China: Its History and Culture

by W. Scott Morton, Charlton M. Lewis

" A wonderful job! So lucid, beautfully written, with great range and insight. This will set a new standard for short general histories of China. "

" Michael Gasster, professor emeritus of history at Rutgers University"

Newly updated and revised, China: Its History and Culture, Fourth Edition, incorporates the crucial social and economic changes that have taken place in China over the last decade. Through rich detail and engaging illustrations, the book traces China s history from Neolithic times to the present day."

Genres: History, China, Nonfiction, Anthropology, Education, Academic, Asian Literature

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Dominik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bardzo pozytywnie zaskoczyła mnie ta pozycja. Mimo, że starożytność i wczesne wieki cesarstwa są potraktowane trochę po łebkach, i chyba nie udało się uchwycić tych czasów za dobrze. Mocną stroną książki jest szczegółowy opis czasów współczesnych, szczególnie lat 1978-2000, które często są pomijane w opracowaniach. Warto zaznaczyć, że historia zajmuje ok. 95% treści, wstawki odnoszące się do zagadnień kultury nie są zbyt obszerne, dlatego czytelnicy zaciekawieni raczej chińską kulturą mogą rozważyć sięgnięcie do innych pozycji.

[Nick Girvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m very selective when it comes to reading on China. In the west, it’s all too common to come across a myriad of books that measure everything in a cultural and historical context so different to ours up to our very own, causing it to at best downplay everything great about it or at worst completely slander it. Whether it be from an anti-communist perspective born out of the Cold War era (and again more recently), a lack of understanding of the thousands of years of cultural practices parallel to the west, or full on racism, it’s difficult to come across deep research on China, especially its entire history, that doesn’t feel dishonest or unfair. The counter to this is works that are written from the socialists perspective, and while that’s a fair stride better, it still leaves much to be desired in a critical sense, usually overcompensating for disastrous periods in China’s history.

Authors Scott Morton and Charlton Lewis dodge every one of these pitfalls. China: It’s History And Culture is the single greatest work I have ever read on the nation’s vast, and massive history and landscape. It introduces itself as a work from folks of a western upbringing who lived in China, studied it, and attempted to understand it on a level I didn’t even think was possible in this sense, especially within a 285 page frame (granted, they are very dense pages with really dense wording).

This works primarily in the chronological way, starting roughly in 2200 BC emphasizing the first Xia Dynasty in more of a mythical sense, before hitting the earliest one we have actual evidence of existence in the Shang Dynasty around 1700 BC. From here forward, the book aims to work in details of the very fabric of Chinese life wherever it became relevant according to said ruling Dynasty at the time. For example, the Chinese language and script is touched on very early, as this traces its character roots to said Shang dynasty. Where on the other hand, religion got touched on during the rise of a national identity and unification of China in a state sense, around the Qin (pronounced “chin,” which is where the country gets its name) and Han dynasties from the pre BC days until the first couple hundred years AD. Thus, there was a great opportunity to touch on the three biggest religions we still think of when it comes to China; Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.

From here, the book feels more streamlined in grasping the important moments of the larger dynasties, tackling the changes in culture, borders, arts, technologies, and of course governments. Most importantly, the focus on why something happened is always examined. China has historically arisen as a superpower and crumbled into several disjointed dynasties over time, and the pressure of foreign influence became grander as we approached the Mongol era (which created the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century), exchange with the west, the century of humiliation as the final dynasty weakened (Qing), and of course Japanese invasion before the Second World War.

Perhaps 1/3 of the book focused on the past hundred years, as they seem to be the most relevant while the modern world emerged. Diving into the greatest detail in the Republican period and the influence of Sun Yat-sen, the civil war amidst a world war, and finally the communist revolution following 1949 covered much of this. Morton and Lewis handled these more controversial eras with great care, highlighting the importance of Chairman Mao and all of his achievements, his failures, and what he meant to the people. For every time this discussed a disaster such as the Cultural Revolution or the Great Leap Forward, it also gave props towards the rise in life expectancy, literacy, and women’s rights. It tackles the openness and need for reform to bring China into its position today kickstarted by Deng Xiaoping and its recent development, while also adding that unemployment and social unrest increased the more marketization came into the fold. Many things around pollution, human rights, and other touchy subjects are kept objective and handled with a mature eye that I can’t be more thankful for.

If I had to say anything negative, it’s that emphasis on Tiananmen Square was a bit too much at times, considering how much that was bolstered as anything truly significant (compared to many other protests that didn’t get violent, or ones that were more violent in other nations), but considering that this book was written at a time when less was known about that, I still think it at least nailed the facts accurately. Plus, alongside this, it laid to rest myths around “no freedom of religion” and broke down how human rights as we see them in the west take a different, and often valuable meaning in China. A good example was its breakdown on communist party membership having representation in all facets of life, but at this point I’m rambling. I think you get the picture.

China: It’s History And Culture is something I would encourage everybody to read who seeks a greater understanding of a nation often unfairly or inaccurately portrayed here in the west. It’s a nation that has had prosperity and poverty, peace and bloodshed, monarchy and community, just like anywhere. It’s my favorite country to read about and understand, and I can’t throw this book enough praise.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid one volume survey of Chinese history and the development of its culture. If that is what you are looking for, then you probably will not be disappointed. In 300 pages Morton and Lewis cover the major events, epochs, and upheavals that have taken place in the over 2000 years of one of the world's oldest and biggest cultures. What most surprised me was how bloody and colorful so much of it was. For a reader who learned only American history in his youth, and then some European history in college, the history and cultures of Asia have always been something exotic and unfairly ignored. Here are tales of emperors, concubines, eunuchs, weird religious movements, civil wars, and massive uprisings (China has had a number of these, and I now understand better the reasons why its leaders are so concerned about controlling information and social movements.)

The writing is a little dry, but it does not get stuffy or boring. There are segments on art, literature, philosophy, and religion, but the majority of the book is spent on politics, power, and conflicts. There were a number of dynasties in Chinese history, most of them resulting from the defeat of a previous empire by an outlying, sometimes foreign group. The Yuan Dynasty (1280-1368) was the result of a victory by Genghis Khan's Mongolian forces, and the rulers of the last dynasty, the Qing, were Manzhou people from the northeast hinterlands. The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was founded by a revolt led by an orphaned beggar who became the Emperor Hong Wu. Interestingly, these different groups usually settled in and began ruling China in the same ways, with a large and powerful bureaucracy whose roots go back to at least the 700s. The current Communist rulers are no exception to this tradition, and for centuries the way to make it in China has been to be accepted into the elites by virtue of success in very competitive examinations.

More attention is paid to the history of the last 200 years or so, as the Western nations began to encroach on China, which led to wars and related social disasters, such as the Opium Wars, in which the British fought to preserve the right to traffic large quantities of addictive opium to the Chinese. Other nations too grabbed pieces of the Chinese pie, particularly the Japanese, who eventually sought to rule the entire nation. The 1850s brought the Taiping Rebellion, led by a charismatic, Christian-influenced messianic leader. This was followed by the Boxer Rebellion in the 1890s, another misguided commoners' struggle that resulted in more disaster for the Chinese people and leadership. Attention is paid to the Empress Dowager Cixi, a former concubine and the sometimes cruel and murderous de facto ruler of the country for many years, whose refusal to accept change resulted in the ultimate downfall of the monarchy. They were followed by the first Chinese republic, a right-wing government led first by Sun Yatsen and then Jiang Jieshi (aka Chiang Kaishek), whose rule was marred by corruption and war, and who were ultimately overthrown by Mao Zedong and the Communists. The book finishes with an overview of the Communist era and some of its horrors, like the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, and of more recent trends and struggles, such as the democracy movement that was crushed by the authorities in 1989.

It is hard not to see the tragedy in much of this, and also to see why China was ripe for the indigenous peasant revolution that ultimately triumphed. Americans certainly viewed the defeat of the Nationalists by the Communists and the closing of China to the West as a tragedy. But it is interesting to see China today, with its one party Communist rule, but lots of free enterprise, interaction, and trade with other nations, and wonder if things would have turned out more or less the same if the Nationalists had won. Mao is still presented as the great father figure and liberator whose face adorns every piece of currency, but today's China reflects more the ideas of the more liberal Deng Xiaoping, who led China's re-opening to the world. Above it all stands Kong Fu Zi (Confucius) the great Chinese philosopher who has no parallel in the West, and whose views on family, integrity, loyalty, and social order continue to be the bedrock of Chinese society.

[Diana Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a brief and wonderfully thorough book on the history of China. It is very organized, providing a logical structure and timeline to the history - and how it inspired Chinese cultural traditions. Not all history books are as clear and engaging to read as this book, while still maintaining depth.

[Harrison Bosque · Rating 4 out of 5]

非常有趣且信息丰富

[Shawn P · Rating 5 out of 5]

If an author devotes 3 pages to the description of ceramic china in the Ming Dynasty, you know he’s serious about China. The reader is taken on a magic carpet ride from the ancient dynasties to the post-monarchy warlord era to the inept Republican rule that ultimately led to domination by the ruinous Mao and his communist party. The book ended with special expositions on Taiwan, Hong Kong and the concerns of modern China like economy, corruption, religion, environment, women status, literature and arts. It’s heavy reading at certain parts but the reader is left with wide-eyes wonder about this great ancient civilisation and its unfathomable potential.

[Belz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
(Not talking about content) I found the book to be a little bit difficult to grasp and flush out the facts, since I constantly felt bombarded with names and events I had a hard time keeping straight. Perhaps better organization, comparing people or events across dynasties might have been helpful. Nonetheless, the book served it's purpose well. Glazing over the biggest events in Chinese history. It's a great introduction book to history that's certainly a great foundation to build upon.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valuable not just in its coverage of history - of which there could certainly be more exploration in the earlier history of China, but in an effort to make this book less than 400 pages long I understand sacrifices were made - but in helping the reader engage with the material as more than an outsider, and in doing so get themselves in the mindset of the Chinese towards the actual value and import of their historical culture beyond the Mandate of Heaven. I'll be holding on to my copy of this, for certain.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful use of 285 pages to discuss China's long history: curt, clear, and concise.

[Galicius · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Chinese history is a challenge and a bewildering labyrinth. The reason is probably the huge size of China in people and land as well as the 4000 years of its history. I didn’t bother with committing any of the names into memory. It’s far more complex than any history I read. The last 100 pages are from the formation of communist party in the 1920 to 1985. I didn’t expect so much warfare and misery of the common people. No wonder it was a fruitful field for the communists. Russia was also seriously involved in giving support to the communists. It’s a textbook though and it’s hard to read. It’s just crammed with names and facts and goes lightly over incredible events and periods. I don’t think I would want to delve any deeper into this miasma.

Chinese painting is unique in that a painter has to do it perfectly with each stroke because he is painting on an absorbent surface and cannot correct what he did. Calligraphy is closely tied in Chinese art. There is an interesting description of the Mongol horde. Their idea of destroying a city was to leave it so flattened that a horse going through it at night would not stumble on a single brick. They made felt from wool and lived in tents, which could be transported assembled on giant carts drawn by 20 pairs of oxen. They officers of the horde had 25 to 40 wives with children.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trying to understand modern China? China: It's History and Culture by W. Scott Morton covers 6,000 years of Chinese history in under 300 pages with a focus on emergent themes that impact China today.

Covering geography, philosophy, art, government, and culture this broad sweep approach flies over China's ancient history, flying lower and giving more detail as it approaches present times.

Although it is concise, I found myself stopping to get more information about certain people or events, which lengthened my reading time considerably. But I liked the independent exploration and the ability to move through events of which I was already aware more quickly.

I found this account to be an excellent resource and reference that I would highly recommend.

If you want to season your non-fiction with some fiction salt, explore Chinese literature with a short book of fairy tales...
Chinese Fairy Tales, Martens, 1998 (translation)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Also, see Pearl Buck's expansive triology, which features the lives of three Chinese generations. Book #1 is:
The Good Earth, Buck, 1931
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is easily the best book I've come across on Chinese history and culture, and probably the best book I've found on any history or culture.

In about 300 pages, there is a vast amount of dense information here, which is why it took me so long to make it through (one year now). That being said, Morton writes in an easy, straightforward prose, using colorful, but not difficult, language. He has a real talent for finding just the right word or just the right metaphor to get the point across. He does an excellent job at covering all the most notable and familiar aspects of Chinese history, but also identifies trends and clarifies misconceptions along the way. Morton is a real master of relating the importance of various key events and how they relate. Perhaps it's a bit much to say that reading this book is a journey in itself, but it was certainly enjoyable and educational throughout.

If you're interested in Chinese culture, Asia, sociology, cultural anthropology, economics, politics, Chinese history, or history of any kind, you should pick up a copy at some point and see for yourself.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a mere 285 pages, this history of Chinese development and culture is impressive. It begins briefly with the origination of man in this Eastern part of the world and progresses through each phase, dynasty, and later Communist leader. Focusing on the moments that informed later events, the authors help give a better understanding of the Chinese people and their religious, political, and social practices. I definitely have a better grasp on why the Chinese are so drastically different from the Western peoples and am left pondering given similar circumstances would the West have turned out the same. To that end, the authors give brief details about the West at each major turning point in Chinese history, noting, for example, the Chinese early invention of paper and the correlation in time of Confucius and Plato. Reaching as far forward as 2003, this history brings you up to speed on everything high school or college history failed to cover.

This history is perfect for anyone preparing a trip to China who wants to increase their knowledge base or even for better understanding the popular historical fiction by Lisa See, Amy Tan, or their contemporaries.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars out of 5

The first half of this book is a crisp and fast paced summary of China's history from prehistoric times to the Qing dynasty. It's a well written book, but I wish they spent more time on the Xia and Shang dynasties. Along with the usual politics and war, in each era it also covers cultural 'high points' like Shang dynasty bronze pottery, Song dynasty landscape paintings, and Tang poetry. The writing style is not dry like a lot of history books and easy to understand.

The second half is when the pacing dramatically shifts. The book is written for westerners and the author assumes westerners are more interested in Chinese history or modern history. This change in pacing is hard to get used to, and I found myself scanning a few sections by the end. It's still an enjoyable read but I would have been more interested if greater space was given to earlier times.

Two surprising highlights in terms of style was the author's description of Ming architecture (Forbidden City) and Song landscape paintings. The way the author conveyed the philosophical and cultural viewpoints underlying these arts was well written and extremely interesting!

[周婉蓮 차우 크리스티나 Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

(As posted on my blog, Pneumatised!)

I finally got around to finish reading China: Its History and Culture by W. Scott Morton and Charlton M. Lewis. It's a good overview of the history of China. I picked up this book for two reasons. One was for the overview of key events in China's history. The second reason was because I wanted to know how the history affected Chinese culture. For each era (or dynasty, in most of the cases), this book does a good job of presenting key historic events and discussing aspects of the culture. The only drawback to this book is that the second half of the book is devoted to events in the 20 century leading up to the new millennium. This might have been unavoidable though since we know more about recent historic events than we do about events in the distant past. Overall though, this book gives the reader a good idea of how China came to be the country it is today. After finishing this book, the reader should have a good sense of the character of China.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written and easily read survey of Chinese history. I learned quite a bit about culture and history from this book, and this will certainly serve as a jumping-off point for other, like-minded subjects. My one criticism is that there were not enough maps to make sense of the geography, which is diverse and important to China's history.

As an introductory text, this is one of the better ones I have read. For those who have some extensive background, this book may not add much, but for a novice in Chinese history like myself, I found it to be quite informative.

[Bryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is frustrating in that the entire thrust of Chinese history prior to 1800 is glossed over. This first half of the book is like an overview of an overview, where hundreds of years pass in mere paragraphs and as much energy is spent on contrasting art styles as on the main events of each period. The second half of the book covering the modern period is exactly what I was looking for from the rest of the book, and is worth reading.

[Frank Cardenas · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interestting journey through the enigmatic China that anybody thinking of visiting or working there should make. It will help you understand more about their people, history and culture so that you find a more credible argument than that of TIC: This Is China! Sorry, but I gather that those who have lived there would actually understand me.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

For only being 300 Pages, this book covers a lot of ground and does it well. A nice launching off point to deeper study. I think the focus on culture at times was very useful. This book probably presents the best explanation on the 3 big Chinese religious traditions and how that translates to modern times. This is still a history book, so slow reading at times.

[Rob Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great survey of Chinese history

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of Chinese history up to 1979. It was interesting and it helps me understand current and historical events better.

[Nadia Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book was great for my research as I was writing for a new series.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was helpful, if a little dull in giving me a good overview of Chinese history. It was by a Christian missionary, but he's quite objective in the best sense of the term.

[Laura]

China: Its History and Culture by Scott W. Morton (1995)