asia

This textbook is the perfect introduction for students interested in an overview of modern Chinese history and a valuable reference for scholars already immersed in the subject. Drawing on his many years of teaching the survey course at Yale on Chinese history, Spence covers the major events and themes of the past four hundred years with scholarly thoroughness and a light literary hand. Although the amount of material is daunting - even Spence doesn't use it all in his course- Search for Modern China is written to be accessible to the layperson as well as the academic. Highly recommended for anyone interested in China today.

I have diligently read Spence's book and confess that it reads well and certainly is a good introductory book on modern Chinese history. Yet the book is also fraught with mistakes that are sometimes glaring, such as the Treaty of Nerchinsk of 1689 which Spence claims fixed the borders between Russia and China pretty much along the present existing borders. He neglects to mention that the treaty, denied access to the Russians the entire Amur valley and that by virtue of that treaty Sakhalin was off-limits to Russia until the 19th century. Chinese historical sources are conveniently ignored so that he may advance his politically correct western historian's view of China. Later in the book he glosses over the Rape of Nanking using data from the 1930's claiming that only 40,000 people were killed when newer sources of information are not only available but refute the older figures. If this book is going to be a standard text for students of modern Chinese history, then it needs a thorough review and edit to correct these mistakes.

When I started studying Chinese, I wanted a book that would give me some background on Chinese history. I asked several experts in Chinese history, and they recommended this book. I'm grateful they did.

Though long, it held my interest throughout. After all, no matter how good a history book is, if you don't read it, you won't learn a thing.

Though it sometimes goes off on tangents that seem a bit superfluous, overall it's a tightly written book that will really help you explore an interest in Chinese history.