Probably mostly true
Chinese boxing lends itself to stories that are, well, perhaps not entirely true. If at all. Mr. Smith himself likes a good apocryphal story but has the good sense to change his name when he really tells some whoppers. In this book, he is very restrained, giving us the benefit of his long experience in 1960's Taiwan while including only the occasional bit that would be better saved for a flying swordman novel. But that's okay; I enjoy those bits too.

Pretty good
The book is o.k. I guess. It is quite interesting although a bit superficial. The biggest regret is that the author concentrates his studies almost exclusively on internal northern systems, mostly Hsing I, Bagua and Tai Chi. Apart from that, it's quite an entertaining book if you are interested in the subject of Chinese martial arts masters.

Superb
The author, a US government employee, arrived in Taiwan when that nation's government was extremely grateful to the US. He was given introductions to many of the leading Chinese martial artists of the time, and took up every one -- adding what they had to teach him to what he had learned earlier in the US and during a posting in Japan. Virtually all of the masters he describes in the book are dead and no longer available for interview. His accounts of what he saw, heard and experienced can never be matched, and Asian principles of loyalty to a single master mean that nobody other than he was able to study as widely from the leading teachers of the day. The more you learn personally about Chinese boxing, the better this book shows itself to be. For those on the first steps of this study, the book's a profound inspiration.

Biased and arrogant!
Once I finished reading this book, Robert W Smith made a really terrible impression as both an individual, a writer and a martial artist. He writes and communicates in an arrogant and conceted manner. However his book on Baguazhang was a lot better. This book is a waste of money, though you will find out what one American thinks, if that is what you want. His attitudes about chinese martial arts on Taiwan and on China are biased. He just seems to really dislike China.

For those who want to learn more
Mr. Smiths book has been around for quite sometime now however, with the current popularity of Chinese Boxing in AMerica and much of the mystic that surrounds many of those who teach it. THis book presents in a very clear light just who the traditional CHinese Boxing MAsters really were and just exactly what their views were and are on the study of CHinese Boxing. Smith is impressed by the subjects of his book, and rightly so, however he dosen't become so engrossed with them that he falls prey to the depths of mysticisim. His observations are informative, educational and at times down right funny. This is far from a how to learn Tai Chi book, it is however a very educational read on true Chinese Boxing,