Product Description

The centuries-long complexity of China's political experience, the richness of its culture, and the drama of its economic unfolding are the hallmarks of this short but sweeping history. China's own history is entwined with its response to the West in a rich tapestry depicting its peoples, rulers, and society. More than a nuanced history of a vast continent, this study is sensitive to the multifaceted and changing interpretations of China that have been offered over the years.

In this overarching book, J. A. G. Roberts refers to recent archeological finds--the caches of bronze vessels found at Sanxingdui--and to new documentary reevaluations--the reassessment of Manchu documentation. The first half of the book provides an up-to-date interpretation of China's early and imperial history, while the second half concentrates on the modern period and provides an interpretive account of major developments--the impact of Western imperialism, the rise of Chinese Communism, and the record of the People's Republic of China since 1949.

Concise and direct, this book is a compelling narrative and handy companion for those interested in China.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1378826 in Books
• Published on: 1999-12-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

From Amazon.com
This compact and accessible book successfully condenses four millennia of Chinese history into 300 pages. J.A.G. Roberts of Huddersfield University leads the reader through the chronological framework, adding sufficient detail and anecdote to provide color and texture. His writing is clear and punchy: every sentence counts. The index is thoughtful, the book's 10 maps helpful. Though the emphasis is on political history, economic and social developments are also described; for example, the introduction of a strain of rice from central Vietnam that allowed a significant expansion in population under the Song. The first half of the book takes the story to the beginning of the 19th century; the second half analyzes the modern period in more detail (this is probably a useful division for most readers, though a Chinese historian would have laid more equal emphasis on each dynastic period). The author has incorporated the latest scholarship, such as changing views on the status of women during the Song--their freedoms were not as restricted as was once thought. He uses newly translated Manchu sources to show that Qing successes owed as much to the dynasty's non-Han characteristics as to sinicization--a reversal of conventional wisdom--and approaches the dynamics of China's response to the West from a more Chinese viewpoint than is usual. A Concise History of China is an up-to-date and extremely useful introduction to a highly complex subject. --John Stevenson

From Publishers Weekly
Capturing the full sweep of China's tormented history, this succinct yet highly informative chronicle skillfully incorporates the latest research, whether the topic is China's vast, cosmopolitan eighth-century cities of the Tang empire, the widespread practice of female infanticide during the Ming period (especially the 15th century), China's failure to industrialize in the 18th century, or the rivalry between Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping following the disaster of the Great Leap Forward, when Mao found himself increasingly excluded from power. In the ancient battle of Confucianists, who called for ethical, benevolent rule, versus Legalists, who put the state's interests first, the lineaments of the power struggles that have convulsed modern China become visible. Along the way, British historian Roberts, the author of four other books on China, continually challenges received opinions and conventional interpretations. He rejects, for instance, the traditional verdict that Mongol rule over China was an unmitigated catastrophe; the Mongols were in some ways more humane and less ideologically restrictive than their Song dynasty predecessors, he opines. While much of the narrative centers on rebellions, politics and the rise and fall of dynasties and empires, Roberts keeps up the momentum with shrewd assessments of personalities and events, colorful incidents and interludes covering artistic as well as religious and intellectual developments. He provides a handy compass for understanding China's headlong economic modernization, its crushing of the democracy movement and the current deadlock between reformers and conservatives. Maps.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
This literate, well-balanced general history of China from the earliest times through the death of Deng Xiaoping in 1997 is a singular accomplishment. In the first three chapters, Roberts (history, Univ. of Huddersfield, England) covers China from pre-history through the Yuan dynasty; in the last four, he carries the story from the Ming through the post-Mao reforms. His focus is on political history, but social, economic, and intellectual trends are not neglected. The very few errors are concentrated in the last chapter on post-1949 China, perhaps a period the author knows less well. Throughout, Roberts cites different interpretations of key historical issues, including the most recent scholarship, thereby conveying a sense of Chinese history as a dynamic, evolving field. An excellent textbook for intelligent undergraduates, this is also accessible to general readers and belongs in all college and larger public libraries.
-Steven I. Levine, Univ. of Montana, Missoula
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.