The book(The General History of China) is written by a prominent Chinese scholar of The Republic of China era(民国). One of the most remarkable features of the scholars in this ear is their erudite excellence in traditional Chinese culture and full grasp of classic Chinese language, the salient features that are rarely seen in modern society scholars.
People always bemoan that there are no real masters nowadays when compared to the figures in that era.
This perception is a mixture of the critiques for the current pompous atmosphere and the longing for the accomplishments of the real scholars of the past era. And it savors of a kind of over exaggeration but seems to make some sense to some degree. (maybe)
The past era are always ostensibly deemed better than the modern days , which is quite perplexing for me. Is it true? I don't think any would exchange generations with other people of another era.
So it is quite understandable that the book is written in half-classic Chinese and half-vernacular Chinese, a mixture that I kind of relish. I like this written style but it still poses a hint of trouble , because in the book there are not a few tradition Chinese characters ,not the simplified ones as we use today. These traditional, complex characters are still widely used in Hong Kong, TaiWan and Makau.
History studies and learning must be connected with the social science(ig;sociology) and biological science , and this is firmly espoused by Mr Lv Simian. It is not a book to explicitly explain the rise of fall of dynasties nor concrete particularities . It is a book to give general information on China's history and evolution.(marriage ,currency,political entity,tax,education,ethnics,dynasties...)
What I thought about the book: 1 History is not merely about the old books or ponderous recordings of the past, it must be perceived in a grand perspective and can demonstrate the truth of the society evolution.
2 What is past is prologue. History is in a process of perpetual evolution and unbroken series of causalities . In consequence. it cannot be severed from the past. History functions to seek truth from the past,illustrate them so as to illuminate the present and predict the future.(经世致用). We learn this to seek our own path instead of following the beaten-track or committing the similar mistakes.
3 The past history books always recorded the historical figures the famous ones in particular, tacitly approving them the meaning of the history. How preposterous.
4 history should not be about politics, it should be about the cultures. Cultures should be inclusive and evolve with the time, but they cannot be transmitted by force, and if so, Conflicts shall emerge.