The Chinese Century: A Photographic History of the Last Hundred Years

by Jonathan D. Spence, Annabel Merullo, Annping Chin

China is one of the great question marks on the world stage as we approach the third millennium. No longer a sleeping giant, neither is China a stable ally of the West. Economically it is an emerging powerhouse, and politically it is precariously balanced between the free market and military dictatorship. There could be no better time to try to understand China's history--the distance it has traveled, and where it may be going from here--than today.

The Chinese Century tells the story in over two hundred and fifty rare, eloquent photographs that have been chosen from archives, libraries, and private collections throughout China, Taiwan, and the West. Many of the photographs have never been seen outside China.  Like a time machine, they let us see historical events that for most of us have existed until now only in the lives of the rural peasants and the privileged elite from the time of the Qing dynasty to the People's Republic, the opulence and squalor that the European colonial powers brought to China in their concession areas, the cities within Chinese cities that were inhabited exclusively by Europeans. Here are the rare photos of the Boxer Rebellion and the Rape of Nanking, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. There are quirky moments, as well, such as American soldiers during the Second World War eating their K rations with chopsticks, and private photographs of Mao Zedong covered in river mud after a leisurely swim.

The photographs are paired with a stunning historical text by one of the West's most respected China scholars, Jonathan D. Spence, writing here for the first time with his wife, Annping Chin. The narrative traces the nation's disintegration into civil and world war, Communist revolution, and its slow reemergence as a military and economic superpower. Focusing on the lives of ordinary Chinese as well as on the towering figures such as Chiang Kai-shek and Meo Zedong, Spence weaves an intricate and fascinating social, political, and military history.

Genres: China, History, Photography, Nonfiction

264 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Jonathan D. Spence is a historian specializing in Chinese history. His self-selected Chinese name is Shǐ Jǐngqiān (simplified Chinese: 史景迁; traditional Chinese: 史景遷), which roughly translates to "A historian who admires Sima Qian."

He has been Sterling Professor of History at Yale University since 1993. His most famous book is The Search for Modern China, which has become one of the standard texts on the last several hundred years of Chinese history.

Reviews

[Brian Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spence and Chin do a gripping job of capturing the anxiety, adventure, and hardship of China's twentieth century. Their photo-laden account is almost stomach-turningly dramatic, not in a shocking way, but because it conveys the vertigo of upheaval, destruction, and transformation. Perhaps no other nation, not even Russia, went through so much trauma and change in the past century, and the authors give detailed insight into the stream of titanic events.

[Philton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This coffee table book has been sitting on my shelf for years. While I've occasionally picked it up to peruse and enjoy some of the pictures, it was only in the last month that I made a concerted effort to read it cover to cover. My effort was well worth it, however, as this book has significantly improved my understanding of the arc of Chinese history over the past hundred years. While I had trouble at times keeping all of the different players organized in my head, due to the authors' uneven introduction and discussion of them over the course of the book, my interest was nonetheless held throughout. The photographs in this book are stunning, and the captions provide a great deal of insight. All in all, an excellent read. I'm glad I put in the time to finish it.

[mule64 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many interesting photos and a sad history of China where millions of people died due to the actions by incompetent and corrupted government.

[Ilari Mäkelä · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very, very enjoyable book. Excellent photos, yes, but also very good writing. For a book that I purchased for photos only, the text turned out to be surprisingly detailed and well-written. As a photography book, this will please anyone interested in Chinese history, but together with text, this presents itself also as an excellent alternative to the many standard introductions to 20th Century Chinese history.

[Phillias · Rating 5 out of 5]

depth of a history book with glorious pictures to back it up. some gruesome.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

great images

[Alan Tsuei · Rating 2 out of 5]

一本寫於九○代中，卻又過於簡略與零碎的中國近代史，不知道是原文還是翻譯問題，歷史一進到抗戰就開始明顯有誤，作者寧願相信美方人員的回憶錄與記載，卻不願對中國檔案加以研究，當然最終只能成就出這樣的作品，在中文通行的地區所造成的影響當然有限，但對國外的朋友來說，起到誤導的作用卻會不小，因此整本書的亮點與價值反而落在書中難得一見的老照片上，不過即使如此，相信在大陸被禁的機率應該仍然不小才是…

[Joshua Loong · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandfather was born in 1900 which means my immediate family from him down to me spans the entire period captured in this book. I never knew him, but to see in photos the type of China that he might have saw as a child was eye opening.

The photos here are wonderful, and the associated text is actually more substantial than one would expect out of a photography book. Essentially gives you a solid rundown of Chinese history through the 20th century.

Honestly, as a primer, this was a fantastic intro to the topic, and it really opens you eyes to intense horrors and struggles 20th century China went through as a whole.