Ancient China

Great Ages of Man

by Edward H. Schafer

Fabulous book!

Genres: History, China, Nonfiction, Reference, Ancient History, Historical

192 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1920

About the author

An American sinologist and a noted expert on the Tang dynasty. Schafer's most famous works include The Golden Peaches of Samarkand and The Vermilion Bird, which both explore China's interactions with new cultures and regions during the Tang dynasty.

Schafer earned a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 1947. He then became a professor of Chinese there and remained at Berkeley until his retirement in 1984. From 1955 to 1968 Schafer served as East Asia Editor of the Journal of the American Oriental Society, and from 1969 to 1984 he held the Agassiz Professorship of Oriental Languages and Literature at Berkeley. He is also known within sinology for his uncompromising belief in the importance of language skills and learning and his differing approach on this subject to John King Fairbank. His publications include over 100 scholarly articles and more than a dozen books.

Also known as 薛爱华

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting read with some basics on Ancient Chinese history, but some of the pictures were really low quality and the text to picture ratio wasn't the best. I think there are a lot better history books on Ancient China out there.

[J.D. Steens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Time-Life book is a history of Ancient China from 2000 BCE to 907 CE, the end of the T'ang era, which the book says was China's greatest age. China was then the "colossus of Asia," the Greece and Rome of the Far East. This period is divided into several dynasties lead by emperors who fought for political and military control in the geographic area between the barbarian nomads to the north of the Yellow River (Mongolia) and the barbarians to the south, and between Tibet in the west and the Korean peninsula on the east. One of those dynasties, the Ch'in, although short-lived (221-206 BCE), becomes the name for this broad geographic area (the name "China" was imposed from the outside world).

China's three main religious currents are Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Yet the substrate to these religions was an enduring and paganized worldview characterized by ancestor worship (honor their spirits after death and heaven will shower one with good fortune), nature spirits and shamans (intermediaries between earth and heaven). Monarchs were the offspring of earth mothers and the heavenly deity. The author writes that their power was displayed by thunder, their majesty was shown by the sun, and their grace was revealed by fertilizing rain. Monarchs ruled by divine blessing and dynasties lasted only so long as they had divine favor. When this was lost, a dynasty died and another emerged.

Confucianism is viewed by many as a religious system that supported this tradition-bound monarchical system. Buddhism followed an alternative path. The world is an illusion and detachment from worldly desire is the the way to unite with eternal (changeless) reality. As with Buddhism, Taoism is a reaction to cultural conformity. The author states that Taoism is also concerned with eternal life (versus the view of others that its focus is on impersonal nature), working with nature via alchemy and reagents.

As with other books in this Time-Life series (Great Ages of Man), this book provides a good overview of a rich and complex culture that chronologically paralleled that of Greece and Rome.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this used for a penny on Amazon, and by golly was that the best penny I ever spent. Sure, the Time Life series on the "Great Ages of Man" from the '70s strikes one today as being little misguided, overly optimistic, a relic of the humanism that brought about Great Books series and the like. But Edward Schafer is not only a well-known historian amongst Sinologists, he's also a fabulously gifted prose stylist who knows how to draw you into his often obscure topics. The result is a great contribution to this ol' series. The book also features some wonderful, glossy illustrations of ancient paintings, sculptures, and pottery with nice, concise captions. The book succeeds in exactly what it proposes to do, and for this I say it's worthy every penny.

[Caroline Duggan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect balance of a history of political change, social systems, the essential cultural changes of ancient China and the wonderful poetry, art, and inventions that have been the legacy of ancient and medieval China. The book had some surprising delights, such as a full description and layout of the T'Ang capital Ch'ang-an, several pages devoted to the invention of paper and the original printing method, and insights into the skill and intellect required to be a court astronomer. Other reflections on ancient Chinese astronomy have focused more on the dependence by emperors on astronomy for portents of good and evil. Refreshingly, this author focused on the achievements and inventions associated with ancient astronomy. On reflection this was why I would give this book five stars; it does not lean into some of the madness of court rituals as other accounts do. Its focus is always on what is to be admired about this civilisation, and what was admired at the time and learnt from. It is incredible to me that the T'ang dynasty was at its peak at the same time as Europe was being decimated by the Vikings, and slipping into cultural darkness.

[Jonathan Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a fairly decent introduction.

[Jeevan Koneti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the way the book is compiled to cover different aspects (history, politics, trade, art etc) of life from 2000 BC 1000AD

[Kili · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as I hoped

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The American-born Sinologist Edward H. Schafer's 1967 edition of the book entitled Ancient China, is a history of China until the end of the T'ang Dynasty until 907 C.E. Schafer was a professor of Chinese at the University of California, Berkeley from the late 1940s until 1984. Schafer was an expert on the T’ang Dynasty from 618 C.E. until 907 C.E. The book is for the series of Time-Life Books’ Great Ages of Man. Schafer’s book is probably dated, but it is still worth reading if one is interested in the historiography of Ancient China. To put the age of the book in perspective the Terracotta Army of Emperor Ying Cheng was only discovered in 1974. Cheng is still an important figure in Schafer’s book on Ancient China. A reader can tell that Schafer is an expert on the T’ang Dynasty, the last chapter on “China and the Outer World” (164), which mainly covers the T’ang Dynasty is well done. Ancient China is readable. The book has a beautiful layout. A photo essay follows each chapter. A timeline is at the end of the book. The book covers different aspects of Ancient China, so the topics covered in the book are quite broad. The book is 183 pages (not including the Timeline), so the book covers a lot in 183 pages. Even though it was dated I did not regret spending time reading the book, Ancient China.


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[Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I will give this book a full five stars. I would never claim it is perfect, but it meets my criteria, at least, of "it was amazing". Perhaps "I loved it" would be a better measure of five stars here on Goodreads. If your aim is to provide a reader with a rich, rewarding, readable and fabulously illustrated introduction to early China, from the early Shang kings to the Tang Dynasty of the 7th to 9th centuries A.D., I cannot conceive any better way of achieving it.

I've probably expressed it elsewhere, but it bears repeating. We are a poorer world for the loss of Time-Life books.

[Karen Mosley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of art and photographs of art. Very good for learning the culture of China--it has a pretty long history!

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly holistic, genuine in its love of the rainbow of humanity, poignant, quirky, and most of all, provides an intimate portrait of Ancient China, of its people.

[James Violand · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good over-all history of the great civilization. From the Time-Life series Great Ages of Man.

[Jordan Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and very interesting, it kept my attention throughout.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edward Schafer is one of my favorite authors!