Ancient China: Life, Myth And Art

Ancient Civilisations: life, myth and art #6

by Edward L. Shaughnessy

Long before the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome, China was already a vast empire, protected from the nomads of the Asian steppes by its famous Great Wall, and with rich and distinctive traditions in the arts, technology, and philosophy. Drawing on the latest discoveries by historians and archaeologists, this richly illustrated volume focuses on the outstanding achievements of ancient China. Spectacular artistic highlights include the glorious bronze cauldrons of the Shang dynasty, Buddhist cave paintings depicting daily life, and the Terracotta Army—the extraordinary legion of clay soldiers fashioned to protect the First Emperor in the afterlife. Tracing the succession of dynasties from c.2000 BC to the end of the great Tang empire in the 10th century AD, Ancient China offers fascinating insights into key themes of Chinese life, society, and culture, including mythology, literature, music, calligraphy, Taoism, Buddhism, medicine, cooking, and the silk trade. Edward L. Shaughnessy is Professor of Early China at the University of Chicago. His books include The Cambridge History of Ancient China.

Genres: China, History, Archaeology

Paperback

First published August 1, 2005

Reviews

[Avneesh Dhariwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A basic introduction of the major events of the timeline of China.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book as it had the best reproduction of the Han dynasty picture of Xiwangmu that I've seen. It looked like a fairly typical basic art book about China, but then I noticed it was written by Edward Shaughnessy who is a proper Chinese historian so I decided it was worth getting. The book has some amazing pictures and gives a very good brief overview of Chinese history from the Bronze Age to the An Lushan rebellion in the mid-Tang. The book looks at all aspects of life in early Imperial China, from politics, war, art and religion. This book is a really great introduction to early dynastic history. And it has a fantastic list of references at the back for those who wish to learn more, most of which I've read and really enjoyed. I would highly recommend this book as an excellent starting point to anyone who is wanting to learn more about China's early history.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great background info for me, but not something my kids would read. Although I could see them thumbing through the book and just reading the pictures/captions would be beneficial.

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zanimljiv presjek povijesti, vjerovanja, kulture i svakodnevice drevne Kine. Pisana jednostavno, čitko, na popularan način i bogato ilustrirana, zgodna je kao ishodište za dalja proučavanja.

[Dijana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!