The Search for Modern China (Paperback)

from Miro

I found this an invaluable book for understanding China. Spence has a deep knowledge of his subject and takes an unbiased humanistic line in evaluating for example the successes and failures of Chiang Kai-shek or the early communists. I was surprised by the length of time that the Chinese spent u...

from datrappert

Excellent overview of Chinese history from the late Ming dynasty through the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989. In retrospect, it is pretty amazing how much progress China has made in the 20 years since. Anyone trying to understand the Chinese mindset or why the Chinese can hate communism on the ...

from jontseng

Quite simply the best and most accessible narrative history of modern China - less leaden than Hsu and leavened with cultural/structural analysis as well as narrative. Essential for any reader wanting to understand the Chinese condition. From an historiographcial perspective an example of the "re...

from wildbill

I first read about this topic in a college textbook and have found it fascinating ever since. I have always felt that because the history of China is so different from the U.S. it had a lot to tell me. Now that I have got around to reading this book it is one of my favorites on this subject. The ...

from HadriantheBlind

Only a book about China could define the modern era in the 17th century. A grand sweeping history, covering all facets of China. History, economics, politics, military events, society, the arts - a good encyclopedic overview, in a very readable style.Unfortunately, my edition seems to end at the ...