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Histoire de la Chine: Des origines à nos jours
L’Histoire de la Chine, de John King Fairbank, retrace l’histoire générale de la Chine, des cultures paléolithiques à la dynastie Ming, du massacre de Tienanmen en 1989 aux Jeux Olympiques de 2008. Ce livre constitue probablement, à l’échelle mondiale, la meilleure réflexion récente sur « l’empire du Milieu ». Un récit vivant, adressé à un public de non-spécialiste, qui traduit une vision d’ensemble et une parfaite maîtrise du savoir mondial sur la Chine. Cette étude s’intéresse à l’histoire sociale, intellectuelle et politique, à la vie quotidienne des Chinois et à la « société civile ». Indispensable pour comprendre le nouveau géant mondial, cette réflexion éclaire la question démographique et explique l’omniprésence d’un État autocratique.
752 pages, Pocket Book
First published January 1, 1992
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About the author
John King Fairbank
114 books60 followersJohn King Fairbank (1907 – 1991) was an American historian of China and United States-China relations. He taught at Harvard University from 1936 until his retirement in 1977. He is credited with building the field of China studies in the United States after World War II with his organizational ability, his mentorship of students, support of fellow scholars, and formulation of basic concepts to be tested.
The Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard is named after him.
The Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard is named after him.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
May 1, 2017
The book mainly consists of post-Qing Chinese modern and contemporary history. The question the author is trying to answer is why China ended up lagging behind the West. The conclusion is mainly a criticism against Neoconfucian tradition as being the root of despotism historically pervasive in the governance of China. As a Korean reader, who still breathes in Neoconfucian heritage on a real time basis like it or not, I find it hard to just nod and readily agree to the prescription. Some parts of me want to refute the conclusion since it feels like being told "you are intrinsically inferior by having been born into that heritage." I am never a lover of Neoconfucianism myself, but I'd rather approach a civilization as itself with some reasonable and complete inner system in it.
As far as I know, John King Fairbank was originally quite sympathetic towards the CCP government and had a huge backlash afterwards. This book was his last work finished right before his death. In this book, he dramatically changed his opinion for redemption by criticizing the tyranny of CCP. It is understandable, but as a reader from a cultural sphere pretty close from China, the main question and the author's simple answer is rather hard to swallow. I fully support democratic ideal for sure, but the naïve belief in Western superiority at the expense of belittling other civilization is also something to be afraid of. Just as much as Neoconfucianism has shackled us.
As far as I know, John King Fairbank was originally quite sympathetic towards the CCP government and had a huge backlash afterwards. This book was his last work finished right before his death. In this book, he dramatically changed his opinion for redemption by criticizing the tyranny of CCP. It is understandable, but as a reader from a cultural sphere pretty close from China, the main question and the author's simple answer is rather hard to swallow. I fully support democratic ideal for sure, but the naïve belief in Western superiority at the expense of belittling other civilization is also something to be afraid of. Just as much as Neoconfucianism has shackled us.
February 25, 2020
Tengo sentimientos encontrados con este libro.
En una primera parte nos da un paneo general de la china antigua y de las dinastías imperiales. Esta sección la noté muy vacía a comparación de la siguiente, una lastima porque justamente era lo que más me interesaba. La segunda se focaliza en los siglos XIX y XX. Es mucho más atrapante y se nota que al autor le fascinaba especialmente. El problema es que hay otros libros mucho mejores que este tratando esos temas por separado. La única ventaja que le veo al de Fairbank es la accesibilidad al tener todo junto.
A veces divaga y se centra en temas poco importantes para luego saltearse cosas centrales.
No deja de ser uno de los mejores libros introductorios a la historia china, pero, creo yo, más por escasez que por merito propio.
En una primera parte nos da un paneo general de la china antigua y de las dinastías imperiales. Esta sección la noté muy vacía a comparación de la siguiente, una lastima porque justamente era lo que más me interesaba. La segunda se focaliza en los siglos XIX y XX. Es mucho más atrapante y se nota que al autor le fascinaba especialmente. El problema es que hay otros libros mucho mejores que este tratando esos temas por separado. La única ventaja que le veo al de Fairbank es la accesibilidad al tener todo junto.
A veces divaga y se centra en temas poco importantes para luego saltearse cosas centrales.
No deja de ser uno de los mejores libros introductorios a la historia china, pero, creo yo, más por escasez que por merito propio.
May 22, 2023
Only Ancient Egypt and India rival the length and development of the near three millennia long development of Chinese civilization, one that for centuries was more advanced than other locations on the Eurasian landmass until suddenly it wasn’t and challenged. China: A New History is the last work by noted historian John King Fairbanks with addition from Merle Goldman covering the post-Mao years to the beginning of the 21st century.
Covering a 4000-year-old civilization in a total of 455 pages of text, of which only 405 were written by Fairbanks, is a daunting history however Fairbanks quickly develops the threads and themes he will follow throughout the history of a nation and a culture. Barely over half the book is dedicated to the ‘Imperial’ period from the first appearances of the elements that would become then shape Chinese culture to the fall of the Qing dynasty and the rest of the book covering the 20th Century that saw the Republican, Nationalist, and Communist eras. Goldman’s last chapter and epilogue attempts to follow Fairbanks threads and themes though in her own words and style which meshed well. This is not a history the delves into important people until the arrival of Mao, yet those Fairbanks points out and gives significant page space to are connected to the threads and themes. The number of sources and closer we get to our own time means the speed of history slows down, which given the number of pages is understandable but there were some sections of Chinese history I which Fairbanks would have given more time to.
China: A New History is the masterpiece of noted historian John King Fairbanks with a well written addition by Merle Goldman bringing the nation’s history up to the 21st Century. Given the amount of time needed to be covered and the number of pages its down in, it’s a fantastic history.
Covering a 4000-year-old civilization in a total of 455 pages of text, of which only 405 were written by Fairbanks, is a daunting history however Fairbanks quickly develops the threads and themes he will follow throughout the history of a nation and a culture. Barely over half the book is dedicated to the ‘Imperial’ period from the first appearances of the elements that would become then shape Chinese culture to the fall of the Qing dynasty and the rest of the book covering the 20th Century that saw the Republican, Nationalist, and Communist eras. Goldman’s last chapter and epilogue attempts to follow Fairbanks threads and themes though in her own words and style which meshed well. This is not a history the delves into important people until the arrival of Mao, yet those Fairbanks points out and gives significant page space to are connected to the threads and themes. The number of sources and closer we get to our own time means the speed of history slows down, which given the number of pages is understandable but there were some sections of Chinese history I which Fairbanks would have given more time to.
China: A New History is the masterpiece of noted historian John King Fairbanks with a well written addition by Merle Goldman bringing the nation’s history up to the 21st Century. Given the amount of time needed to be covered and the number of pages its down in, it’s a fantastic history.
August 3, 2009
Reading this book cover to cover may be one of the nerdiest things I've ever done, and that's saying something. China: A New History is literally a text book. It's what college students are often assigned as their base resource for a class likely to be called "China Studies 101" or "Chinese History 101". It's the kind of thing that professors assign, but students rarely read all the way through. Maybe you catch a chapter here and there, but there's no way you have the patience to read the whole thing.
I read the whole thing.
It served its purpose, I guess, though it's far from the most interesting or well-written academic work I've ever read. I was told that Fairbank was the doyen of Chinese history in the West before his death in the 1990s. This is an updated version of his classic intro text book. Fine. All well and good. I learned a lot. But there's no need for anyone to ever read this book unless you're in a class or in a similar situation as me.
I read the whole thing.
It served its purpose, I guess, though it's far from the most interesting or well-written academic work I've ever read. I was told that Fairbank was the doyen of Chinese history in the West before his death in the 1990s. This is an updated version of his classic intro text book. Fine. All well and good. I learned a lot. But there's no need for anyone to ever read this book unless you're in a class or in a similar situation as me.
September 15, 2017
Enjoyed this a lot. History with the scaffolding showing.
November 14, 2025
John King Fairbank’s China: A New History (1992; revised and expanded in later editions by Merle Goldman) stands as a landmark synthesis by one of the most influential American historians of China. Published at the culmination of Fairbank’s long career, the book distills more than half a century of scholarship into a lucid, authoritative narrative that traces the evolution of Chinese civilization from its earliest dynasties to the late twentieth century. Although intended as a general survey, the work has become foundational in both undergraduate teaching and broader scholarly discourse on Chinese history.
A central strength of China: A New History is its coherence of interpretation. Fairbank sought to provide a structural understanding of China’s historical development, emphasizing how enduring institutions—bureaucratic governance, Confucian ideology, agrarian social structures, and tributary diplomacy—shaped China’s political and cultural trajectory. His long-standing scholarly project was to dispel Western stereotypes of China as static or despotic by demonstrating the sophistication, adaptability, and internal logic of imperial governance. In this respect, the book is the culmination of Fairbank’s historiographical mission: to situate China as a dynamic world civilization with its own historical rhythms, rather than as a passive recipient of Western influence.
Fairbank’s treatment of the imperial era, especially the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, is richly textured. He highlights the administrative innovations that undergirded dynastic resilience, the moral philosophy that legitimated state authority, and the complex interactions between the agrarian economy and social hierarchy. His analysis of the “Chinese world order”—a diplomatic framework premised on ritual hierarchy and cultural centrality—remains one of the most influential components of Fairbank’s intellectual legacy. Through it, he argues that China’s foreign relations prior to the nineteenth century were shaped less by territorial ambition than by a culturally inflected vision of universal kingship.
The book’s narrative shifts markedly in the nineteenth century, when Fairbank examines the pressures exerted by Western imperialism, internal rebellion, and institutional strain. Echoing themes developed throughout his scholarship, he frames the Qing dynasty’s crisis less as cultural conservatism than as a mismatch between entrenched institutions and the unprecedented demands of industrialized global powers. His analysis of the Opium War, the Taiping Rebellion, and the late Qing reform efforts integrates political, economic, and intellectual history to explain the tumultuous process by which China confronted modernity.
Fairbank’s account of the twentieth century—especially the Republican era, the Communist revolution, and the Maoist decades—is more concise but still analytically robust. He contextualizes the emergence of competing nationalist and socialist visions against the backdrop of warlord fragmentation, Japanese invasion, and the collapse of the imperial order. Though more cautious in assessing the People’s Republic of China, Fairbank’s narrative underscores the continuity of state-building imperatives, even amid radically different ideological frameworks.
From an academic standpoint, China: A New History exhibits both the strengths and limitations of the Fairbankian paradigm. Its analytical coherence, elegant prose, and synthetic scope continue to make it invaluable. Yet later scholarship has critiqued aspects of Fairbank’s framework, particularly his emphasis on bureaucratic orthodoxy, the tributary system, and the centrality of Confucian ideology. More recent work has highlighted the diversity of regional cultures, the agency of non-Han frontier groups, the global entanglements of late imperial China, and the dynamism of commercial and market forces—all areas where Fairbank’s narrative is more restrained. Likewise, the structural continuity he emphasizes can occasionally overshadow internal contradictions and contested political visions.
Despite these critiques, the enduring value of China: A New History is unmistakable. It remains one of the clearest and most compelling introductions to Chinese history, offering a macrohistorical perspective grounded in deep expertise. The book’s capacity to synthesize vast temporal and thematic terrain into a coherent narrative is a testament to Fairbank’s scholarly mastery.
Fairbank’s China: A New History stands as a classic in the field of Chinese studies—an indispensable, though not unchallenged, interpretive framework for understanding China’s long historical development. Its influence endures both as a pedagogical cornerstone and as a touchstone for ongoing historiographical debates.
GPT
A central strength of China: A New History is its coherence of interpretation. Fairbank sought to provide a structural understanding of China’s historical development, emphasizing how enduring institutions—bureaucratic governance, Confucian ideology, agrarian social structures, and tributary diplomacy—shaped China’s political and cultural trajectory. His long-standing scholarly project was to dispel Western stereotypes of China as static or despotic by demonstrating the sophistication, adaptability, and internal logic of imperial governance. In this respect, the book is the culmination of Fairbank’s historiographical mission: to situate China as a dynamic world civilization with its own historical rhythms, rather than as a passive recipient of Western influence.
Fairbank’s treatment of the imperial era, especially the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, is richly textured. He highlights the administrative innovations that undergirded dynastic resilience, the moral philosophy that legitimated state authority, and the complex interactions between the agrarian economy and social hierarchy. His analysis of the “Chinese world order”—a diplomatic framework premised on ritual hierarchy and cultural centrality—remains one of the most influential components of Fairbank’s intellectual legacy. Through it, he argues that China’s foreign relations prior to the nineteenth century were shaped less by territorial ambition than by a culturally inflected vision of universal kingship.
The book’s narrative shifts markedly in the nineteenth century, when Fairbank examines the pressures exerted by Western imperialism, internal rebellion, and institutional strain. Echoing themes developed throughout his scholarship, he frames the Qing dynasty’s crisis less as cultural conservatism than as a mismatch between entrenched institutions and the unprecedented demands of industrialized global powers. His analysis of the Opium War, the Taiping Rebellion, and the late Qing reform efforts integrates political, economic, and intellectual history to explain the tumultuous process by which China confronted modernity.
Fairbank’s account of the twentieth century—especially the Republican era, the Communist revolution, and the Maoist decades—is more concise but still analytically robust. He contextualizes the emergence of competing nationalist and socialist visions against the backdrop of warlord fragmentation, Japanese invasion, and the collapse of the imperial order. Though more cautious in assessing the People’s Republic of China, Fairbank’s narrative underscores the continuity of state-building imperatives, even amid radically different ideological frameworks.
From an academic standpoint, China: A New History exhibits both the strengths and limitations of the Fairbankian paradigm. Its analytical coherence, elegant prose, and synthetic scope continue to make it invaluable. Yet later scholarship has critiqued aspects of Fairbank’s framework, particularly his emphasis on bureaucratic orthodoxy, the tributary system, and the centrality of Confucian ideology. More recent work has highlighted the diversity of regional cultures, the agency of non-Han frontier groups, the global entanglements of late imperial China, and the dynamism of commercial and market forces—all areas where Fairbank’s narrative is more restrained. Likewise, the structural continuity he emphasizes can occasionally overshadow internal contradictions and contested political visions.
Despite these critiques, the enduring value of China: A New History is unmistakable. It remains one of the clearest and most compelling introductions to Chinese history, offering a macrohistorical perspective grounded in deep expertise. The book’s capacity to synthesize vast temporal and thematic terrain into a coherent narrative is a testament to Fairbank’s scholarly mastery.
Fairbank’s China: A New History stands as a classic in the field of Chinese studies—an indispensable, though not unchallenged, interpretive framework for understanding China’s long historical development. Its influence endures both as a pedagogical cornerstone and as a touchstone for ongoing historiographical debates.
GPT
January 6, 2010
There is more of a focus on the Qing dynasty and after. In general, when compared to Hucker and Gernet, Fairbank & Goldman (I abbreviate 'Fairbank' from here on) are more closely interested in mechanisms, both governmental and economic, that predominated during historical times. He gives references to the range of academic studies concerning particular issues without getting bogged down in academic disputes.
However none of the books give a convincing explanation of the decline in wealth that took place in the 18th and 19th century. Fairbank emphasizes the law of diminishing returns, which existed in Europe, as well, so why should it be the primary explanation in this case? More reasonable is his comment that "merchants never broke free of official supervision, if not domination" (p. 179).
Note that the coverage of foot-binding here is far superior to that of Gernet and Hucker, who both largely ignore this practice.
Merle Goldsmith's 40-page coverage of the period following the Cultural Revolution is quite useful, although it covers only to 1998.
However none of the books give a convincing explanation of the decline in wealth that took place in the 18th and 19th century. Fairbank emphasizes the law of diminishing returns, which existed in Europe, as well, so why should it be the primary explanation in this case? More reasonable is his comment that "merchants never broke free of official supervision, if not domination" (p. 179).
Note that the coverage of foot-binding here is far superior to that of Gernet and Hucker, who both largely ignore this practice.
Merle Goldsmith's 40-page coverage of the period following the Cultural Revolution is quite useful, although it covers only to 1998.
August 10, 2024
Cina: Tajemna mysticka zeme zahalena rouskou tajemstvi.
Zeme bez jejichz nescetnych vynalezu a potravin by nemoha existovat zadna dnesni kuchyne.
Srdce svetoveho obchodu pozdeji ale znama spis jako svetova tovarna pro vyrobky domaci spotreby a hracek podle napisu Made in China ...Made in Hongkong.
Co ale clovek vy o jeji skutecne historii ?
A kde je cina a jeji obyvatele dnes v modernim globalizovanem svete?
Kniha Johna K. Fairbanka je nadherny soupis Dejin tenhle uzasne mocnosti, jejichz obyvatele sou po celem svete znami a proslaveni svoji pracovitosti a houzevnatosti.
Zeme bez jejichz nescetnych vynalezu a potravin by nemoha existovat zadna dnesni kuchyne.
Srdce svetoveho obchodu pozdeji ale znama spis jako svetova tovarna pro vyrobky domaci spotreby a hracek podle napisu Made in China ...Made in Hongkong.
Co ale clovek vy o jeji skutecne historii ?
A kde je cina a jeji obyvatele dnes v modernim globalizovanem svete?
Kniha Johna K. Fairbanka je nadherny soupis Dejin tenhle uzasne mocnosti, jejichz obyvatele sou po celem svete znami a proslaveni svoji pracovitosti a houzevnatosti.
November 28, 2021
The history of China is very heavy on the modern period. I mean it is a work written by a westerner a fairly standard history of China. Not a big fan of Mao or the CCP but I would rather hear a left-wing treatment of history I mean a standard centrist history is ok but honestly, I don't think our mainstream has the best POV. Not bad though.
May 2, 2022
Brisk, engaging, and vigorous, the faults of this broad overview of Chinese history are two, that as with most works of great breadth often it lacks the slow, patient, detailed strokes that give to a picture depth, and the final chapters, concerned with the post-Mao era, are much narrower in scope and perhaps more ideologically tainted than all the book’s chapters previous.
March 6, 2020
This book summarizes Chinese History from ancient times to the late 1980s. I got this book primarily due to curiosity about early Chinese History and it whetted that curiosity. The last half of the book wasn’t quite as interesting to me.
February 25, 2024
DNF (~50%). Having read up on the People's Republic and being generally intrigued by Chinese civilisation, I've wanted to learn about the rest of its immense history for a while. I tried reading John Keay and Michael Wood's works but found them too pop-historyish. I finally stumbled upon their book through several citations in other books, hoping for a good academic treatment instead. Unfortunately for a book by the "doyen of Chinese history", I don't think it delivers. As far as scholarship goes it is sound, and JKF's prose is readable. He was definitely immensely knowledgeable and drops some eye-opening facts and analysis. However, my problem with the book is of a technical nature. Notwithstanding the necessary omissions of a one volume millenia-long account, history is galloped through at such a maddening pace (especially the pre-Qing era) that you may as well just read China's Wikipedia page. The precious space that remains seems to be spent mostly on rather trivial administrative minutiae, with political narratives mostly eschewed and social history reported on only from the most detached bird's-eye view (the section on women and foot-binding was a welcome exception). While I particularly enjoyed reading about Song proto-industrialisation and Qing proto-capitalism and didn't find the reading hardgoing, I was left underwhelmed, and decided that if I want context to the Chinese Revolution I'll simply read a book on the Republican Era instead. The search for a great one-volume book on Chinese history continues.
June 12, 2020
Fairbank jest może światowej klasy specem od historii Chin, niestety z opowiadaniem o niej ma już spory problem. Książka jest pełna ambiwalentnych opinii autora, nie są w niej zachowane proporcje między zagadnieniami, wydaje się bardziej kompilacją esejów na tematy, które bardziej Fairbanka interesują, bądź na których się bardziej zna (chrześcijaństwo w Chinach, historia gospodarcza, formowanie się i pozycja społeczna gentry). Jeśli ktoś szuka kompendium historii Państwa Środka to z pewnością się zawiedzie. Abstrahując od warsztatu historyka, książka jest po prostu źle napisana: ciągi przyczynowo-skutkowe praktycznie w niej nie istnieją, niektóre zdania są ze sobą zestawione tak przypadkowo, że ma się wrażenie, że pozycja jest strumieniem świadomości autora, którego nigdy nie omiotło spojrzenie redaktora. Posłowie Romana Sławińskiego czyta się o niebo przyjemniej od samej książki. Dla czytelnika, nawet szczerze zainteresowanego tematem, lektura to w znakomitej części droga przez mękę.
August 9, 2013
Dry and academic but brilliantly comprehensive, Fairbank explores China's extensive history from political, economic, cultural, social and philosophical perspectives.
Before reading this book, most of what I knew about China had either trickled down from the media or from even less reliable sources. Now the progression of this vast region of the world has been integrated into my broader understanding of human history, and I am richer for the experience.
Before reading this book, most of what I knew about China had either trickled down from the media or from even less reliable sources. Now the progression of this vast region of the world has been integrated into my broader understanding of human history, and I am richer for the experience.
October 6, 2016
I read about 80 pages of this, about up to 400 AD. I was primarily interested in the earlier Warring States period of around 400-200 BC, but like most Chinese history books, it's quite lacking in this area. It does have a lot from the Ming Dynasty onward, again, like most Chinese history books.
February 13, 2008
So far I hate this book. The authors have managed to make what should be a fascinating history utterly boring and tedious.
I doubt I'll finish it.
I doubt I'll finish it.
February 25, 2018
Thorough.
August 3, 2019
Is it even possible to fit the whole of China's history into one volume? The Herculean task may never be achieved, but Prof. Fairbank has given it a masterful attempt. Indeed we are quite lucky to have this volume (Prof. Fairbank suffered a heart attack after delivering the final manuscript and passed away 2 days later), because nearly 30 years later it is still an invaluable read. One cannot hope to understand fully a country, its actions and desires, without understanding its historical context (take for example race relations in America's South).
Prof. Fairbank does a good job of highlighting the key facts and events in China's history, from Paleolithic times, through its imperial dynasties and through to the reforms of the 90s. Along the way he provides thoughtful analysis on how the cultural norms and philosophy of the day shaped responses to these events and their lingering influence on modern times. The epilogue caps off the book with some deeply-thoughtful analysis, that defies the simple Manichaean logic that so often pervades the debate on how China should develop: "We may justifiably see the Chinese movement toward civil society as a historic trend without jumping to the conclusion that it must lead in China to the Western type of democracy... And until Western democratic regimes have a more effective way of curbing corruption and maintaining public morale, these examples of democratic government may fail to win public approval in China. We outsiders can offer China advice about the overriding need for human rights, but until we can set an example by properly curbing our own media violence and the drug and gun industries, we can hardly urge China to be more like us. Instead, we must must scrutinize the adequacy of our basic assumptions about the Chinese scene." (p432). One is reminded Fukuyama's argument on how America's experiences to transplant Western style democracy to countries lacking historical and cultural structures have failed miserably.
In other ways, we can see how history indeed rhymes. Against the backdrop of the protests in HK, we can see other historical similarities. And when we step back, we can see how the study of history can help use understand our own times. Another astute observation by Prof. Fairbank: "[The students] needed better food and clothing, more space to live in, more books available to read, and more chance to express themselves in speech and writing. But these were selfish needs, ignoble and unseemly to demand in public. Their pronouncements therefore dealt with abstractions - democracy, freedom, liberty, morality (against corruption), justice (against favoritism), and national honor (against foreign insults). The students had no intellectual sanction to lat the facts on the line. Even for practical negotiations, they had no concrete demands." (p425)
In conclusion, we should be grateful that Prof. Fairbank was able to finish this volume. Of course it skips over detail in parts, but that is to be expected - tradeoffs need otherwise the end product will be unmanageable. The language has some unnecessary flourishes in parts, and with all books on China I think it is necessary to just to have the pin-yin but also characters. But these are small blemishes on an otherwise great book.
Prof. Fairbank does a good job of highlighting the key facts and events in China's history, from Paleolithic times, through its imperial dynasties and through to the reforms of the 90s. Along the way he provides thoughtful analysis on how the cultural norms and philosophy of the day shaped responses to these events and their lingering influence on modern times. The epilogue caps off the book with some deeply-thoughtful analysis, that defies the simple Manichaean logic that so often pervades the debate on how China should develop: "We may justifiably see the Chinese movement toward civil society as a historic trend without jumping to the conclusion that it must lead in China to the Western type of democracy... And until Western democratic regimes have a more effective way of curbing corruption and maintaining public morale, these examples of democratic government may fail to win public approval in China. We outsiders can offer China advice about the overriding need for human rights, but until we can set an example by properly curbing our own media violence and the drug and gun industries, we can hardly urge China to be more like us. Instead, we must must scrutinize the adequacy of our basic assumptions about the Chinese scene." (p432). One is reminded Fukuyama's argument on how America's experiences to transplant Western style democracy to countries lacking historical and cultural structures have failed miserably.
In other ways, we can see how history indeed rhymes. Against the backdrop of the protests in HK, we can see other historical similarities. And when we step back, we can see how the study of history can help use understand our own times. Another astute observation by Prof. Fairbank: "[The students] needed better food and clothing, more space to live in, more books available to read, and more chance to express themselves in speech and writing. But these were selfish needs, ignoble and unseemly to demand in public. Their pronouncements therefore dealt with abstractions - democracy, freedom, liberty, morality (against corruption), justice (against favoritism), and national honor (against foreign insults). The students had no intellectual sanction to lat the facts on the line. Even for practical negotiations, they had no concrete demands." (p425)
In conclusion, we should be grateful that Prof. Fairbank was able to finish this volume. Of course it skips over detail in parts, but that is to be expected - tradeoffs need otherwise the end product will be unmanageable. The language has some unnecessary flourishes in parts, and with all books on China I think it is necessary to just to have the pin-yin but also characters. But these are small blemishes on an otherwise great book.
January 4, 2021
I have read several, verging on numerous, one volume histories of China now. This one gets four stars because like too many, the depth of coverage decreases the further back in time one goes. We've reached the 20th Century by page 200 with 300 pages still to go. In this respect John Keay's China: a History, remains the single best one volume history from prehistoric times to 'the present', which in this book's case means 2006. There is, of course, the problem facing any such history that China has been evolving so rapidly since the revolution(s), that anything more than 5 years old, it feels like a significant gap has been left.
This book is actually a second edition from the initial publication of 1996, extended into the Jiang Zemin - Hu Jintao years by a second author. This means that the book's extensive bibliography, compiled by Fairbanks, is now very dated with few titles that would be easily available today.
For whatever reason, with most histories I have read my eyes have tended to glaze over once we reach the turmoil of the post-Mao years. Merle Goldman's extension for this edition is arguably the best feature of this book as between his contribution and Fairbanks' own coverage of the Deng Xiaoping era a very precise and clear picture is presented of the various currents in Chinese society; rural and industrial economic, popular and intellectual cultural, military within and outside government. This has greatly clarified my understanding of some of the threads that crop up repeatedly among China commentators of today. For instance, with Chinese government and politics being so opaque to the outside world, or even within China itself, it is tempting for commentators to try and guess what might be going on based on previous history. In particular, the Confucian tradition is regularly cited as a way of making sense of current Chinese society and politics. However, it is apparent that while Confucian tradition is alive and somewhat well in Chinese academia, academia is still under the thumb of the Party and the Party remains too pragmatically involved with its own objectives for Confucianism to really be an explanatory factor. There are actually few to no cases where a country's present history can be reliably inferred from that of its deep past and, if we had more access to the inner workings of Chinese government, China's deep past would not be such a heavily mined source of pseudo-explanation.
While reading this I also came to a deeper view of Mao's own journey, from presumably genuine seeker of social justice to arguably the ultimate despotic monster of all history. I find myself considering at a new level the path of decision making Mao was confronted with and trying to understand those decisions that were reasonable in the circumstances, those that were lamentable but pragmatically necessary and those which were a roll of the dice by a ruthless tyrant infatuated with his own absolute power. With the only biography of Mao I have read being that of Jung/Halliday, it is too easy to presume that the dominant factor in all Mao's decision making was invariably consideration of his own power. I now feel I need to examine the events more closely and at least begin looking for the man behind the monster
So, not the best but a very worthwhile book, particularly if your interest is in modern China.
This book is actually a second edition from the initial publication of 1996, extended into the Jiang Zemin - Hu Jintao years by a second author. This means that the book's extensive bibliography, compiled by Fairbanks, is now very dated with few titles that would be easily available today.
For whatever reason, with most histories I have read my eyes have tended to glaze over once we reach the turmoil of the post-Mao years. Merle Goldman's extension for this edition is arguably the best feature of this book as between his contribution and Fairbanks' own coverage of the Deng Xiaoping era a very precise and clear picture is presented of the various currents in Chinese society; rural and industrial economic, popular and intellectual cultural, military within and outside government. This has greatly clarified my understanding of some of the threads that crop up repeatedly among China commentators of today. For instance, with Chinese government and politics being so opaque to the outside world, or even within China itself, it is tempting for commentators to try and guess what might be going on based on previous history. In particular, the Confucian tradition is regularly cited as a way of making sense of current Chinese society and politics. However, it is apparent that while Confucian tradition is alive and somewhat well in Chinese academia, academia is still under the thumb of the Party and the Party remains too pragmatically involved with its own objectives for Confucianism to really be an explanatory factor. There are actually few to no cases where a country's present history can be reliably inferred from that of its deep past and, if we had more access to the inner workings of Chinese government, China's deep past would not be such a heavily mined source of pseudo-explanation.
While reading this I also came to a deeper view of Mao's own journey, from presumably genuine seeker of social justice to arguably the ultimate despotic monster of all history. I find myself considering at a new level the path of decision making Mao was confronted with and trying to understand those decisions that were reasonable in the circumstances, those that were lamentable but pragmatically necessary and those which were a roll of the dice by a ruthless tyrant infatuated with his own absolute power. With the only biography of Mao I have read being that of Jung/Halliday, it is too easy to presume that the dominant factor in all Mao's decision making was invariably consideration of his own power. I now feel I need to examine the events more closely and at least begin looking for the man behind the monster
So, not the best but a very worthwhile book, particularly if your interest is in modern China.
August 12, 2020
1. This book assumes you already have a knowledge about Chinese history, therefore offering a 'new' perspective using an archaeological lens. For a dummy like me, I didn't appreciate neo-historicism because I was looking for an idiot book and I picked the wrong book. I picked this among the others because it had the least number of pages (581) but I had to toil finishing the book. This isn't to say it wasn't in the least bit helpful. It is: it just assumes you know what you're reading hence, offering counter-perspectives.
2. This book's faithful to the chronological development of Chinese thought and history starting from pre-historical times, another reason why I picked the book. Again, however, it centers on archaeological evidence of bones extracted from caves (Peking Man), scrolls during Han, Zhou dynasties among others, as well as the significance of Confucianism and Taoism in early Chinese History (and thus, the divide).
3. It was written by a Harvard scholar, and the book was obviously written for Harvard students. The book is Western-centric, so it frequently compares Western civ. vis-a-vis Chinese history. This is fine by me, since world history as taught in the school focuses on Western civ. But, again, I didn't appreciate the book because it was not meant for me.
4. I picked the book prior to reading Kissinger's On China and Deng Xiaoping by Vogel because the only stock knowledge I have of Chinese history came from Fukuyama's Political Order series and it tackles Chinese civilisation on the fly. I needed to pare things down and slowly appreciate this sleeping giant, obviously now awake.
2. This book's faithful to the chronological development of Chinese thought and history starting from pre-historical times, another reason why I picked the book. Again, however, it centers on archaeological evidence of bones extracted from caves (Peking Man), scrolls during Han, Zhou dynasties among others, as well as the significance of Confucianism and Taoism in early Chinese History (and thus, the divide).
3. It was written by a Harvard scholar, and the book was obviously written for Harvard students. The book is Western-centric, so it frequently compares Western civ. vis-a-vis Chinese history. This is fine by me, since world history as taught in the school focuses on Western civ. But, again, I didn't appreciate the book because it was not meant for me.
4. I picked the book prior to reading Kissinger's On China and Deng Xiaoping by Vogel because the only stock knowledge I have of Chinese history came from Fukuyama's Political Order series and it tackles Chinese civilisation on the fly. I needed to pare things down and slowly appreciate this sleeping giant, obviously now awake.
December 25, 2024
J’ai beaucoup aimé ce livre qui retrace l’histoire de la Chine depuis -4000 ans avant JC jusqu’à nos jours.
Au Néolithique, la Chine n’a pas développé son commerce maritime car aucune communauté ne vivant en bord de mer. Elles étaient concentrées dans les terres. C’est le commerce fluvial qui s’est développé.
L’immiscion dans la vie privée des gens par le gouvernement central était déjà de rigueur sous la dynastie des Qing (1600-1911). L’Etat essayait de réprimer toute forme de sédition à la source.
Le développement démographique ne s’est pas accompagné d’une croissance économique comme c’est le cas normalement. Ceci s’explique en partie par la pression démographique sur l’économie et sur le rendement agricole qui a dû s’agrandir sur des terres moins fertiles.
En 1957, afin d’améliorer les relations entre parti communiste et population, Mao a lancé la campagne des cents fleurs qui consistait à redonner une liberté d’expression au peuple et plus particulièrement aux intellectuels. Or, les contestations et reproches explosèrent ce qui entraîna une répression de centaines de milliers de personnes parmi les intellectuels et qui aura des conséquences sur l’échec du Grand Bond en avant qui suivit cette campagne.
Le livre fait un gros focus sur la période Mao et l’arrivée des communistes au pouvoir et tend à passer rapidement sur les périodes plus anciennes de l’histoire. J’aurais aimé plus d’explications sur les anciennes dynasties impériales mais peut être que le manque de ressources fut un problème. Enfin j’aurais apprécié une partie plus récente au moins jusqu’au Covid afin d’avoir une partie sur le début du règne de Xi Jinping.
Au Néolithique, la Chine n’a pas développé son commerce maritime car aucune communauté ne vivant en bord de mer. Elles étaient concentrées dans les terres. C’est le commerce fluvial qui s’est développé.
L’immiscion dans la vie privée des gens par le gouvernement central était déjà de rigueur sous la dynastie des Qing (1600-1911). L’Etat essayait de réprimer toute forme de sédition à la source.
Le développement démographique ne s’est pas accompagné d’une croissance économique comme c’est le cas normalement. Ceci s’explique en partie par la pression démographique sur l’économie et sur le rendement agricole qui a dû s’agrandir sur des terres moins fertiles.
En 1957, afin d’améliorer les relations entre parti communiste et population, Mao a lancé la campagne des cents fleurs qui consistait à redonner une liberté d’expression au peuple et plus particulièrement aux intellectuels. Or, les contestations et reproches explosèrent ce qui entraîna une répression de centaines de milliers de personnes parmi les intellectuels et qui aura des conséquences sur l’échec du Grand Bond en avant qui suivit cette campagne.
Le livre fait un gros focus sur la période Mao et l’arrivée des communistes au pouvoir et tend à passer rapidement sur les périodes plus anciennes de l’histoire. J’aurais aimé plus d’explications sur les anciennes dynasties impériales mais peut être que le manque de ressources fut un problème. Enfin j’aurais apprécié une partie plus récente au moins jusqu’au Covid afin d’avoir une partie sur le début du règne de Xi Jinping.
September 3, 2024
A solid work. This is the last book (he died between submitting the manuscript and its publication) by John King Fairbank, the founder of modern academic American sinology, and thus kind of a summing up of his work.
The book's approach is thematic rather than narrative. Chapters are in chronological order, but focus on political/ideological/economic trends and developments rather than biography or moment-to-moment narrative; no military campaigns are recounted in any detail, no emperors or warlords are fleshed out as individuals prior to the late Qing. Like many general-audience histories, a big implicit aim here is explaining "why is China the way it is today?" and particularly "why has the process of modernization in China been so protracted and torturous?" So the 19th and especially 20th centuries get disproportionately more coverage than previous history, and there's an emphasis in earlier chapters on how developments prior to the late Qing shaped what came after them.
All that considered, I think the book succeeds in its aims. Fairbank was obviously as expert as anyone could be on the subject, and his explanations involve a nuanced combination of ideology (eg he's not very friendly to neo-Confucianism), materialism (eg he indicates that economic growth outstripping the ability of the CPC to control it will be a major determining factor in future Chinese history), and personality (the decisions and movements of eg Cixi or Mao). It's a big, complicated subject, and he admits that he has to write in a broad, generalized way to be able to grapple with it at all.
The book's approach is thematic rather than narrative. Chapters are in chronological order, but focus on political/ideological/economic trends and developments rather than biography or moment-to-moment narrative; no military campaigns are recounted in any detail, no emperors or warlords are fleshed out as individuals prior to the late Qing. Like many general-audience histories, a big implicit aim here is explaining "why is China the way it is today?" and particularly "why has the process of modernization in China been so protracted and torturous?" So the 19th and especially 20th centuries get disproportionately more coverage than previous history, and there's an emphasis in earlier chapters on how developments prior to the late Qing shaped what came after them.
All that considered, I think the book succeeds in its aims. Fairbank was obviously as expert as anyone could be on the subject, and his explanations involve a nuanced combination of ideology (eg he's not very friendly to neo-Confucianism), materialism (eg he indicates that economic growth outstripping the ability of the CPC to control it will be a major determining factor in future Chinese history), and personality (the decisions and movements of eg Cixi or Mao). It's a big, complicated subject, and he admits that he has to write in a broad, generalized way to be able to grapple with it at all.
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August 10, 2020LOL Finally, the last textbook of college. A few interesting notes:
- the Song dynasty paradox: it was the most prosperous and commercialized dynasty, but it was the weakest militarily.
- I don't know if I have always had strong emotional reactions towards the history of late Qing dynasty, but this time when I studied Chinese history, I was particularly interested in late Qing history. What caused the fall of the empire? I could understand more of why scholars back then seemed so "anxious," eager, and "patriotic." Self-strengthening movement; preservation of ideology or preservation of the country/race. This sort of "patriotism," i.e. to save China from being "bullied" by the West in economic and military development, is still present. Quote from Professor, "When Chinese culture is considered as Chinese culture, it is no longer Chinese culture."
- Is it possible to be a Chinese on the inside and use "Western" skills on the outside in modern days? Honestly, who can actually be completely "Chinese" on the inside now...
- the Song dynasty paradox: it was the most prosperous and commercialized dynasty, but it was the weakest militarily.
- I don't know if I have always had strong emotional reactions towards the history of late Qing dynasty, but this time when I studied Chinese history, I was particularly interested in late Qing history. What caused the fall of the empire? I could understand more of why scholars back then seemed so "anxious," eager, and "patriotic." Self-strengthening movement; preservation of ideology or preservation of the country/race. This sort of "patriotism," i.e. to save China from being "bullied" by the West in economic and military development, is still present. Quote from Professor, "When Chinese culture is considered as Chinese culture, it is no longer Chinese culture."
- Is it possible to be a Chinese on the inside and use "Western" skills on the outside in modern days? Honestly, who can actually be completely "Chinese" on the inside now...
August 10, 2023
A comprehensive view of the whole of Chinese history. It has the feel of a textbook - which is a good thing in many ways, it's definitely not a book of 'popular history' written for the general reader. It doesn't focus on the kings-and-things but gives a broad introduction to the whole range from political to social to economic. The scale of the task means that it is quite light touch but if you're looking for an overview to give the background before moving on to more specific subjects (in my case 'Wild Swans' and a biography of Mao) then this is an excellent start. That said, it doesn't quite reach up to date (the final chapters are written by Merle Goldman after John King Fairbank passed away) and run to the early 2000's.
January 20, 2023
As a complete history of China this book misses the mark until about 1900. One reason it gets four stars is for the introduction where we get maps galore and an interesting agricultural/geographical explanation as to why China has developed the way it has. The 20th Century is well documented for a book of this length and provides a good framework for understanding.
Unfortunately the treatment of anything before 1900 feels like a rock skipping across the water before it dives into the 1900s. I will have to look elsewhere for an overview of the entirety of the history of China.
Unfortunately the treatment of anything before 1900 feels like a rock skipping across the water before it dives into the 1900s. I will have to look elsewhere for an overview of the entirety of the history of China.
November 12, 2024
When I first read The Imperial Woman by Pearl Buck, I knew little about China as a European, so the book became a great companion, helping me enjoy the fiction by understanding the real historical events it referenced. However, one thing that bothered me was that only Cixi was described with adjectives like 'illiterate' and 'secretive.' While this may hold some truth, I noticed that other characters didn’t receive any descriptive treatment.
I only would recommend this book for readers that do not know nothing about China, as it provides good detail, especially for the more recent events.
I only would recommend this book for readers that do not know nothing about China, as it provides good detail, especially for the more recent events.
March 23, 2023
从史前文明到1991年的中国通史，关注点不是个人也不是个别事件，而是历史线索的梳理。作为本国历史来说，很多耳熟能详的事件或者个人都只是一笔带过，主要是从社会结构的方方面面来梳理发展史。有一些分析我不是很同意或者简单化了，有一些分析的视角很有意思。中国的传统儒家文化是如此根植于日常，所有外来的理论主张，不进行本土化就无法在中国发展，然而一旦本土化就不得不向儒家文化妥协，从惯性角度来说，整体保守求稳是历史的主题，没有大的震荡几户不可能有什么激烈的改革，而一旦平稳下来，被改过的部分又趋于还原，有点像中心极限定理，所以中国民众潜意识是追求一个有效的中央管理的。题外话，本书作者对毛泽东发动文化大革命的理解和表述让我想起了叶文洁，就很微妙
December 24, 2024
If you are looking for an all encompassing history of China, this book is not for you. The strength of this historian lies in modern Chinese history — the fall of the Qing dynasty to the present (2000s when it was published). There are certain areas where I wish he had gone into more detail, but it is still quite well written and gives the reader enough information to get a clear picture.
July 17, 2020
I was interested in the subject and the book is very comprehensive but it just reads like a boring college lecture. I kept drifting and having to go back and re read. I think this was a deeper dive than I was looking for.
April 17, 2021
Ouvrage inégal dans sa répartition s'étale un peu trop sur le XX siècle et par moment c'est une corvée de le lire, mais cela reste un bon défi et une excellente porte d'entrée pour l'histoire et la culture chinoise. Une centaine de pages de références bibliographiques que demande le peuple.
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