Xu Zhuoyun, a great historian, uses his grand historian's vision and emotional language to describe for us the historical context and the ups and downs of Taiwan over the past four hundred years: starting from the Age of Discovery in the 16th century, Taiwan experienced the Dutch colonization, the Zheng Group, the Qing Dynasty The rule of the government, Japanese colonialism and the Kuomintang regime has never been freed from the entanglement of local, continental and global factors. He analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of Taiwan's development from the aspects of geographical environment, political economy, humanities and society, and cross-strait relations, and expressed the concerns and expectations of a generation of scholars for the future of both sides of the Taiwan Strait. "This book is not an information book, but a book about the spirit and predicament of Taiwanese people today." Unlike Xu Zhuoyun's other historical writings, what he states in this book is not others, but himself. This book can be described as a "passionate work" written by a 94-year-old man to compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
史学大家许倬云以恢宏的史家视野与饱含情感的语言，为我们描绘了四百年来台湾的历史脉络和荣辱浮沉：从16世纪的大航海时代开始，台湾经历了荷兰殖民、郑氏集团、清政府、日本殖民和国民党政权的统治，始终未曾摆脱本土、大陆和世界三层因素的纠缠。他从地理环境、政治经济、人文社会、两岸关系等方面，分析台湾发展的优势和缺失，表达了一代学人对海峡两岸未来的忧思与期盼。“本书不是一部资料书，而是一部关于台湾人今天的精神与困境的书。”不同于许倬云的其他历史写作，他在本书中陈述的不是别人，而是自己。本书可谓是一部94岁老人写给两岸同胞的“热忱之作”。
史学大家许倬云以恢宏的史家视野与饱含情感的语言，为我们描绘了四百年来台湾的历史脉络和荣辱浮沉：从16世纪的大航海时代开始，台湾经历了荷兰殖民、郑氏集团、清政府、日本殖民和国民党政权的统治，始终未曾摆脱本土、大陆和世界三层因素的纠缠。他从地理环境、政治经济、人文社会、两岸关系等方面，分析台湾发展的优势和缺失，表达了一代学人对海峡两岸未来的忧思与期盼。“本书不是一部资料书，而是一部关于台湾人今天的精神与困境的书。”不同于许倬云的其他历史写作，他在本书中陈述的不是别人，而是自己。本书可谓是一部94岁老人写给两岸同胞的“热忱之作”。
