China's Imperial Past: An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture Review

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China's Imperial Past: An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture ReviewThis book is clearly written and covers competently a broad range of topics. The author follows a topical format (as opposed to a strictly chronological) and discusses in turn general political history, social and political structures, intellectual life, arts and literature. All are described fairly well, though the coverage of some personalities is sketchy perhaps because of space limitations. But the author is clearly very knowledge and provides an adequate amount of critical analysis (in addition to the merely descriptive) so that one doesn't lose sight of the bigger picture.China's Imperial Past: An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture Overview

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China's Tibet?: Autonomy or Assimilation Review

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China's Tibet: Autonomy or Assimilation ReviewI read Warren Smith's book with much interest. To my knowledge no
specific work has been published dealing with China's efforts to
assimilate Tibet and to rewrite Tibetan history to conform to this new
reality. The chapters laying out the historical background are impressively
thorough. It is quite evident that Smith's understanding of Tibetan
history is not only broad and objective, but is appreciative of the
Tibetan intellectual point of view.
Smith's coverage of the present Sino-Tibetan dialogue, and the lack of
any kind of development in this regard, is probably one of the most
dispassionate, critical and detailed accounts we have to date. This
alone will make the book worth reading for many students of Tibetan
affairs. Smith makes clear that not only is there no hope of "genuine
autonomy" for Tibet as the Dalai Lama has been advocating but that the
very idea of even a minimal autonomous status for Tibet was never one
that had ever been entertained with any degree of sincerity by Beijing,
even when the guarantee of autonomy was first undertaken by Chinese
leaders at the signing of the 17 Point Agreement in 1951. Smith
effectively underlines his contention with a hard-nosed exposition of
the doctrinal realities involved "The ultimate goal of
Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist-Maoist nationalities doctrine was not
autonomy, but assimilation. Autonomy in Marxist-Leninist theory and
practice was a temporary tactic intended to reduce minorities'
resistance to incorporation into Communist states."China's Tibet: Autonomy or Assimilation Overview

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Marketing Dictatorship: Propaganda and Thought Work in Contemporary China (Asia/Pacific/Perspectives) Review

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Marketing Dictatorship: Propaganda and Thought Work in Contemporary China (Asia/Pacific/Perspectives) ReviewThis book is a recent account of the China's state control of internal matters wider than just the news media, and extends to external relations. There is much detail on Internet controls, and uncovers the Central Propaganda Department.Marketing Dictatorship: Propaganda and Thought Work in Contemporary China (Asia/Pacific/Perspectives) Overview

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Xinjiang: China's Muslim Borderland (Studies of Central Asia and the Caucasus) Review

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Xinjiang: China's Muslim Borderland (Studies of Central Asia and the Caucasus) Review"Xinjiang: China's Muslim borderland." brings together 15 of the world's experts on Xinjiang, and the Muslim ethnic minorities that live there, and provides for a broad survey of a region of China's north-west that has been, for centuries, at the very crossroads of civilisations.
Contributors such as Dru Gladney, James Millward and Gardner Bovington, all renowned experts, introduce us to this magical, historical and extremely important area of China. An area that for reasons of economics and strategic importance, not to mention it's sheer size, comprising 1/6th of China's landmass, provides many challenges and opportunities for China, none more important than the challenges posed by, and for, the near majority Muslim population.
This book, written by academics, is easily accessible for the non academic and is a perfect overall introduction to Xinjiang and in particular the Uyghur Muslim people. It covers history, economics the environment, military considerations and important social issues, the latter the main reason for Xinjiang coming to the world's attention in the late 1980's
This book, first published in 2004 and unfortunately yet to be revised, was borne out of the world's need to understand Xinjiang especially as it concerns the Uyghur people and China's policy towards them. A policy that has resulted in many mass clashes leading to severe oppression, imprisonments, religious persecution, executions and death in "strike hard" programmes and Han in-migration as China attempts to Sinocise the region.
The book, being seven years old, obviously is dated in terms of statistical data provided but, that aside, the issues canvassed are no less relevant today as they were then.
If you read no other book on Xinjiang you will have a more than acceptable level of appreciation of this fantastic region and it's peoples. @ChinaLetter
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China (Kaleidoscope Kids Books (Williamson Publishing)) Review

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China (Kaleidoscope Kids Books (Williamson Publishing)) ReviewI bought this book to give as birthday presents for my goddaughter and a friend from her adoption group. Both girls were born in Hunan, China and I always like to get them presents that help them learn about and feel proud of their Chinese heritage. The book is full of interesting information and activities that I know they will enjoy. One caveat for anyone buying this as a gift for an adopted child -- there is a brief mention of China's one child policy, so you may want to discuss this with her parents to be sure they are prepared -- or choose -- to discuss this issue with their child!China (Kaleidoscope Kids Books (Williamson Publishing)) Overview

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China: A Macro History Review

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China: A Macro History ReviewRay Huang's "China: A Macro History" kept me up for a few nights in a row. Dr. Huang posed an extremely ambitious goal to explain fundamental differences of Western and Chinese civilizations, and to explore trends of Chinese government, military, cultural and religious institutions as they develop from legendary to modern times. The book is organized in chapters, each covering roughly a time span of the major dynasty of the Middle Kingdom. Concentration is more on trends (thus the title word "macro") then on events, more on developments of concepts rather then careers. People and events are represented inasmuch as they represent the underlining trend. As such every dynasty rise and eventual fall is represented, with credits due to each for the developments of Chinese nation. The institution of monarchy is a fascinating blend of ritual, unreal and fantastic, and idealistic, with an impressive organizational achievement in management of the country with the base of millions of agrarian households.
The only grievance I have with the book is that understandably enough Dr. Huang had to skip over a lot of material (or he would risk leaving us with yet another "The Decline and fall of the Roman Empire"); however in doing so he is rarely consistent, e.g. not explaining the elemental precepts of Confucianism, organization of Chinese army and bureaucracy; and fundamental principles behind state examinations. All those, however, can be gotten from other sources, and as such will tempt the reader to explore more.China: A Macro History Overview

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The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama Review

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The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama ReviewBear in mind that my background in Chinese and Tibetan history and politics is negligible. And that the fate of the Tibetan people is being considered. That said, this seemed at least a very readable account. I assume the historical facts in this book can be cross-checked for accuracy. As to Goldstein's analysis (done before 1998) of the future, he explored possibilities for compromise that, to date, seem not to have occurred. He also expresses concern about the possibility of further violence if an adequate compromise is not reached.
When looking into the Tibetan problem, I found primarily decidedly pro-Chinese or pro-Tibetan positions. Compromise may seem unreasonable. Since Goldstein appears to be trying to find a middle position, this book may be useful for anyone trying to get a less biased view of this issue. The presentation seemed clear enough that it could serve as an introduction to this issue, although it may well also be of use to readers with a more advanced background in this area. Goldstein seems to be primarily offering input and not conclusions, so whatever your position on the Tibet issue, this book may be informative.The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama Overview

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The Consumer Revolution in Urban China (Studies on China) Review

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The Consumer Revolution in Urban China (Studies on China) ReviewThere are some definite highs and lows in Deborah Davis' book (lows being the very first chapter on housing developments and an entire chapter devoted to greeting cards), but the book gives a very in-depth analysis of the effects rapid consumption in urban areas has had on the daily life of urban Chinese citizens. Davis selects essays that show changes in culture, like the essays regarding McDonald's, discos, and bowling. Davis even shows us consumption patterns in the more marginal cultures of China. For instance, there is an essay devoted to the Hui (an Islamic minority in China) wedding tradition. Since rapid consumption has happened in China, these Hui women are starting to wear more Western-style wedding dresses. These dresses greatly resemble the dresses we see everywhere in America, with the exception that the Hui women's dresses are brighter in color (coral, pink, red).
Davis also devotes much of the book to showing changes in eating traditions. One chapter on outdoor food markets explains the shady side of economics in China. Food vendors will cheat Chinese so much that some Chinese will bring their own scales to weigh the food. Also, in the chapter dealing with the influx of McDonald's into urban China, we can see that the push for modernity can sometimes win over Chinese tradition. For instance, some people will go into McDonald's and just sit by the window so they can have a sense of superiority over the people walking by on the street. Many Chinese people don't even like the food at McDonald's, but feel the need to go to express their modernity.
Davis' book shows us many different effects of the consumer revolution, both good and bad. I recommend this book for anyone interested in studying China. Just don't get discouraged when you come across a dry chapter!The Consumer Revolution in Urban China (Studies on China) Overview

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Forbidden City: A Novel of Modern China Review

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Forbidden City: A Novel of Modern China Review"Forbidden City" was a powerful and dramatically graphic book which described the personal account of the Chinese tragedy which took place in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in 1989.The story centres around the struggle for freedom which young revolutionaries had during a time when the Chinese government was unstable. Horrifying details illustrate the horrors that the Chinese people coped with. Surprisingly, these horrors were the result of the martial law handed down by the Chinese government to stop the Chinese citizen's cries for freedom and democracy. This book truly portrayed the horrific and uncivilized side of mankind. Images of bodies being crushed by looming Chinese tanks in the streets of Beijing and the careless bloodshed of innocent people in the centre of Tiananmen Square paint a picture of true brutality and coldness which we as humans take for granted in such times of chaos, not only in China but around the world. This book portrays the delicacy of life and how we all take for granted not only life itself, but our God-given freedom which we as humans consider as a right, which in reality, is a priviledge which we fight for each and every day of our lives.The central theme in "Forbidden City" is similar to the themes in "The Holy Bible" in that struggles for freedom take place throughout the book and involve all cultures. In contrast, "Forbidden City" was a much more personalized account of the tragedy which took place. I was able to explore the mind of a visitor to China who witnessed the brutal images in Tiananmen Square and was deeply affected by what was seen. "The Holy Bible", similar to "Forbidden City", provided a sense of hope for those in their stuggles for freedom and the oppressors, which, through over whelming strength and perseverence, broke free of their dictators and retained their identity, living with pride and ostentation. I recommend this book for people who feel as though they are oppressed by others whether it be parents, bosses or teachers who feel the need to break loose of what is holding them back. This truly dramatic and thought-prevoking book will provide you with the inspiration you need to continue on in your own lives having pride in your culture, family, and most importantly, yourself.Forbidden City: A Novel of Modern China Overview

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LIFE IN CHINA: My Story Review

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LIFE IN CHINA: My Story ReviewAuthor Jean Life demonstrates her uncanny ability to play on words from the very moment your eyes lock on to the title of her book, "Life In China." In just a few short paragraphs, the reader is transported to the other side of the world where "Life" is literally transformed as she adjusts to her new home in the Orient. Her story describes the fascinating adventure she and her husband, Ralph, embark on after Ralph's employer asks him to act as the general manager of a joint venture project in the Henan Province. From uncomfortable stares and harrowing taxi cab rides, Life's story illustrates the patterns and rhythms of China and the rural city of Nanyang, where she is the first American woman to live in and work. Her intimate, firsthand analysis of Chinese culture moves from a tone first wrought with bewilderment to one of heartfelt compassion for a country with many philosophical differences separating it from the United States. Readers should take comfort in knowing that Life's story challenges the human spirit to balance both good and bad in a country where freedoms are certainly not the mainstay. From adapting to Moutai, China's "rocket fuel" equivalent of a strong elixir, to her alluring excursions in the countryside, "Life in China" evokes emotions including laughter and sympathy. Modern writers often chronicle their travels abroad, but few can truly describe what it is like to live in another country. Indeed, the success of many travel books depends largely on creating a convincing illusion. In "Life In China," there are no illusions. Rather, Jean Life teaches us the human aspect of living in China. The author clearly demonstrates that China's truths and fragility can't be wholly understood by colorful tourist attractions. Rather, its most remarkable gems are the untold secrets deep in the geography of its heart. It is in this context where the less privileged, less well positioned, and less fortunate are given a sense of greater self worth simply because an unknown, yet compassionate Westerner took the time to listen to "their" stories.LIFE IN CHINA: My Story Overview

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Everyday Life In Early Imperial China: During the Han Period 202 BC-AD 220 Review

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Everyday Life In Early Imperial China: During the Han Period 202 BC-AD 220 ReviewMichael Loewe's "Everyday Life In Early Imperial China" was first published in 1968. The current paperback is a 2005 reprint. It is unchanged from the original edition except for adding a few references in the back. Although 37 years old, the book is still worth having, as a pleasant and well-rounded introduction to life in the Han Dynasty. Topics covered include government, occupations, trade, etc. Like other books in the "Everyday Life" series, it is easy to understand. It is suitable for adult readers, and also as a supplement in high school, homeschool, and beginning college courses.Everyday Life In Early Imperial China: During the Han Period 202 BC-AD 220 Overview

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Washington's China: The National Security World, the Cold War, And the Origins of Globalism (Culture, Politics, and the Cold War) Review

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Washington's China: The National Security World, the Cold War, And the Origins of Globalism (Culture, Politics, and the Cold War) ReviewI am torn between giving this book a three or four star review. Peck's argument centers around how Washington saw the division between the Soviet Union and Communist China. However, I am not sure if Peck offers an argument. Instead, he tracks the US National Security Council perspectives on how China would emerge if it continued down its path of nationalism. He offers commentator and arguments from George Kennan, but Peck's analysis seems to come up short. That being said, the book reads well from a historical aspect. Readers who want to know the mindset of Washington as they watched the Soviet Union falter in keeping China under their imperialist thumb would find this book interesting; Peck hones on to the late 1940s-1960s. I think Peck stops short of not including a chapter on President Nixon's rapprochement with China; he ends with the Johnson administration. This would have better contributed to Peck's argument of China's origins of globalism (as stated in the title of the book). Overall, this book was worth the read, but I am hesitant on offering my recommendation as it left me wanting more.Washington's China: The National Security World, the Cold War, And the Origins of Globalism (Culture, Politics, and the Cold War) Overview

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China Transformed: Historical Change And The Limits Of European Experience Review

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China Transformed: Historical Change And The Limits Of European Experience ReviewThis interesting book is an attempt to look at Chinese history in an unbiased manner. Professor Wong notes correctly that interpretations of many scholars are distorted by judging Chinese history by its deviations from what is presumed to be the normative, or desired, course of development. The normative standards, of course, are derived from European history. Wong makes the very good point that using European history in this way is damaging not only to the study of Chinese history but also imposes distortions on the study of European history. Wong is concerned particularly with examining Chinese economic development and state formation. This book covers a very wide sweep of Chinese history, roughly from the Ming to contemporary China. The book is divided into 3 components; one comparing China and Europe in the pre-industrial period of the 17th and 18th centuries, one looking at the response of the Chinese state and society to the great challenges of the 19th century, and one looking at the response of the Chinese state and society to social unrest. The first third of the book is the best. The analysis of pre-industrial China is really interesting and Wong makes a set of very interesting points. He demonstrates well that the economic differences between China and pre-industrial Europe have been exaggerated. He then examines the unique character of the Chinese state. Again, the comparison with European political development is illuminating. This section achieves Wong's goal of treating Chinese history as an autonomous phenomenon but maintaining a useful comparative perspective. The second part of the book is quite good and the discussion of the problems faced by the 19th century Chinese state and its responses is interesting. Again, there are interesting comparisons with European states. The final section is the least interesting. It adds little to carrying forward Wong's basic project of establishing the autonomy of studying Chinese history. Indeed, I see little that departs from prior conventional interpretations. This section in particular suffers also from Wong's attempt to cover such a broad range of Chinese history and at times has a superficial quality. Wong is generally a clear writer but sometimes slips into what might be called post-modernist academic jargon. For example, the narrative (used to mean analysis) appears often, as does discourse (ditto), and privilege appears as a verb. This is not a major defect but is irritating.China Transformed: Historical Change And The Limits Of European Experience Overview

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Dislocating China: Muslims, Minorities, and Other Subaltern Subjects Review

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Dislocating China: Muslims, Minorities, and Other Subaltern Subjects ReviewThis book is definitely the best and most updated treatment of several fraught issues and subjects in China and in Chinese studies-ethnicity, minority, religion, and race-all of which are often hard to distinguish between. Dru Gladney skillfully and confidently navigates between these categories and shows that even though they tend to be very elusive and slippery a meaningful, and useful, critique of them is possible. As a student of Chinese Islam, I benefited again from another great work on the Muslims of China, which are hardly known, but extremely important. China's Muslims' impact on Chinese history is unsurpassed by any other group that is considered today as a "minority," ethnic or religious, in China. Gladney had already done a great service to our understanding of this impact in the past, and in this book he is doing it yet again. Furthermore, we have yet to fully understand and assess their role and place in the Islamic world. This is a huge task and Dislocating China takes us another step further towards fulfilling it.Dislocating China: Muslims, Minorities, and Other Subaltern Subjects Overview

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The Food of China Review

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The Food of China ReviewPublished in the late 1980s, The Food of China remains one of the key modern works on Chinese food history. This was the first book I read on Chinese food. That was a mistake, if only because the book is so dense with information that the reading experience was quite overwhelming at the time. So if you are a novice like I was, start with something lighter such as Francine Halvorsen's The Food and Cooking of China before taking the deep plunge with this more academic book. But E. N. Anderson remains on of the two or three authoritative references in my bookshelf that I know I will be reaching for many years to come.The Food of China Overview

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China and the Vietnam Wars, 1950-1975 (The New Cold War History) Review

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China and the Vietnam Wars, 1950-1975 (The New Cold War History) ReviewMr. Zhai's contribution to Cold War history is a worthy addition to any CW buff's collection, since China's role in the conflict has always been a mix of "Yellow Peril" paranoia, rumor and biased commentary. It is a sound summary of the initially cozy, then increasingly frosty relations between the two communist Asian nations. However, being familiar with many of the observations made in this book from other sources, I was hoping for a more cogent analysis of the synergy between the radicalization of Mao's vision of perpetual revolution and the Indochinese wars. For example, did the Cultural Revolution hinder or help the Vietnamese, and what were their perceptions? Did China encourage Pol Pot's intransigence vis-a-vis Hanoi because of ideological affinity or just plain spite? How did the Ussuri River clashes affect the Soviet supply link to Hanoi? This is a good volume for factual summary of the events, but a more profound reading of the new archival sources needs to follow.China and the Vietnam Wars, 1950-1975 (The New Cold War History) Overview

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Stillwell and the American Experience in China Review

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Stillwell and the American Experience in China ReviewI read this book over 20 years ago. I sometimes bought the paperback to give to friends. It was that good and true and well-written, to me. In brief, Stillwell was a four-star general who was attached to the nationalists during WWII. His rank was equal to Eisenhower and MacArthur. Tuchman is very sympathetic to Stillwell, emphasizing his fluency in the Chinese language and knowledge of the country and its politics. He had served in China as a career army officer between the world wars and often traveled about disguised as a native.
He detested Chiang Kai-Shek, who he considered to be a warlord and coward. Stillwell suggested overtures to Mao, to use him to fight the Japanese and even consider them as future rulers of China. In 1944 Stillwell was sent back to the states. His stance against Kai-Shek did not sit well with the China Lobby (pro-Chiang lobby) in the USA.
What I most remember about the book after all these years is 1) Stillwell led an Indian Jones life, even leading his defeated troops on foot out of Burma 2) Stillwell was right about Mao and the China Lobby (Luce at Time magazine and others) was wrong, 3) and when China fell the Democrats and Chinese Experts in the State department were blamed for "losing" China. All these Chinese speaking Experts, often children of missionaries, knew the language and the greater region of East and Southeast Asia. They all got purged in the days of McCarthy. Nobody of competence was around to raise red flags as we got sucked into Viet Nam in the late 50s and early 60s.
There are today way too few Arab speaking experts in the State Department. George W. Bush, being briefed by exiled Iraqis, just weeks before pre-emptive war, revealed no clue that there were Sunni and Shiite and Kurdish factions in Iraq (see Packer's book, Assassin's Gate). This is what I mean by my title, a paraphrase of a famous remark, history is always the same, and the players just change.
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Grassroots Political Reform in Contemporary China (Harvard Contemporary China Series) Review

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Grassroots Political Reform in Contemporary China (Harvard Contemporary China Series) ReviewThis comprehensive collection edited by Elizabeth Perry and Merle Goldman explores recent trends in grassroots political reform in China. With contributions by well-established China scholars and rising stars alike, this volume offers a detailed view into reform attempts to restrain arbitrary and corrupt authorities and enhance overall accountability at the grassroots level. The authors do not argue that China is on a path to democracy. To the contrary, Perry and Goldman are quite upfront about the fact that reforms may actually serve to prolong the life of the communist party. The articles in this volume are based on extensive fieldwork and offer detailed glimpses into various aspects of grassroots reform, including topics such as village elections, tax reform, and rule of law.
Although written for an academic audience, the content of this volume will also be of interest to anyone wishing to learn more about reform in China. Of particular interest for a lay audience may be Xi Chen's chapter on protest, Yuezhi Zhao and Sun Wusan's chapter on reform and constraints of the media, and Richard Levy's chapter on village elections and anticorruption. Scholars already familiar with the works of the contributors will find little that has not be iterated elsewhere, but the volume is significant in that it deals with a timely issue in a systematic and helpful fashion.
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Chiang Kai-Shek: China's Generalissimo and the Nation He Lost Review

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Chiang Kai-Shek: China's Generalissimo and the Nation He Lost ReviewI have been waiting for this book for a long time. Not particularly this book, but any modern updated biography of Chiang Kai Shek. In recent years we have gotten updated biographies of Mao and Ho Chi Minh and now finally Chiang Kai-Shek.
First and foremost, this is a well written, well researched book. It is easy to read and never boring. So on that sense it is a good biography. The book also has some great pictures and good maps at the beginning of the book.
The book does a terrific job showing the politics going on in China between 1911 and 1945. The books strongest points about Chiang Kai-Shek are on his battles against the warlords and desires to eliminate the communists. I also felt the book did a great job discussing his wife, and her famous family the Soongs.
That being said, I felt the book was weak in its overall assessment of Chiang Kai-Shek. I got the impression that the author really did not want to make any strong judgements about Chiang Kai Shek. He does not hold back any facts, but just does not make strong judgements. However, the author is highly critical of Sun Yatsen, and General Stillwell. Two great men in history, this author is not afraid to judge, but Chiang Kai Shek he does not.
Sun Yatsen was a great leader and had such a vision for China, but Fenby is highly critical of him. Stillwell was exactly right on how Chiang Kai-Shek would lose China and was dead on in his assessment of KMT corruption. Instead, Fenby is critical of Stillwell. For a better look at Stillwell look at the Recent book on the Burma Road.
Also, I was surprized at how rushed the author gets at the end on the ultimate Communist victory. Fenby is great in discussing the Marshall visit and attempt to broker a peace, but his description of the Nationalist collapse and retreat to Taiwan was rushed in my opinion. Also, there is little to no information about Chiang Kai Shek on Taiwan.
But I am being picky. I enjoyed this book very much and am glad Fenby wrote it. Had Chiang Kai Shek been a better leader the history of Asia and the world would be very different.Chiang Kai-Shek: China's Generalissimo and the Nation He Lost Overview

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China to 1850: A Short History Review

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China to 1850: A Short History ReviewThis is a fantastically valuable work for anyone who cannot, for example, name the 15 chief dynasties in Chinese history. It is a quick engaging survey if that is all you want -- and if like me you want a real grasp of Chinese history then this book is an invaluable companion to substantial histories. I keep coming back to this for the overall picture. Some day I will outgrow it, perhaps, but not soon.
The introductory chapter on "the land and people" includes a fine brief account of the language and writing system. This serves to overcome some quaint western prejudices on China, and is very helpful in understanding how the Chinese have seen their past. Classical Chinese was much closer to modern Mandarin than ancient Egyptian or even Latin are to English -- but especially in its written form is it decisively not the modern language. Social patterns that have been relatively stable for thousands of years are described along with the many changes to them.
The history describes migrations and political and military campaigns along with philosophic ideas inseparable from politics. It describes trends in art -- and their practical role in spreading culture and industry. And this is from roughly 2000 BC to 1850 CE.
The key, of course, is that this book is short. Very short. If you just need a quick survey this will do it. And if you want more, this quick survey is an invaluable outline.China to 1850: A Short History Overview

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