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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
i haven't even finished this yet but it's amazing so far. A+++++ spence is also a phenomenal lecturer.
A sprawling, expansive retelling of China's history from the late Ming to the verge of the new millenium, Spence has created THE text on China. It is an essential reading for anyone wishing to trace the path that China has taken, from enormous social upheavals, clashes with domestic and foreign powers, and the struggle to modernize a country so long kept under the thumb of imperialism.
Spence's efforts include frequent interspersing of anecdotes, popular accounts, and reflections not just from the Qing bureaucracy, Guomindang leaders, or Maoist cadres, but from the vast base of those outside of that framework that demonstrate the tensions inherent to state power and the people. Though covering a broad swathe of Chinese history, it is only rarely a struggle to continue reading due to the dryness of the economic situations or immense tabulatory charts and figures. Spence's deft hand manages to make even these interesting, however, in detailing the missteps and the successes of all those involved.
For those with a baseline understanding of modern Chinese history, Spence's text will be invaluable to expanding that field of knowledge and cannot be recommended enough.
Spence's efforts include frequent interspersing of anecdotes, popular accounts, and reflections not just from the Qing bureaucracy, Guomindang leaders, or Maoist cadres, but from the vast base of those outside of that framework that demonstrate the tensions inherent to state power and the people. Though covering a broad swathe of Chinese history, it is only rarely a struggle to continue reading due to the dryness of the economic situations or immense tabulatory charts and figures. Spence's deft hand manages to make even these interesting, however, in detailing the missteps and the successes of all those involved.
For those with a baseline understanding of modern Chinese history, Spence's text will be invaluable to expanding that field of knowledge and cannot be recommended enough.
I really, really, really wish I had read this book instead of listening to it. The content was excellent, but the narration was easily the worst I have experienced in my 3+ years with audible. It was just horrible.
But anyway, this is a book review. If you are able to get a written copy of Spence's work, I would strongly recommend it. He works through Chinese history starting about 500 years back and moving forward with ever more detail right up to the consequences of Tiananmen Square in '89 with a hopeful look at what that might foretell for the future. I would really love a follow-up book covering the last 30 years, but for what it is, this book is excellent. At least, I am pretty sure it is. The narrator I was listening to botched and blundered his way through so many places and names that it distracted from the facts.
Where this book is the strongest is in the time period from the fall of the Qing Dynasty up to the early years of Communist China. Between the two world wars, the warlords, the KMT, and the rise and ultimate triumph of the CCP... there is a lot to cover, many times multiple seemingly contradicting things happening simultaneously. And yet Spence brings a clarity to it as well as anyone can in as short of a work as this is. If you are all interested in China or its impact on the world over this past century, this should be the first place you go.
Just make sure you read it and don't get Fredrick Davidson's horrible narration from Audible.
But anyway, this is a book review. If you are able to get a written copy of Spence's work, I would strongly recommend it. He works through Chinese history starting about 500 years back and moving forward with ever more detail right up to the consequences of Tiananmen Square in '89 with a hopeful look at what that might foretell for the future. I would really love a follow-up book covering the last 30 years, but for what it is, this book is excellent. At least, I am pretty sure it is. The narrator I was listening to botched and blundered his way through so many places and names that it distracted from the facts.
Where this book is the strongest is in the time period from the fall of the Qing Dynasty up to the early years of Communist China. Between the two world wars, the warlords, the KMT, and the rise and ultimate triumph of the CCP... there is a lot to cover, many times multiple seemingly contradicting things happening simultaneously. And yet Spence brings a clarity to it as well as anyone can in as short of a work as this is. If you are all interested in China or its impact on the world over this past century, this should be the first place you go.
Just make sure you read it and don't get Fredrick Davidson's horrible narration from Audible.
A concise (even at 800 pages) overview of Chinese history from the end of the Ming Dynasty in the 17th century to the 1989 demonstrations. It is an excellent introduction into modern Chinese history particularly because it is given in a Chinese context and is not Eurocentric. While I would have enjoyed more coverage of certain topics, such as the Boxer Rebellion and the Cultural Revolution, Spence manages to cover a lot of detail in a highly readable manner.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
This comprehensively taught me Chinese history back in the late 90s.