutor was killed by KMT government
1949 Took refuge in Japan
1950 Re-entered Tokyo University
1960 Completed graduate studies at Post-Graduate School, Tokyo University
Founded Taiwan Youth (台湾青年社), inaugurated its monthly organ Taiwan Youth (《台湾青年》); devoted much of his time to Taiwan independence movement since then
1975 Founded Council for Implementing Compensation for Ex-Japanese Soldiers of Taiwanese Ancestry; appointed Secretary-General of the council and actively worked toward resolving this problem
1985 September 9, Deceased of myocardial infarction

Publications:
Taiwanese Common Vocabulary (Tokyo, Eiwagogaku-sha, 1957)
Taiwan: A History of Agonies (Tokyo, Kobundo, 1964)
First Step to Taiwanese (Tokyo, Furinshobo, 1972)
Elementary Taiwanese (Tokyo, Nichu-shuppan, 1983)
Taiwan Strait (Tokyo, Nichu-shuppann, 1983)
A Historical Study of Taiwanese (Tokyo, Daiichi-shobo, 1987)
The Complete Works of Ong Iok-tek (in 15 volumes)
A Taiwanese Youth Who Lived Showa (Tokyo, Soshisha, 2011)
Ong Iok-tek’s Seminar of Taiwanese (Tokyo, Toho-shotenn)

And numerous theses on Taiwan problem, linguistics and more.

Editor
Ong Meiri
Chairwoman of World United Formosans for Independence (WUFI) Japan
Director of the Friends of Lee Teng-Hui Association in Japan
Member of the Japan Poets Club

1954 Born in Tokyo
1977 Graduated from Keio University, Faculty of Literature, Department of English/American Literature
1985～ Engaged in cataloging and publication of manuscripts of father, Ong Iok-tek, after his departure in 1985
2011～　Chairwoman, WUFI Japan

Publications:
・Collections of Poems:
　Hikidashiga Ippai (Drawers Full of XXXX) (Tokyo, Soshisha, 2003)
　Sunflowers in Homeland (Taiwan, Yu Shan-she, 2015)

・Editing:
The Complete Works of Ong Iok-tek (15 volumes) (Taipei, Ch’ien Wei-ch’u-pan, 2002)
　A Taiwanese Youth Who Lived Showa (Tokyo, Soshisha, 2011)

・Translation:
　Rethinking “One China” edited by John J. Tkacik, Jr. (Tokyo, Soshisha, 2005)

Translator
Shimamura Yasuharu

1935 Born in Tokyo

Education:
1953 Graduated from Saitama Prefectural Urawa High School
1955 Boise Junior College (latter-day Boise State University), Boise, Idaho, U.S.A. (English, music) A.A.
1957 University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A. (English, music) B.M.
1960 Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, L.A., California

Profession:
1953-55 Lecturer, Kano Junior High School (alma mater), English and History
1965 Japan Cultural Forum, Japanese leg of the Congress for Cultural Freedom, Paris, and de facto publisher of its Japanese-language organ Jiyu (Freedom)
1972 Royal Norwegian Embassy, chancellor/senior translator

Field of Work:
Apart from creative endeavor in music, engaged exclusively in bilingual translation on all subjects over two decades of foreign service.

Now at the age of Umbrella, or having attained eighty years of age, fully retired into a country life with abundant time for meditation and writing—and for occasional welcome commissions such as Taiwan: A History of Agonies.