history of 1800s China?

[kate_nepveu]

Can anyone recommend me a history of China in the early 1800s or that includes that period? Ebook would be preferable. Thanks.

Comments

[trent_goulding]

I was all set to recommend Jonathan Spence's _The Search for Modern China_, which I first encountered as an undergrad in a Chinese history survey course, over two decades ago. Looking at Amazon, it appears that a third edition just came out a couple of years ago, but alas, no indication of an ebook edition. It must be still getting solid use as a university text, based on the price it's listed for, sheesh. All that said, it's magisterial, very literate/well-written; very solid survey of the period from mid-1600s through mid-1900s (as I recall; it's been awhile).

The other huge door-stopper survey that I recall from those days is John King Fairbanks' _China: A New History_, which may be overly broad, in that it goes from the very beginning (i.e. neolithic) to Tiananmen Square. Does appear to have kindle edition, though. Pretty dry, straitforward, maybe a little "old fashioned". The Spence is certainly more interesting/engaging reading....

I know I read a bunch more that were more focused on your particular period, but Ima have to shake my brain for a bit to shake them loose...

[readinggeek451]

If the Spence is in use as a college text, it's probably available from the library rather than paying for it.

[kate_nepveu]

Yeah, and I have access to a college library via Chad, but carrying around a big heavy book is suboptimal.

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks! And if something comes to mind, great; there's something to be said for a work that doesn't expect you to have read centuries' worth of prior history before the time period you're interested in.

Search for Modern China

[brummel.livejournal.com]

I recently picked up this book secondhand (though, I don't know off-hand which edition it is) and got up to late 1700s or so before being a little put off by a lot of value judgments being made from what I ended up deciding was a contemporary, Western, white value system. I mean, the book is meant to be some sort of primer for the non-expert, and is taught to college students (including Spence's own), so that perspective isn't exactly surprising. But, because this perspective is not disclosed and is applied in really unappealing ways (Chinese literary, mathematical, philosophical achievements are always compared to ill-fitting Western analogues and always found wanting), I found my interest flagging, to the point that I'm dubious I'll pick it back up. For crying out loud, Spence basically claims that China has never been modern and may never be, using a highly Western lens for defining modernity! (I sometimes read books from both ends at once....)

That being said, there is quite a lot of factual information. There was just a little too much of the value judgment/skewed comparisons for me to get out of it what I wanted. So I guess I, too, am following the recommendations in this thread with interest.

Re: Search for Modern China

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks for the warning!

[pendrecarc]

Ooh, I do hope I'm right about why you're asking!

[kate_nepveu]

Gearing up for Temeraire reread!

[pendrecarc]

I look forward to it! Are you timing it for the release of the last book? I haven't seen anything about a date.

[kate_nepveu]

Yes, that's the plan, and last I saw it was tentatively for Feb. 2016, which means starting in late summer (plan is 1/3 book per week).