A photographic chronicle of the past tumultuous century of China's history.
Jonathan Spence Book order (chronological)
August 11, 1936 – December 25, 2021
Jonathan D. Spence was a historian specializing in Chinese history. His work focused on the last several hundred years of Chinese history. His most famous book became one of the standard texts for this period. Spence was a professor of history at Yale University.
Die Vergangenheit Chinas liegt für die meisten Europäer im Dunkeln. Jonathan D. Spence, Historiker und Erzähler in einer Person, vermittelt mit der Biografie des großen Gelehrten und Exzentrikers Zhang Dai einen anschaulichen und lebendigen Eindruck der Ming-Zeit (1368-1644), die Politik, Kultur und Gesellschaft im Reich der Mitte zu höchster Blüte brachte.
Traces the life and legacy of esteemed Ming historian and essayist Zhang Dai, describing the cultural renaissance and Buddhist reform of his early years, the impact of the Manchu invasion of 1644 on his dynasty, and his four-decade career as a writer.
Modern Classics: Fortress Besieged
- 448 pages
- 16 hours of reading
Set on the eve of the Sino-Japanese war, this work recounts the exuberant misadventures of the hapless hero Fang Hung-chien, who after aimlessly studying in Europe at his family's expense returns to Shanghai armed with a bogus degree from a fake university. On the liner back, Fang's life becomes deeply entangled with those of two Chinese beauties.
The book offers an in-depth exploration of Mao Zedong, utilizing the author's extensive understanding of Chinese politics and culture. It presents a nuanced portrayal of Mao, highlighting his complexities and the impact of his leadership on China. The insightful analysis is praised for its clarity and depth, making it a valuable resource for those interested in Chinese history and political figures.
Ein Polit-Krimi aus dem alten China: Als General Yue Zhongqi einen Brief überreicht bekommt, der Yue auffordert, eine Rebellion gegen den Kaiser anzuführen, weiß er, dass er in Lebensgefahr ist. Denn allein einen solchen Brief zu besitzen kommt in China einem Todesurteil gleich. Yue bleibt nichts anderes übrig, als dem Ursprung des Briefes nachzuforschen. Damit löst er in der tiefsten Provinz eine Erschütterung aus, die noch am Kaiserhof zu spüren ist. Ein historischer Thriller, der ferne Welten und deren Menschen wieder erstehen lässt und einige Rätsel der chinesischen Kultur erklärt, die uns bis heute beschäftigen.
Mao
- 256 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Der Autor, einer der renommiertesten Sinologen der Gegenwart, hat die neueste Literatur über Mao Zedong zusammengefasst und einer sehr pointierte und flüssig geschriebene Biografie vorgelegt.
Rainbow Essentials - 25: Mao
- 265 pages
- 10 hours of reading
Beknopte biografie van de Chinese leider Mao Zedong (1893-1976).
The Chan's Great Continent
- 279 pages
- 10 hours of reading
Jonathan Spence, our foremost historian of Chinese politics and culture, tells us in his new book how the West has understood China over seven centuries. Ranging from Marco Polo's own depiction of China and the mighty Khan, Kublai, in the 1270s to the China sightings of three 20th-century writers of acknowledged genius -- Kafka, Borges, and Calvino -- Spence explores Western thought on China through a remarkable array of expression. Peopling Spence's account are Iberian adventurers, the great Jesuit missionaries, Enlightenment synthesizers including Voltaire and Montesquieu, spinners of the dreamy cult of Chinoiserie, American observers such as Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Ezra Pound, and Eugene O'Neill, and diplomats from Britain's Lord Macartney to Henry Kissinger. Their visions are alternately coarse and subtle, generous and vicious, sober and exotic. Taken together they tell us as much about the self-image of the West as about China.
