European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Legacies a chinese mosaic by Bette Bao lord Alfred a. Knopf 245 pp., $19.95 Geneva Collins a a Etc Bao lord author ambassador s wife once an emissary of american culture to her native China is now an emissary of the chinese people to America. The reason after the Tiana men Square massacre she Felt that no one could really speak for the feelings of the people. Her new Book Quot legacies a is a compilation of harrowing first person accounts of life in China Over the past five decades and longer a startling Eye opener for americans who have Little inkling of the events that led to the peking tragedy of a year ago. Lord Best known for her 1981 Best seller Quot Spring Moon a moved to the United states from Shanghai at age 8. She did t return to China until 1973 when she was 35, but returned frequently after that. Her last Bojum was not As writer but As wife of the . Ambassador to China Winston lord. He served in the Post from november 1985 to april 1989, and his plans to leave were made Long before the turbulent events of last Spring. The whole world was focused on China last May As soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev went to Beijing for a sino soviet Summit. A few weeks before he Yanbang former general Secretary of the communist party died and students had begun gathering in Tiana men Bette Bao lord Square to mourn his passing. Although her husband returned to the Una it de states in april lord stayed for another month covering the events As a consultant to an american television network. She left at the end of May along with hundreds of other journalists convinced that the Story was Over. The students in Tiana men Square who numbered 250,000 at one Point had dwindled to a few thousand. Most observers thought that in Light of recent reforms within the chinese government the standoff would soon be settled amicably. A few Days later the weekend of june 3-5, tens of thousands of troops moved in with. Tanks to Clear the Square by Force. By some estimates thousands of civilians were killed although the official toll was in the hundreds. Back in the United states lord immediately set to work writing the accounts of a score of chinese people who had told her their life stories in the months before she left the country. A the world had seen the millions that marched in the Square but they did not know them a lord says. A my Only Hope for the audience to remember the people was to have them come across As individuals rather than the sea of faces that you see on the television screen. A live always been impressed by How one remembers Anne Frank. Her account was so memorable because she was a person to us a not just a statistic not a Tattoo. She had a family she had an inner life. She did Normal things As  the stories told to lord were passed on in Clandestine interviews or recorded on tapes that were pressed into her Palms at diplomatic gatherings. They Are interspersed with lord s own observations and anecdotes. Except for her relatives no one is identified by name Onty by generic titles the scholar the Long Marcher the returned student the Petitioner. Lord talks guardedly when discussing the people behind the aliases. She said she knows the fates of most of the people in the Book because she is still Able to communicate with them although she wont discuss How. Lord like some of her storytellers is remarkably optimistic about China s future despite the recent crackdown which she says is part of a Cycle of repression that began with Chiang Kai Shek s bloody suppression in 1927. A i done to think this time it can Ever be pieced Back together again a she says of the current leaders attempts at repression. A they have destroyed their own myths. One of the legends of the Success of the communist party in China was that the communist soldiers would never shoot at their own people. This was one of its greatest rallying Points during its civil War. It was Basic to their credibility. A the humpty dumpty of ideology has fallen off the Wall. Quot associated press. The Book is available at stars and stripes bookstores. A former president Nixon Nixon a memoirs More of the same in the Arena a Memoir of Victory defeat and renewal by Richard Nixon Simon and schuster 384 pp., $21.95 Ron Mckinney 1 a a just in Case you did t catch former president Nixon a memoirs in any of his previous seven books it s available now in his latest sequel a in the  Nixon a eighth Book has been on and off the new York times Best seller list for the past several months. It offers everything you did no to want to know about Nixon and did no to want to ask a but that he is eager to Tell you anyway. You need t punish yourself with this Book if you re a Nixon fan or critic. The Book appears to be aimed toward the naive souls who know Nixon Only to be the president during a tumultuous period of americana. Vietnam. Watergate. China not that Nixon started the Vietnam conflict he claims not to have even been an advocate. But in his chapter on a speaking a Nixon gives himself credit for having the sense to prolong the fighting several years to gain an honorable peace. Nixon also praises himself for the Way he developed the drama for his nationally televised Vietnam speech on nov. 3,1969, in which he introduced the phrase a silent  he considers that speech which raised his approval rating with the american people by 11 Points one of the most effective of his political career. To read Nixon describe Vietnam it was As successful an operation As operation just cause in Panama and he gives himself the credit. That s of you get used to that in this Book. If you be Ever heard the former president accept full responsibility for watergate but admit no wrongdoing then this Book would be overkill. Nixon Calls watergate apart from its illegality a a tragedy of  the most intriguing elements of a in the Arena Quot Are Nixon a discussions of his relationships with Many of the world leaders including Winston Churchill Nikita Khrushchev Charles de Gaulle president Eisenhower and Chou in Lai to name but a few. Nixon is at his Best describing personal moments with the leaders who administrated world policy. But unfortunately most of the Book is devoted to filling Nixon a needs of self importance and bolstering his self esteem. Ron Mckinney is a stars and stripes reporter the Book is available at stars and stripes bookstores. Page 8 c sunday july 15, 1990