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The Stone of Heaven: Unearthing the Secret History of Imperial Green Jade
A riveting, entertaining, and richly detailed nonfiction narrative in the spirit of The Orchid Thief, Longitude and Nathaniel's Nutmeg, this is the first book ever written about Imperial Green Jade -- the rare and beautiful stone more precious than diamonds. Journalists Levy and Scott-Clark risked their lives to reach the remote "Lost Valley of Capelan" in Burma, where jadeite is still being mined. They tell a tragic story about miners held there, dying in horrifying numbers of AIDS, because they have been paid in the form of heroin. They weave this shocking contemporary story with the mythology and obsessive secret history of this unusual gem -- going back to the Burmese Court.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Adrian Levy
14 books50 followersAdrian Levy is a journalist and film maker who currently writes for The Guardian. Specializing in long-form investigative work, his pieces most often filed from Asia are published in The Guardian's Weekend magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 3, 2008
The first part of the book is a history of Imperial Jade, and it reads like a fantasy epic. But the authors are investigative journalists, and the book finishes with their undercover exploration of the secretive jade mines in Burma. They reveal a chilling underbelly of the gem trade that uses heroin and AIDS to pacify a virtual slave labor force that makes Blood Diamonds almost seem wholesome. But somehow, I was still left with a fascination for the rare green gem that would tempt to buy more if I could afford it, even knowing how it props up the repressive regime in Burma.
January 4, 2011
Fascinating history, but the authors really needed a good editor. The first and last sections of the book were amazing, great history, exciting stories of sneaking into Burma. The middle bit was the problem for me. Chapter after chapter of socialites buying and selling jewelery got very old very fast. Levy and Scott-Clark are fantastic reporters who are at their best in long-form journalism, not so much in writing books.
December 8, 2012
Levy and Scott-Clark are excellent story tellers, and do they ever have a story to tell. Tracing the history of imperial green jade, or jadeite, they begin in the late 18th century with Chinese emperor Qianlong and 400 rivetting pages later end in present day Myanmar. Along the way the reader is exposed to the unrestrained profligacy of the Chinese emperors and the equally unrestrained ignorance and arrogance of the British colonialists. There is scheming and plots within plots as players in the Chinese dynasties kill their own progeny to ensure a malleable emperor will succeed. The plundering by the British of the old Imperial summer palace is shocking, and the primitive warfare of the Kachin in Burma is horrifying. Levy and Scott-Clark's descriptions put the reader right into the midst of the action: the writing is so effective that you can feel the clinging humidity of the Burmese jungle as 19th century British explorers plod along in search for the mines from whence the jadeite is extracted.
Also of tremendous interest were the passages about the Dowager Empress Cixi. If all you know about the last emperor Pu Yi is from the wonderful movie "The Last Emperor," this book will help round out some of the events and issues driving the Pu Yi story along that were alluded to in the movie. Besides, the movie's only allusion to Cixi is in the very beginning when the toddler Pu Yi is brought to the Forbidden City. Levy and Scott-Clark reveal to the reader from where Cixi came and how her desire for the jadeite was often at the core of her political machinations.
And then there are the final chapters that reveal a scenario so horrifying, so shocking that even the surrealistic visions of Francis Ford Coppola in "Apocolypse Now" cannot compare.
This is definitely the best book I've read so far this year, and probably the best book I've read in the past five years. After reading this book you will not be able to look at another piece of jadeite, no matter how beautiful, and not whince because now you know the stone's infamous history.
Also of tremendous interest were the passages about the Dowager Empress Cixi. If all you know about the last emperor Pu Yi is from the wonderful movie "The Last Emperor," this book will help round out some of the events and issues driving the Pu Yi story along that were alluded to in the movie. Besides, the movie's only allusion to Cixi is in the very beginning when the toddler Pu Yi is brought to the Forbidden City. Levy and Scott-Clark reveal to the reader from where Cixi came and how her desire for the jadeite was often at the core of her political machinations.
And then there are the final chapters that reveal a scenario so horrifying, so shocking that even the surrealistic visions of Francis Ford Coppola in "Apocolypse Now" cannot compare.
This is definitely the best book I've read so far this year, and probably the best book I've read in the past five years. After reading this book you will not be able to look at another piece of jadeite, no matter how beautiful, and not whince because now you know the stone's infamous history.
March 19, 2008
"The Imperial Green, also known as jadeite, is rare; worth more, carat for carat, than diamonds, or rubies. Not to be confused with common opaque jade, jadeite has an astonishing green hue, more brilliant and translucent than emeralds." The source of the stone in Burma was kept secret for hundreds of years. Chinese emperors coveted and collected the stone. Almost all the collection was lost when the Forbidden City was sacked, first by the relieving troops following the Boxer Rebellion, then by the European Diplomatic Corps, then by the Chinese. A jadeite necklace sold for "almost 19 million dollars at an auction in Hong Kong".
The book describes the politics of Burma, the Chinese emperors and empresses, the establishment, Chiang and Madame Chiang Kai Shek. (Chiang was a gangster.), the "poor little rich girls" - Barbara Hutton according to her cousin Jimmy Donohue was "the best cock sucker I've ever known") I wonder if she was better than Monica Lewinsky, but this is like trying to determine if Joe Louis could hit harder than Ali. You had to be hit to judge.
The book describes the politics of Burma, the Chinese emperors and empresses, the establishment, Chiang and Madame Chiang Kai Shek. (Chiang was a gangster.), the "poor little rich girls" - Barbara Hutton according to her cousin Jimmy Donohue was "the best cock sucker I've ever known") I wonder if she was better than Monica Lewinsky, but this is like trying to determine if Joe Louis could hit harder than Ali. You had to be hit to judge.
January 6, 2011
The story is facinating, but the book jumps around alot between different timeperiods and after awhile keeping it all straight become tiresome (given that I am not a scholar of Chinese history). I read about 4/5 of the book; I don't regret what I read, but I also don't regret not finishing it.
November 2, 2021
Absolutely amazing. This book covers so much history, culture, myth and adventure that it was hard to get through quickly but boy, was it worth it. I learned so much about Chinese and Myanmar history in such stunning (and salacious!) detail! The mining trip to Myanmar was devastating but gruesomely educational. The plunder, theft and ransacking of Yuan Ming Yuan, Imperial tombs and the Forbidden Palace are described all with bitter accuracy.
Two quick corrections I have:
-shang you tian tang, xia you Su Hang = translated inaccurately because they forgot to include Hangzhou alongside mention of Suzhou.
-"fu-jen" is actually "fu-ren"
I really appreciated the note at the beginning where the authors differentiated between writing down Chinese into pinyin, Wade-Giles and Cantonese just to cover their bases.
My only critique is that the sources of their information were from shopkeepers, merchants, businessmen rather than scholars, historians, professors.
Two quick corrections I have:
-shang you tian tang, xia you Su Hang = translated inaccurately because they forgot to include Hangzhou alongside mention of Suzhou.
-"fu-jen" is actually "fu-ren"
I really appreciated the note at the beginning where the authors differentiated between writing down Chinese into pinyin, Wade-Giles and Cantonese just to cover their bases.
My only critique is that the sources of their information were from shopkeepers, merchants, businessmen rather than scholars, historians, professors.
May 5, 2017
An amazing and eye-opening story of the history of jade and how it has shaped history. It begins with the greed of Chinese royalty, and careens through Burmese and Chinese history, ultimately exposing the foul techniques used to extract it so that the super rich can show off to their friends. At times funny, at times horrific, and always brimming with a sense of outrage, this is a well-written tale that will reshape your perception of 'The Stone of Heaven'.
May 19, 2019
もっとミャンマーについて習いたいならこちらはとてもいいと思う。大切なジェイドの歴史について話だ！だけどエンディングは最新の歴史だからもっと面白かったと思う。本当におすすめだよ！！
If you want to learn more about Myanmar, I think this is a great book. It's about the important history of Jade. However, the ending was more interesting because it was more recent history. I really recommend this book!!
If you want to learn more about Myanmar, I think this is a great book. It's about the important history of Jade. However, the ending was more interesting because it was more recent history. I really recommend this book!!
August 11, 2016
This is more of a historical narrative of people wearing jade than a story about jade itself. The first part of the book focuses on the people who have worn jade throughout the centuries. It was well-researched and serves as a great introduction to jade's importance in Chinese culture.
Too bad then that the middle portion of the book degenerates into a sensationalistic and gossipy account of Shanghai's (now dead) rich folk's lust for jade. For many people reading in this genre- this part turns into a bit of a slog. Just as I was losing interest- the book redeems itself with an outstanding transition to an investigative report on jade mining conditions in Burma. What they found there is one of the most disturbing gem mining stories I've ever come across. Sadly, over a decade later, it seems that the mining conditions haven't improved whatsoever. Overall, a very good and still relevant read.
Too bad then that the middle portion of the book degenerates into a sensationalistic and gossipy account of Shanghai's (now dead) rich folk's lust for jade. For many people reading in this genre- this part turns into a bit of a slog. Just as I was losing interest- the book redeems itself with an outstanding transition to an investigative report on jade mining conditions in Burma. What they found there is one of the most disturbing gem mining stories I've ever come across. Sadly, over a decade later, it seems that the mining conditions haven't improved whatsoever. Overall, a very good and still relevant read.
July 24, 2013
Quite unexpected. Mostly a history of China, Burma and Britain and the obsession with imperial green jade (not to be confused with plain old jade, this comes only from one area of remote Burma). Also a sad and sorry history of the Chinese and Burmese empires and their inability to withstand European colonialism and to adapt to changing societies. The stories of the Empires and Europeans obsession with jade (up until the present, including Barbara Hutton, Madame Chian Kai Chek, etc.) are fascinating. The rest of the book is the story of the authors’ attempts to get to those remote jade mines and the tragic scenes they find when they do get there. All in all, a good, surprising book.
April 27, 2009
I first read some of this book in its earlier form as a magazine article when I was a child. Now expanded upon to give a full history of Jade and its origins of mining and the effect its had on history it is well worth spending the time to read. It also gives a better understanding as to some less than ethical origins in Burma and the treatment of miners there - a situation that sparked the original article and is an issue that I am sure has not yet ended.
February 5, 2011
There are few if any heroes in this history of Chinese imperial jade. This beautiful stone seems to bring out the worst traits in humans and society.
I generally don’t like it when an historian (in this case a journalist) breaks the fourth wall and talks about the process of writing the book I’m reading, but in this case it works. Their journey to discover the past eventually leads to the modern day mines in Myanmar. Chilling.
I generally don’t like it when an historian (in this case a journalist) breaks the fourth wall and talks about the process of writing the book I’m reading, but in this case it works. Their journey to discover the past eventually leads to the modern day mines in Myanmar. Chilling.
January 4, 2012
An interesting story, but a little dense and meandering. Wasn't quite the subject matter I was expecting. And the authors' inability to pick a Chinese romanizing system and consistently stick with it was very annoying.
April 8, 2016
Fascinating book and story. Wow. Highly recommended. I read this back when it was first published but am only now writing a review, as a friend of mine who worked in China told me about the jade market there. HIGHLY recommended.
November 8, 2016
Investigative journalism on a fascinating topic (an emperor's obsession with a precious stone) plus lyrical, dramatic prose make this book a captivating read. I had never gotten so swept away by a nonfiction story until this book.
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August 2, 2015IF YOU CAN GET IT CHEAP THIS IS A REALLY FASCINATING BOOK. IT'S A FEW YEARS OUT OF DATE REGARDING SOME CURRENT INTERNATIONAL CONFLICTS BUT I STILL REALLY LIKE IT.
December 30, 2016
amazing, thorough, much of it the stuff of fantasy to take your breath away and yet there were real people who really did these things, and of course the stone is very real
June 15, 2008
Wow! This takes investigative journalism to a new level! I highly recommend this!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews