本書以二二八事件的歷史真相與轉型正義為主軸，涵蓋二二八事件的原因論述、國際社會在事件前後對於台灣地位的認識、縣市首長與情治單位在事件中的角色、事件中的軍事部署與鎮壓、事件對於台灣新聞媒體造成的衝擊、平反運動的歷史考察以及歷任總統對於轉型正義的作為等面向，除了導論之外，共有八章。這本專書是繼A Tragic Beginning: The Taiwan Uprising of February 28, 1947（中文版書名：《悲劇性的開端》）一書出版時隔三十年後，第二本二二八事件英文學術專書，更是第一本由財團法人二二八事件紀念基金會策劃、台灣本土學者戮力完成的二二八事件英文學術專書。這本書的出版將是二二八研究走向國際的新里程碑，亦有助於提高財團法人二二八事件紀念基金會的國際能見度，進而邁開步伐化身為二二八研究的國際重鎮。
The Tragedy of 228: Historical Truth and Transitional Justice in Taiwan, published by The Memorial Foundation of 228, is the first academic volume on the 228 Incident published in English in over three decades, since the 1991 publication of A Tragic Beginning: The Taiwan Uprising of February 28, 1947.

The book explores eight different aspects of the 228 Incident in its main chapters: “What Caused the Incident: A Comparison of Government and Citizen Accounts from 1947, ” “International Perspectives on the Legal Status of Taiwan during and after the Incident, ” “Military Deployment and Suppression during the Incident, ” “Taiwan's News Media under the Impact of the Incident, ” “The Roles of Local Government Heads during the Incident, ” “The Roles of Intelligence Agencies during the Incident, ” “Historical Explorations of the Campaign to Redress Injustices of the Incident (1987-1997), ” and “Presidential Attitudes towards the Movement for Transitional Justice (1988-2019).”

Through the publication of this book, the Memorial Foundation of 228 sets a new milestone in the study of 228 Incident, by pursuing the principles of transitional justice through academic inquiry. In addition, the book makes a significant contribution to the international academic community in the field of Modern Taiwanese History.