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'excellent' LSE Review of Books
China is the world's most populous country and newest superpower, whose place on the international stage can only be understood through the lens of its modern history.
The Oxford History of Modern China is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand this rising power in what promises to be the 'Chinese century'. Covering the period of dramatic shifts and surprising transformations which comprise China's modern history, the book spans from the founding of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) to the present day. It introduces readers to important but often overlooked events in China's past, such as the bloody Taiping Civil War (1850-1864), and also sheds new light on more familiar landmarks in Chinese history, such as the Opium War (1839-1842), the Boxer Uprising of 1900, the rise to power of the Chinese Communist Party in 1949, the Tiananmen protests and Beijing Massacre of 1989, and China's rise to economic superpower status in the 21st century. A new chapter for this edition brings the story into the era of Xi Jinping.
List of contents
- List of Maps
- A Guide to Pronouncing Romanized Chinese
- Introduction by Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom
- 1: From Late Ming to High Qing, 1550-1792 by Anne Gerritsen
- 2: New Domestic and Global Challenges, 1792-1860 by Stephen R. Platt
- 3: Restoration and Reform, 1860-1900 by Robert Bickers
- 4: Felling a Dynasty, Founding a Republic by Peter Zarrow
- 5: The Rise of Nationalism and Revolutionary Parties, 1919-1937 by James Carter
- 6: The War Years, 1937-1949 by Rana Mitter
- 7: The Early Years of the People's Republic, 1950-1964 by S. A. Smith
- 8: The Cultural Revolution Era, 1964-1976 by Richard Curt Kraus
- 9: Reform and Rebuilding, 1976-1988 by Timothy Cheek
- 10: Tiananmen and Its Aftermath, 1989-1999 by Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom and Kate Merkel-Hess
- 11: China Rising, 2000-2010 by William A. Callahan
- 12: The People's Leader: The Xi Jinping Era of Chinese Politics by Diana Fu and Emile Dirks
- 13: The Presence of the Past--A Coda by Ian Johnson
- Timeline
- Further Reading
- Index
About the author
Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom is the Chancellor's Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine. He has written, co-written, edited, or co-edited a dozen books. His most recent ones are, as author,
Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink (2020), and, as coauthor, the third edition of
China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know (2018). In addition to writing for scholarly periodicals, he often contributes to newspapers and magazines.
Summary
Explores the history of China from the founding of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) to the present day. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand this rising superpower in what promises to be the 'Chinese century'.
Additional text
The best place to start for those who wish to get a handle on modern China.
Report
The Oxford History of Modern China brings together top experts to tell a compelling story of China in its past four centuries. Integrating narrative with analysis in a perfect balance, this great asset for classroom instruction also reminds the instructor what brought her into the history profession in the first place. Truly amazing! Mara Yue Du, Cornell University
