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Le Léopard de Kubilai Khan: Une histoire mondiale de la Chine
De tableau en tableau, du Mongol Kubilaï Khan, qui aimait à chasser en compagnie de guépards dans son palais de Xanadu, au traître Liang Hongzhi condamné à mort pour collaboration avec le Japon pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, en passant par la princesse bleue que Marco Polo conduisit de Chine jusqu’en Perse et par Zheng He, l’amiral chinois qui, au cœur du XVe siècle, sillonna l’océan Indien bien avant les Européens au cours de sept voyages, Timothy Brook continue d’arpenter les routes de la mondialisation à partir de la Chine. À travers l’histoire de treize personnages, souvent inattendus mais emblématiques de leur époque – empereurs, aventuriers, marchands, eunuques, pirates, missionnaires, orfèvres, soldats.. –, il nous dépeint un Grand État qui, loin d’être replié sur lui-même, n’a jamais cessé d’être connecté au reste du monde, que ce soit ses proches voisins ou les puissances impérialistes d’Europe. Une fresque ambitieuse sur huit siècles (XIIIe-XXe siècle) servie par une érudition époustouflante et un grand talent narratif.
542 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
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1035 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Brook
32 books105 followersTimothy James Brook is a Canadian historian, sinologist, and writer specializing in the study of China (sinology). He holds the Republic of China Chair, Department of History, University of British Columbia.
His research interests include the social and cultural history of the Ming Dynasty in China; law and punishment in Imperial China; collaboration during Japan's wartime occupation of China, 1937–45 and war crimes trials in Asia; global history; and historiography.
His research interests include the social and cultural history of the Ming Dynasty in China; law and punishment in Imperial China; collaboration during Japan's wartime occupation of China, 1937–45 and war crimes trials in Asia; global history; and historiography.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
October 25, 2020
Great State: China and the World, by Timothy Brook, is an interesting book that contains a number of historical analogies for China and its interactions with the world as a whole. Written in a style that pays homage to how China historically recorded its history - through stories and anecdotes that could be learned as lessons for how to proceed in the present, this book is interesting in its approach, and authoritative in its message - that China's history is not isolated to China, and it has always had a major impact on the world, and the world has always had a major impact on it and its history. This book looks at a dozen or so stories of China's past in the world, some fascinating, some relatively rote.
The book begins in the Yuan dynasty, what the author terms as the earliest moment of China in the global community. This is because the founding of the Yuan state by Khubilai Khan was a major moment in history, uniting the major khanate's in Russia, Iran, China and Central Asia into a political entity closely akin to a federation. Khubilai was the great khan, ruling over China, but also exerting influence far beyond China's borders. The Yuan dynasty sent princesses to marry in Persia, attempted to invade Japan and Korea, and set up a major tributary system that brought diplomats from around Asia and beyond to the capital. One story in this book discusses the Polo's trips to China, and there assistance in delivering a Mongol princess as a bride to the ruler of the Il-Khanate. As we move through history, we move into new dynasties, like the Ming. The treasure ships of Zheng He are discussed, particularly China's missions to Sri Lanka, where they ended up kidnapping the current King as a hostage to extract political concessions. Another interesting story discusses a conflict between two officials over allowing Christian missionaries to reside in China, one arguing for opening up to receive technological concessions, and the other arguing for their expulsion to ensure the realm is secure. We look at Chinese influence in Malaysian trading communities during the early days of the English East India Company. These stories are quick and easy to digest, and do have some bearing on modern events, and how the author posits China will move into the future. The author notes the neo-colonial/neo-hegemonic tendencies that are possible within China, alluding to the historical Western unease at Chinese power in the global community. These claims may have merit - just ask the Tibetans, Uighurs, Mongols and China's neighbours in the region. Even so, this hegemonic movement is not unusual to any states - the author notes that all Great States are founded on colonialism - Russia, the US and China all expanded into jurisdictions that were controlled by different peoples throughout there histories. The author also discusses neocolonialsim in the epilogue, and how China is not immune to both being targeted and targeting others in this respect.
This book was interesting and fun to read. One clear issue, in my opinion, is the Eurocentric nature of the books and stories here. Each one is more focused on European and American experiences than those of the Chinese people themselves, who are often ignored or relegated to the sidelines here. Another is the sourcing; as this is a book of stories, there is little sourcing here, and much of the historical facts are presented from the authors point of view, and contain little in the notes section regarding sources. The sources here are not terrible, but certainly lacking to give these facts and the lessons on offer any clout beyond opinion or speculation. This was an interesting book for sure, and one worth reading for the China watchers among us, and especially for those looking for a spot to begin. The discourse, however, is a bit weak here, and better analysis exists from many other sources, whether it be the constant barrage of high quality analysis of Chinese events from a Western perspective that are more fair and balanced (the Economist, MERICS, Brookings Institute, and so on and so on) or better books about China's interactions with the world, like Imperial China 900-1800. This is but a taste of what is out there, and I would encourage readers to look beyond this analysis to seek more depth and discussion. China's place in the world is so analysed by the global community, that it is almost a trope. This is irrelevant, as China will continue to exert a large influence on the global community. It is important to take steps to study Chinese history, culture, economics and politics, not only for nations to take measures to benefit from this shifting geopolitical reality, whether through trade and political gains, or from an expanding view of the world that encompasses more than just a Western perspective. It is also important to consider biased and varied opinions - the geopolitical shifts the world is experiencing will benefit some, and harm some. It will not take place in a vacuum, and may transcend notions of "good or bad" as any shift in geopolitics has in the past. All we can be sure of is it will be something different, and is certainly fascinating for this reader. Give this book a shot for a quick taste of Chinese history in the globe, and maybe look further.
The book begins in the Yuan dynasty, what the author terms as the earliest moment of China in the global community. This is because the founding of the Yuan state by Khubilai Khan was a major moment in history, uniting the major khanate's in Russia, Iran, China and Central Asia into a political entity closely akin to a federation. Khubilai was the great khan, ruling over China, but also exerting influence far beyond China's borders. The Yuan dynasty sent princesses to marry in Persia, attempted to invade Japan and Korea, and set up a major tributary system that brought diplomats from around Asia and beyond to the capital. One story in this book discusses the Polo's trips to China, and there assistance in delivering a Mongol princess as a bride to the ruler of the Il-Khanate. As we move through history, we move into new dynasties, like the Ming. The treasure ships of Zheng He are discussed, particularly China's missions to Sri Lanka, where they ended up kidnapping the current King as a hostage to extract political concessions. Another interesting story discusses a conflict between two officials over allowing Christian missionaries to reside in China, one arguing for opening up to receive technological concessions, and the other arguing for their expulsion to ensure the realm is secure. We look at Chinese influence in Malaysian trading communities during the early days of the English East India Company. These stories are quick and easy to digest, and do have some bearing on modern events, and how the author posits China will move into the future. The author notes the neo-colonial/neo-hegemonic tendencies that are possible within China, alluding to the historical Western unease at Chinese power in the global community. These claims may have merit - just ask the Tibetans, Uighurs, Mongols and China's neighbours in the region. Even so, this hegemonic movement is not unusual to any states - the author notes that all Great States are founded on colonialism - Russia, the US and China all expanded into jurisdictions that were controlled by different peoples throughout there histories. The author also discusses neocolonialsim in the epilogue, and how China is not immune to both being targeted and targeting others in this respect.
This book was interesting and fun to read. One clear issue, in my opinion, is the Eurocentric nature of the books and stories here. Each one is more focused on European and American experiences than those of the Chinese people themselves, who are often ignored or relegated to the sidelines here. Another is the sourcing; as this is a book of stories, there is little sourcing here, and much of the historical facts are presented from the authors point of view, and contain little in the notes section regarding sources. The sources here are not terrible, but certainly lacking to give these facts and the lessons on offer any clout beyond opinion or speculation. This was an interesting book for sure, and one worth reading for the China watchers among us, and especially for those looking for a spot to begin. The discourse, however, is a bit weak here, and better analysis exists from many other sources, whether it be the constant barrage of high quality analysis of Chinese events from a Western perspective that are more fair and balanced (the Economist, MERICS, Brookings Institute, and so on and so on) or better books about China's interactions with the world, like Imperial China 900-1800. This is but a taste of what is out there, and I would encourage readers to look beyond this analysis to seek more depth and discussion. China's place in the world is so analysed by the global community, that it is almost a trope. This is irrelevant, as China will continue to exert a large influence on the global community. It is important to take steps to study Chinese history, culture, economics and politics, not only for nations to take measures to benefit from this shifting geopolitical reality, whether through trade and political gains, or from an expanding view of the world that encompasses more than just a Western perspective. It is also important to consider biased and varied opinions - the geopolitical shifts the world is experiencing will benefit some, and harm some. It will not take place in a vacuum, and may transcend notions of "good or bad" as any shift in geopolitics has in the past. All we can be sure of is it will be something different, and is certainly fascinating for this reader. Give this book a shot for a quick taste of Chinese history in the globe, and maybe look further.
October 12, 2019
The underlying contention of Timothy Brook’s latest work is that China’s conception of itself – the ‘Great State’ of the title – is derived not from the extremely dubious (ridiculous) assertion of 5000 years of Chinese civilisation but instead from the worldview of The Mongols who had conquered China by 1279 and founded the Yuan Dynasty or Da Yuan – the Yuan Great State.
This concept of the Mongols, later inherited by the Han Chinese of the Ming Great State (1368-1644) and then by those other ‘barbarian’ conquerors of China, the Manchus, who founded the Qing Great State (1644-1911), laid the claim that ‘the sovereign of the Great State was endowed with an authority that was potentially universal: those within must submit to his authority, those without must defer to it.’
Timothy Brook argues that this concept matters because it lies at the very foundation of how the people who lived within the Great State saw themselves, so much so that even Chinese pirates – and, therefore, outlaws – would boast to their victims that they were subjects of the Great State.
In furtherance of this contention, Timothy Brook gives us thirteen chapters describing the Great State’s interaction with the rest of the world, each chapter a short historical account from a different and successive time period: stories that range from the Mongols laying siege to the city of Caffa in 1346, to an Englishman’s desire to get justice from a Chinese thief in Bantam in 1604, to the trial of a Chinese collaborator in 1946 in Shanghai after the Second World War.
I will leave it to others to judge how successful Timothy Brook has been in selecting these different accounts to support his contention. All I will say is that, for me at least, I found myself getting wrapped up in these stories – they are that interesting – and often losing sight of the over-arching argument that Timothy Brook is attempting to make. Some chapters, I think, are more successful (and therefore enjoyable) than others. I particularly admired the chapter on the Mongols and the Black Death – in itself worth the price of the book – and the chapter on the French merchant Charles de Constant and his Chinese man-servant Lum Akao who arrived in London in 1793. I can quite believe, though, that other readers will select other chapters as their favourites. Much will depend on which period of Chinese history interests the reader.
The book is extremely accessible and written for everyone, not just the Chinese history specialist. But some prior knowledge of Chinese history would I think prove useful, so that each of these separate stories can be put into its proper historical context.
The book concludes on a rather depressing note: that the People’s Republic of China not only continues to see itself as the victim of colonialism but also – as the latest incarnation of the Great State – itself practices colonialism (Tibet, Inner Mongolian, Xinjiang) and neo-colonialism (Ecuador, Sri Lanka, etc.) through its predatory financial and trade practices around the world, posing, perhaps, the greatest threat to the current world order as enshrined in the articles of the United Nations.
All in all a great book and highly recommended.
This concept of the Mongols, later inherited by the Han Chinese of the Ming Great State (1368-1644) and then by those other ‘barbarian’ conquerors of China, the Manchus, who founded the Qing Great State (1644-1911), laid the claim that ‘the sovereign of the Great State was endowed with an authority that was potentially universal: those within must submit to his authority, those without must defer to it.’
Timothy Brook argues that this concept matters because it lies at the very foundation of how the people who lived within the Great State saw themselves, so much so that even Chinese pirates – and, therefore, outlaws – would boast to their victims that they were subjects of the Great State.
In furtherance of this contention, Timothy Brook gives us thirteen chapters describing the Great State’s interaction with the rest of the world, each chapter a short historical account from a different and successive time period: stories that range from the Mongols laying siege to the city of Caffa in 1346, to an Englishman’s desire to get justice from a Chinese thief in Bantam in 1604, to the trial of a Chinese collaborator in 1946 in Shanghai after the Second World War.
I will leave it to others to judge how successful Timothy Brook has been in selecting these different accounts to support his contention. All I will say is that, for me at least, I found myself getting wrapped up in these stories – they are that interesting – and often losing sight of the over-arching argument that Timothy Brook is attempting to make. Some chapters, I think, are more successful (and therefore enjoyable) than others. I particularly admired the chapter on the Mongols and the Black Death – in itself worth the price of the book – and the chapter on the French merchant Charles de Constant and his Chinese man-servant Lum Akao who arrived in London in 1793. I can quite believe, though, that other readers will select other chapters as their favourites. Much will depend on which period of Chinese history interests the reader.
The book is extremely accessible and written for everyone, not just the Chinese history specialist. But some prior knowledge of Chinese history would I think prove useful, so that each of these separate stories can be put into its proper historical context.
The book concludes on a rather depressing note: that the People’s Republic of China not only continues to see itself as the victim of colonialism but also – as the latest incarnation of the Great State – itself practices colonialism (Tibet, Inner Mongolian, Xinjiang) and neo-colonialism (Ecuador, Sri Lanka, etc.) through its predatory financial and trade practices around the world, posing, perhaps, the greatest threat to the current world order as enshrined in the articles of the United Nations.
All in all a great book and highly recommended.
February 3, 2021
A collection of stories and historical fragments used to ask questions about the relationship between Chinese states and their neighbors. The book does not really contain so much of a main argument, but instead a collection of themes.
The title, Great State comes from a Mongolian term, "yeke ulus", and it is from the Mongolian Yuan dynasty in the 13th century that Brook starts his stories. The Great State was not nominally tied to a single family but had aspirations towards universal expansion. He doesn't really make comparisons to any of the previous dynasties but takes this as a starting point anyway. There were other dynasties that called themselves Great. Nor is China, across so many dynasties and one Republic, constant and unchanging - its relationships with its neighbors (Mongolia, Korea, Japan, Tibet) all vary, along with a relationship to foreign powers. This results in so many complex and intense discussions - some of the best chapters in the book are from Ming Dynasty debates on what exactly to do.
While not exactly for the very beginner, this is still an interesting book, dotted with so many anecdotes or short biographies.
The title, Great State comes from a Mongolian term, "yeke ulus", and it is from the Mongolian Yuan dynasty in the 13th century that Brook starts his stories. The Great State was not nominally tied to a single family but had aspirations towards universal expansion. He doesn't really make comparisons to any of the previous dynasties but takes this as a starting point anyway. There were other dynasties that called themselves Great. Nor is China, across so many dynasties and one Republic, constant and unchanging - its relationships with its neighbors (Mongolia, Korea, Japan, Tibet) all vary, along with a relationship to foreign powers. This results in so many complex and intense discussions - some of the best chapters in the book are from Ming Dynasty debates on what exactly to do.
While not exactly for the very beginner, this is still an interesting book, dotted with so many anecdotes or short biographies.
May 6, 2021
This book is actually really sweet (minus the epilogue and some episodes). It offers its reader a "taste" of both Chinese history and the global history in the last 800 years, using little historical miniatures from author’s favorite topics (judging by his bibliography): cartography, art, trade. Some of them are fascinating and inspire you to read more about specific period of Chinese (and European) history, others feel unnecessary and forced, included only to complete a timeline or make a specific point. Not detailed/balanced enough to be a good introduction to the topic, this is none the less an interesting book. Weakest part of it is that it is also an "IDEA" book. The author tries to convince you that his concept of "great state" is helpful not only in analyzing the period of Mongolian lordship, but throughout remaining Chinese history, including the China of today. Linking the ability and will of a great power to dominate other countries to its distant past is a trick all popular history books try to pull and it should be mostly ignored in this case.
December 30, 2021
I thought it was a great telling of history because it follows human narratives that you can empathise with and so vibe with the contemporaneous zeitgeist. Honestly would have given 5 stars had the author not made silly mistakes about Singapore:
“Raja Bongsu, the brother of the sultan of Johor (now Singapore)…”
“…Parameswara had been the youthful ruler of Johor (today’s Singapore)”
“Wu Lien-teh, a Singaporean doctor…” (Wu was Malayan)
“Raja Bongsu, the brother of the sultan of Johor (now Singapore)…”
“…Parameswara had been the youthful ruler of Johor (today’s Singapore)”
“Wu Lien-teh, a Singaporean doctor…” (Wu was Malayan)
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不曉得是不是自己的年紀愈大，對事物的新鮮感也逐漸降低。當年我初讀《維梅爾的帽子》和《塞爾登先生的中國地圖》時，內心是多麼地喜悅︰用國際規模的視角，可以將近代中國史講得如此精彩！
然而，在閱讀本書時，卻慢慢地發現「不太對勁」了。本書作者在這《忽必烈的獵豹》，藉由13個歷史人事物的小片斷，來講述與該事件相關的歷史背景故事，同樣十分精彩。但作者在他的〈序〉裡已先「預告」他的書寫理念︰「中華國家」並不是奠基於傳統上所說的數千年，而是奠定於蒙古占領之後的「大國（Great State）」。基於我個人過去對卜正民的欣賞，於是我很期待他能將這一主旨在內容裡闡述發揮，擴展我的知識。（先前我還以為中國從此的朝代名稱不再拘於地理，是與此相關的。）
但讀著讀著，卻感覺不出提出這個「大國理論」的架構有何意義，因為我們都知道「朱明王朝」從來就沒有積極擴張的事實，反倒是在鄭和死後明擺出帝國收縮政策。對此，作者只有草草一句「明代並不符合大國」，然後直到大清王朝又出現大國向外擴張的行為了，但清末到民國抗日，在客觀上自然又不屬於「大國」了。當時我就在心裡嘀咕，「一個理論有如此明顯比例的不合之處，那乾脆別將它立��通則」便罷。照我自己貧乏的知識，我認為我在約翰達爾文讀到的「帝國理論︰帝國會自行擴張」比較合適。
一直到今天讀到最後一章，乖乖，這才令我恍然大悟。卜正民在本書主旨的「大國」，就是要拿來批判今日的 PRC 呀！因為 PRC 繼承了來自蒙元的大國思想，所以它無視於聯合國憲章，不尊重人民自決，欺負臺灣吐蕃和東突，再靠著一帶一路將進行海外的經濟殖民，意欲擴張為一個國際新霸權。呃……這應該不是在講歷史，而是在作（廉價的）現代國際政治評論了吧。雖然有點小人之心度君子之腹，但我總覺得歐美學者總有一股想將中國漫長的歷史解構成僅有數百年之久的願望；希望「赤壁之戰」或「玄武門之變」不是專屬於今天特定國家的 IP。
無論如何，這還是一部相當值得一讀的好書，由小處窺見大時代的各則故事，一直都是吸引讀者的優良知識讀物。
然而，在閱讀本書時，卻慢慢地發現「不太對勁」了。本書作者在這《忽必烈的獵豹》，藉由13個歷史人事物的小片斷，來講述與該事件相關的歷史背景故事，同樣十分精彩。但作者在他的〈序〉裡已先「預告」他的書寫理念︰「中華國家」並不是奠基於傳統上所說的數千年，而是奠定於蒙古占領之後的「大國（Great State）」。基於我個人過去對卜正民的欣賞，於是我很期待他能將這一主旨在內容裡闡述發揮，擴展我的知識。（先前我還以為中國從此的朝代名稱不再拘於地理，是與此相關的。）
但讀著讀著，卻感覺不出提出這個「大國理論」的架構有何意義，因為我們都知道「朱明王朝」從來就沒有積極擴張的事實，反倒是在鄭和死後明擺出帝國收縮政策。對此，作者只有草草一句「明代並不符合大國」，然後直到大清王朝又出現大國向外擴張的行為了，但清末到民國抗日，在客觀上自然又不屬於「大國」了。當時我就在心裡嘀咕，「一個理論有如此明顯比例的不合之處，那乾脆別將它立��通則」便罷。照我自己貧乏的知識，我認為我在約翰達爾文讀到的「帝國理論︰帝國會自行擴張」比較合適。
一直到今天讀到最後一章，乖乖，這才令我恍然大悟。卜正民在本書主旨的「大國」，就是要拿來批判今日的 PRC 呀！因為 PRC 繼承了來自蒙元的大國思想，所以它無視於聯合國憲章，不尊重人民自決，欺負臺灣吐蕃和東突，再靠著一帶一路將進行海外的經濟殖民，意欲擴張為一個國際新霸權。呃……這應該不是在講歷史，而是在作（廉價的）現代國際政治評論了吧。雖然有點小人之心度君子之腹，但我總覺得歐美學者總有一股想將中國漫長的歷史解構成僅有數百年之久的願望；希望「赤壁之戰」或「玄武門之變」不是專屬於今天特定國家的 IP。
無論如何，這還是一部相當值得一讀的好書，由小處窺見大時代的各則故事，一直都是吸引讀者的優良知識讀物。
October 18, 2021
One of the ways in which Ronald Reagan transformed American politics was by raising the anecdote to the position of preferred means of debate and eliminating statistics as a meaningful input in meaningful dialogue. Voters don't really understand statistics and Mark Twain's pejorative comments about them never helped their reputation. But everybody loves a good story and a lot of specifics are not required for an amusing anecdote.
I mention this because in Timothy Brook has written this book without a lot of the chronology that has glazed the eyes of generations of history students and has presented thirteen fascinating stories about people from different periods of Chinese history. And even better, unlike Reagan's stories about welfare queens driving Cadillacs that he heard from stagehands or down at the country club, Brook has found dozens of primary sources from previous centuries and woven interesting stories using actual facts and descriptions provided by the subjects or their contemporaries. This makes for a book that reads like a collection of some very good stories, connected by the thread of China's connections with the rest of the world at various times in its history.
I mention this because in Timothy Brook has written this book without a lot of the chronology that has glazed the eyes of generations of history students and has presented thirteen fascinating stories about people from different periods of Chinese history. And even better, unlike Reagan's stories about welfare queens driving Cadillacs that he heard from stagehands or down at the country club, Brook has found dozens of primary sources from previous centuries and woven interesting stories using actual facts and descriptions provided by the subjects or their contemporaries. This makes for a book that reads like a collection of some very good stories, connected by the thread of China's connections with the rest of the world at various times in its history.
June 10, 2025
This book entered my life at a particularly challenging time. I was between two transcendental, life-changing decisions, and it was not the right choice at the time. The book is dense from a writing style point of view, and when I get around to reading it, I'm just too tired to tackle it.
My rating might not be the most accurate, therefore. However, if you are interested in China's evolution in history since the creation of the State, going through its many splits and mergings, please go ahead and give it a chance.
So far, the book has been sitting on my nightstand, and I can't bear to have it looking at me every night anymore. I need closure :)
My rating might not be the most accurate, therefore. However, if you are interested in China's evolution in history since the creation of the State, going through its many splits and mergings, please go ahead and give it a chance.
So far, the book has been sitting on my nightstand, and I can't bear to have it looking at me every night anymore. I need closure :)
March 15, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this book; a collection of thirteen "stories" arranged sequentially through Chinese history, it avoids the boring nature of most history books by focusing on very specific situations where China and the world interact, and doing so in a literary and attention-grabbing way. I particularly liked one aspect of the story-telling, that each story generally had an artifact -- a painting, a monument, a map -- as a major element of the story. Each artifact was a bit of a time machine, transporting me back to some physical representation of what still endures in the story.
While many readers will focus on the expansionist elements of the Chinese Great State, as well as the historical tendency to "set the rules for others to defer to", I was equally intrigued by the transitions of the west, and their expectation that China would embrace each of these transitions: ending slavery, embracing free trade, ending "cruel and unusual punishment", freedom of navigation.... The west had long embraced the precedents of slavery, mercantilism, cruel and unusual punishments and restricted navigation. I grapple with friends in Asia who see nothing but hypocrisy in the west. However, most of these "advances" towards a liberal order were based on fundamental philosophical shifts regarding the rights of man. So while a book on China, we can see the West reflected in almost every story.
A third aspect of the book i liked is that so many of the stories took place outside China -- Mongolia, Sri Lanka / Ceylon, Java, Johannesburg, ... The book also reflected changing attitudes towards China -- from exotic source of silk and other tradeable goods to a disparaged, medieval country that could not govern itself. It is interesting how modern photography undermined the more positive view of China.
While many readers will focus on the expansionist elements of the Chinese Great State, as well as the historical tendency to "set the rules for others to defer to", I was equally intrigued by the transitions of the west, and their expectation that China would embrace each of these transitions: ending slavery, embracing free trade, ending "cruel and unusual punishment", freedom of navigation.... The west had long embraced the precedents of slavery, mercantilism, cruel and unusual punishments and restricted navigation. I grapple with friends in Asia who see nothing but hypocrisy in the west. However, most of these "advances" towards a liberal order were based on fundamental philosophical shifts regarding the rights of man. So while a book on China, we can see the West reflected in almost every story.
A third aspect of the book i liked is that so many of the stories took place outside China -- Mongolia, Sri Lanka / Ceylon, Java, Johannesburg, ... The book also reflected changing attitudes towards China -- from exotic source of silk and other tradeable goods to a disparaged, medieval country that could not govern itself. It is interesting how modern photography undermined the more positive view of China.
October 5, 2024
Solid, not really up my alley too much but well written and an interesting style
August 9, 2021
The book is very richly researched, expansive in time, geography, histories and cultures. The Author an expert in Chinese ancient and recent history gave us a series of historical vignettes of China and its people through the millennia in a finely balanced approach of mixed narrative with analysis. Me who considers myself somewhat versed in the history still finds it thought provoking and reaped thankful benefits.
Here are a few things I would like to point out that I found as blemish in this book that is hard to gloss over.
1. The very concept of 'Great State'. Author contends that, the 'great state' (I interpret his such notion means an imperialistic leviathan that's autocratic, expansionary and hegemonic) started with Yuan (Mongol) great state. The author made little efforts to distinguish why the great empires (Chin, Han, Sui, Tang, Song) are not great states, because they evidently fit precisely that definition.
2. In Author's epilogue where he veered, dangerously for a historian I may add, into present day international politics, he contends that the ideal of unified china also started with Yuan Great state. I would argue this could not be further from the truth. All prior empires all cohered under the same idealism of unity under heaven.
3. Author just stated without justification the cross strait issue as a post colonial problem and then waxed lyrical about decolonization efforts at UN post war. It is rather disingenuous to assert over this civil war outcome as an absurd Chinese colonizing over Chinese situation. One may point to author as Republic of China (in Taiwan that is) endowed chair to find clue.
4. Author also played on the fashionable sinophobia by augering darkly a unilateralist future under pax sinica. Setting aside if pax sinica will ever happen or it is china’s design at all, everyone who has been alive in the last 20 years would know which country is often associated with unilateralism with impunity. Author is curiously silent on that.
One wonders why the author placed such emphasis on Yuan/Ming period perhaps he is an expert hence saw more significant than others would.
Nevertheless, each and individual stories are worthy and entertaining on their own let alone in such an anthology.
Here are a few things I would like to point out that I found as blemish in this book that is hard to gloss over.
1. The very concept of 'Great State'. Author contends that, the 'great state' (I interpret his such notion means an imperialistic leviathan that's autocratic, expansionary and hegemonic) started with Yuan (Mongol) great state. The author made little efforts to distinguish why the great empires (Chin, Han, Sui, Tang, Song) are not great states, because they evidently fit precisely that definition.
2. In Author's epilogue where he veered, dangerously for a historian I may add, into present day international politics, he contends that the ideal of unified china also started with Yuan Great state. I would argue this could not be further from the truth. All prior empires all cohered under the same idealism of unity under heaven.
3. Author just stated without justification the cross strait issue as a post colonial problem and then waxed lyrical about decolonization efforts at UN post war. It is rather disingenuous to assert over this civil war outcome as an absurd Chinese colonizing over Chinese situation. One may point to author as Republic of China (in Taiwan that is) endowed chair to find clue.
4. Author also played on the fashionable sinophobia by augering darkly a unilateralist future under pax sinica. Setting aside if pax sinica will ever happen or it is china’s design at all, everyone who has been alive in the last 20 years would know which country is often associated with unilateralism with impunity. Author is curiously silent on that.
One wonders why the author placed such emphasis on Yuan/Ming period perhaps he is an expert hence saw more significant than others would.
Nevertheless, each and individual stories are worthy and entertaining on their own let alone in such an anthology.
November 1, 2021
Magnífico libro constituido por pinceladas de la historia china que nos van descubriendo más del carácter de esta nación, relatos aparentemente sencillos pero que esconden un calado inmenso para el lector y que culmina en un epílogo magistral que nos deja un regusto amargo ante lo que se nos puede avecinar.
Escrito con un estilo ágil y directo. el libro se lee de un tirón a pesar de sus dimensiones y deja con ganas de leer más y con la pena de haber terminado un gran volumen.
Escrito con un estilo ágil y directo. el libro se lee de un tirón a pesar de sus dimensiones y deja con ganas de leer más y con la pena de haber terminado un gran volumen.
November 14, 2020
Some interesting views into eras of Chinese history.
Lost interest near the end, but then, I'm more interested in earlier Chinese history.
Lost interest near the end, but then, I'm more interested in earlier Chinese history.
June 22, 2022
This is a 3.75/5 for me, rounded up to a 4.
I was immediately intrigued when I saw this book in the gift shop of the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington DC and wasted no time putting it on hold at my local library. The volume is described as a series of what my French civ professor in undergrad referred to as “lieux de mémoire”, or places of memory that resonate in modern times and help explain current events or cultural practices. Each of a dozen chapters document China’s sometimes-reluctant place on the world stage from the declaration of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty (literally translated as “great state”, hence the title of this book) to the victory of the People’s Liberation Army over the collaborationist National Party regime following World War II.
The depth of scholarship and long engagement with China on the part of the author is evident, but I think he sometimes gets tripped up in the minutiae of the stories he has researched and recounted. The earlier chapters dealing with the Yuan and the Ming are largely engaging but as we enter the 1700s the chapters began to lose some of their narrative cohesion and I found it hard to follow which Europeans were involved with which Chinese. The later chapters picked up again for me, and the author’s forecast of what he calls China’s neo-hegemony for the world stage is thought-provoking and eye-opening.
Great for those already interested in China both ancient and modern, but I think many folks would find this a slog if they picked it up as a bit of narrative nonfiction. This is decidedly scholarly.
I was immediately intrigued when I saw this book in the gift shop of the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington DC and wasted no time putting it on hold at my local library. The volume is described as a series of what my French civ professor in undergrad referred to as “lieux de mémoire”, or places of memory that resonate in modern times and help explain current events or cultural practices. Each of a dozen chapters document China’s sometimes-reluctant place on the world stage from the declaration of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty (literally translated as “great state”, hence the title of this book) to the victory of the People’s Liberation Army over the collaborationist National Party regime following World War II.
The depth of scholarship and long engagement with China on the part of the author is evident, but I think he sometimes gets tripped up in the minutiae of the stories he has researched and recounted. The earlier chapters dealing with the Yuan and the Ming are largely engaging but as we enter the 1700s the chapters began to lose some of their narrative cohesion and I found it hard to follow which Europeans were involved with which Chinese. The later chapters picked up again for me, and the author’s forecast of what he calls China’s neo-hegemony for the world stage is thought-provoking and eye-opening.
Great for those already interested in China both ancient and modern, but I think many folks would find this a slog if they picked it up as a bit of narrative nonfiction. This is decidedly scholarly.
January 8, 2026
本書的中文書名《忽必烈的獵豹》毫無參考性，他的英文書名《大國：中國和世界》才是真的表達本書的中心主旨！
閱讀過程蠻有意思的，卜正民就是很會講故事，從人物切入談當時時代的快照。
本書討論了大元國、大明國、大清國、民國，精華部分在最後一章尾聲。
他的史料雖然有採用部分新清史和內亞史的觀點，我覺得大體上算是還是以中國為主體討論，所以兩邊觀點兼敘，我覺得也很不錯，尤其考慮到他的對象是不熟悉中國的西方讀者。
最後尾聲討論了中國內部殖民的問題。講完了蒙古、新疆、西藏現況，這一段評點蠻有趣的：
「說起來，大多數中國人之所以對自己國家在西藏的帝國主義行徑視而不見，是因為那一碗共產主義意識形態與儒家優越感精力湯，讓他們自視為完完全全的帝國主義受害者，而非加害者，彷彿受害的人一定不會加害於人。大多數中國人根本無法設想：中國有可能是造成其他國家或民族「國恥」的原因。半個世紀以來，從移居漢人進入少數民族地區，稀釋少數民族人口，到學生住校與成人強迫再教育……這些設計來削弱非漢族群認同的政策，始終未能化解問題。造化弄人，正是維護當前既有國家的聯合國體系，讓國內情勢不穩的源頭不停有活水來。
自一九四九年以來，臺灣始終是中華人民共和國領土完整所受到的唯一重大挑戰。只要一中政策繼續存在，且中華人民共和國仍視臺灣為其領土所不可分割的一部分，中國對於臺灣獨立進展的不滿情緒就會造成不穩定，而一勞永逸的解決之道，似乎就是軍事入侵。從中國的觀點看，這種解決之道不容國際置：所謂的入侵，完完全全是強力的國家當局對於國內問題的內部因應。世界各國恐怕不會積極反應，但是否會有任何後果，則有賴於局中人的政治操作。諾魯與吐瓦魯可能會為臺灣喉舌，但下一回可能不會。沒有人會熱愛強權，只有強權自己愛自己，但也沒有弱國會想站在強權報復的那一端。」
後續談到了中國擴張。除了內部殖民、還有經濟殖民的外部擴張，講了拉美的巴西、委內瑞拉、厄瓜多，中國進入取得石油，並透過債務陷阱控制了這些國家。
剛好和最近的時事呼應一下。
還講了一帶一路，債務陷阱，斯里蘭卡租借99年給中國——並談到香港租約的類比。
「中國並非唯一利用債務依賴，來確保衛星國政體政府高層聽話的國家，但這番辯護詞很沒有說服力。倩務高到這種規模，連一艘炮艦或一名救難人員都不需要看到，就能令弱國經濟主權完全任由中國擺布。現在還遠遠不能論定這些做法是否將導致民主政治受到侵蝕、民選官員嚴重腐敗，或是使聯合國自一九四五年以來維持至今的自由秩序變質，但是它們看來正在創造專家所說的「世界秩序結構雙極性的增長」——這廂是以法律與權力（無論有多雜亂）為基礎的國際規範體系，另一廂則是瞧不起國際法機制的威權規範新體系。這一輪的新霸權之所以具有風險——不光是對中國，而是對全世界——是因為其旨在幫助當前全球新獨裁政體的抬頭，而戰爭就在不遠處。」
本書應該是完全沒打算在中國出版🤣
閱讀過程蠻有意思的，卜正民就是很會講故事，從人物切入談當時時代的快照。
本書討論了大元國、大明國、大清國、民國，精華部分在最後一章尾聲。
他的史料雖然有採用部分新清史和內亞史的觀點，我覺得大體上算是還是以中國為主體討論，所以兩邊觀點兼敘，我覺得也很不錯，尤其考慮到他的對象是不熟悉中國的西方讀者。
最後尾聲討論了中國內部殖民的問題。講完了蒙古、新疆、西藏現況，這一段評點蠻有趣的：
「說起來，大多數中國人之所以對自己國家在西藏的帝國主義行徑視而不見，是因為那一碗共產主義意識形態與儒家優越感精力湯，讓他們自視為完完全全的帝國主義受害者，而非加害者，彷彿受害的人一定不會加害於人。大多數中國人根本無法設想：中國有可能是造成其他國家或民族「國恥」的原因。半個世紀以來，從移居漢人進入少數民族地區，稀釋少數民族人口，到學生住校與成人強迫再教育……這些設計來削弱非漢族群認同的政策，始終未能化解問題。造化弄人，正是維護當前既有國家的聯合國體系，讓國內情勢不穩的源頭不停有活水來。
自一九四九年以來，臺灣始終是中華人民共和國領土完整所受到的唯一重大挑戰。只要一中政策繼續存在，且中華人民共和國仍視臺灣為其領土所不可分割的一部分，中國對於臺灣獨立進展的不滿情緒就會造成不穩定，而一勞永逸的解決之道，似乎就是軍事入侵。從中國的觀點看，這種解決之道不容國際置：所謂的入侵，完完全全是強力的國家當局對於國內問題的內部因應。世界各國恐怕不會積極反應，但是否會有任何後果，則有賴於局中人的政治操作。諾魯與吐瓦魯可能會為臺灣喉舌，但下一回可能不會。沒有人會熱愛強權，只有強權自己愛自己，但也沒有弱國會想站在強權報復的那一端。」
後續談到了中國擴張。除了內部殖民、還有經濟殖民的外部擴張，講了拉美的巴西、委內瑞拉、厄瓜多，中國進入取得石油，並透過債務陷阱控制了這些國家。
剛好和最近的時事呼應一下。
還講了一帶一路，債務陷阱，斯里蘭卡租借99年給中國——並談到香港租約的類比。
「中國並非唯一利用債務依賴，來確保衛星國政體政府高層聽話的國家，但這番辯護詞很沒有說服力。倩務高到這種規模，連一艘炮艦或一名救難人員都不需要看到，就能令弱國經濟主權完全任由中國擺布。現在還遠遠不能論定這些做法是否將導致民主政治受到侵蝕、民選官員嚴重腐敗，或是使聯合國自一九四五年以來維持至今的自由秩序變質，但是它們看來正在創造專家所說的「世界秩序結構雙極性的增長」——這廂是以法律與權力（無論有多雜亂）為基礎的國際規範體系，另一廂則是瞧不起國際法機制的威權規範新體系。這一輪的新霸權之所以具有風險——不光是對中國，而是對全世界——是因為其旨在幫助當前全球新獨裁政體的抬頭，而戰爭就在不遠處。」
本書應該是完全沒打算在中國出版🤣
September 22, 2021
If you are used to your history books taking broad strokes and epic generalizations this is the complete opposite. The story of China, well at least the story of the concept of the Great State-the seven century long vision for China as a political body-is told through roughly a dozen intimate stories. These begin with a painting in the court of Kublai Khan that helps explain the transformative effect of the Yuan Great State on future dynastic rule in China. My favorite story was of a trial of a member of the executive body of a Japanese-supported Chinese government who is charged with aiding the enemy and treason by the victorious Nationalists in 1945. These smaller stories provide a detailed context for hinge moments in the story of the Great State leading to its final iteration, the PRC.
November 24, 2022
Brook is a professor of history and sinology, and evidently is also an extremely good writer. Not a scholarly text, this is an effort to inform the general public of the nature of Chinese concepts of state and nation, certainly an important topic in our time. But though written for a popular audience, his erudition and the historical method shine through. He eschews the conventionally linear narrative of popular history books and instead presents a series of vignettes scattered through time from ~1300 to ~1950. Each is a "short story" illustrating the interactions between Those Under Heaven ("Chinese") and Those Not ("foreigners"), and each analyzes a historical text or artifact or work of art to show how we can reconstruct each of these short stories. I use quotes to emphasize that "Chinese" and "foreigner" are fluid concepts that changed over time; an important theme is that concepts of nation and state are not at all static, and fundamentally are constructs of their time and place. Brook thinks the current Chinese conception of nation and state profoundly contradicts the conception of most other members of the current system of nation-states. A useful thing to keep in mind as the PRC and the USA increasingly compete and contest real geographical space populated with real people, such as Taiwan.
July 19, 2023
A collection of interesting historical snapshots that do not really assemble into anything more.
March 17, 2021
The reason why I give this a 1 star because of the purpose it has been written for the most part.
As the last chapter reveals I would call that chapter the China bashing chapter.
It does not fit in the book nor has it any place in its structure and people who will read this book in general most likely have no interest in it.
The end lots of lies also not based on evidence just the usual China is bad Chinese see demons it is a real pity and the author should be ashamed.
As I am stating this probably some people will come with the usual you are paid by the CCP if that logic applies to me because I don't v want to speak negatively on China than we can safely assume that the author is being paid by the CIA and warmongering military complex.
I am disgusted by this book as it tricks you into it and tries to indocternatie you into hating China.
As the last chapter reveals I would call that chapter the China bashing chapter.
It does not fit in the book nor has it any place in its structure and people who will read this book in general most likely have no interest in it.
The end lots of lies also not based on evidence just the usual China is bad Chinese see demons it is a real pity and the author should be ashamed.
As I am stating this probably some people will come with the usual you are paid by the CCP if that logic applies to me because I don't v want to speak negatively on China than we can safely assume that the author is being paid by the CIA and warmongering military complex.
I am disgusted by this book as it tricks you into it and tries to indocternatie you into hating China.
January 8, 2023
This was very fun to read (as opposed to a typical synoptic history), basically constructed out of a set of thirteen distinct interactions between China and the outer world that are then used to illuminate certain ideas the author has. These stories are often delightful to read, though one sometimes loses track of the broader argument being made. This leads to the sense that the author's argument (that today's China is in fact a product of the Yuan Dynasty) is not always very watertight. Also, while it is accessible in the sense of not assuming any knowledge, it is also perhaps not exactly approachable in that many of the complexities and gaps between the anecdotes will have to be filled yourself.
Enjoyable for anyone who liked history class in school, though, I'm sure.
Enjoyable for anyone who liked history class in school, though, I'm sure.
June 27, 2021
*I did appreciate that the author humanized history by telling it from the perspectives of its characters
*The drawback to this approach is that the book feels more like narrow anecdotes rather than the big picture
*I wish the book had more balance between micro and macro perspectives
*This book begins with some vague thesis about China deriving its self-identity, including the idea of being a "Great State," from Mongolian rule
*However, the author quickly abandons the thesis and agrees just to recount some loosely related stories about historical China
*The jumble of stories isn't coherent, and I question whether I learned something or was just amused
*The drawback to this approach is that the book feels more like narrow anecdotes rather than the big picture
*I wish the book had more balance between micro and macro perspectives
*This book begins with some vague thesis about China deriving its self-identity, including the idea of being a "Great State," from Mongolian rule
*However, the author quickly abandons the thesis and agrees just to recount some loosely related stories about historical China
*The jumble of stories isn't coherent, and I question whether I learned something or was just amused
November 20, 2023
Great State: China and the World is slightly similar to Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World, a collection of essays around a theme chosen by Timothy Brook. And the similarity between the two books also means that the title is misleading because the actual content isn’t about China’s political history or its foreign relations towards other nations as a great state but rather, it’s about interesting individuals’ life (mainly European) whose life—either happenstance or by personal mission—revolved around China. After reading a few works by Timothy Brook (Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World, Mr. Selden's Map of China: Decoding the Secrets of a Vanished Cartographer, The Troubled Empire: China in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties), I began to see a pattern here, that all his books have this particular style: choosing a theme (the setting is always in China whether it’s during climate change or globalization) then describing the life of individuals in that particular era.
The book is interesting but it’s not my cup of tea. I think Brook’s fascinating individual life essay seems to be more suitable in National Geographic or any other History magazine. Despite that, there are some chapters that I really enjoy reading such as the Inner Asia crisis among the Khoshut Khanate, Dzungar, Tibet, and the Manchu Qing. On a whole, the book is a breeze to read through but I probably will read other historical works whose titles match the actual content.
The book is interesting but it’s not my cup of tea. I think Brook’s fascinating individual life essay seems to be more suitable in National Geographic or any other History magazine. Despite that, there are some chapters that I really enjoy reading such as the Inner Asia crisis among the Khoshut Khanate, Dzungar, Tibet, and the Manchu Qing. On a whole, the book is a breeze to read through but I probably will read other historical works whose titles match the actual content.
December 28, 2025
The vignettes in China's history within the wider world, and its status as a great state in the context of a vast international network of trade, authority, and power politics are explored in a entertaining detail. I was immediately intrigued by Brook writing in the context of post-Yuan Dynasty China rather than starting with the standard Qin origins and going another topical look at Chinese dynastic history. Brook focuses on solely the fascinating and unique experiences of the world encountering China and vice versa, in the form of a Korean bureaucrat encountering the Ming, a tapestry of Kublai Khan, a trial in Java, Coolie labor cases in South Africa, and of course the voyages of Zheng He.
The novelty of this was awesome to read. I also find the somewhat random and bizarre episodes of history where traders, diplomats, soldiers or voyeurs end up offering a very rare insight into how two peoples interact to be extremely fun to learn about. Seeing Chinese citizens engaging with their neighbors, the Indian Ocean, and the West were all refreshing and esoteric sagas. Sometimes I didn't feel like they were that relevant, but I'm learning to appreciate history distilled through choice encounters of people, somewhat like Faithful Executioner where a very specific person serves as a lens for a host of topics. Just great writing all around.
The novelty of this was awesome to read. I also find the somewhat random and bizarre episodes of history where traders, diplomats, soldiers or voyeurs end up offering a very rare insight into how two peoples interact to be extremely fun to learn about. Seeing Chinese citizens engaging with their neighbors, the Indian Ocean, and the West were all refreshing and esoteric sagas. Sometimes I didn't feel like they were that relevant, but I'm learning to appreciate history distilled through choice encounters of people, somewhat like Faithful Executioner where a very specific person serves as a lens for a host of topics. Just great writing all around.
May 13, 2022
“Тэнгэр газрын заагт ялгаа бий. Дотор талд хятадууд (hua) гадна талд өөр хүмүүс (yi буюу бүдүүлгүүд, харийнхан) бий. Эмх цэгц, дэг журмыг энэ ертөнцөд хадгалах арга нь энэхүү зааг хязгаарыг хүндлэх юм.”
Энэхүү ном нь хятадын гадаад ертөнцтэй харилцах харилцаа, хоорондын хамаарал, хятад улсад дэлхий яагаад хэрэгтэй, дэлхий дахинд яагаад хятад хэрэгтэй хийгээд хятадын дотогшоо чиглэсэн бодлого юунаас улбаалан гадагшаа чиглэсэн ИХ УЛС-ын хандлагатай болсон талаар харуулсан маш сайн судалгаа шинжилгээн дээр тулгуурлагдан бүтсэн аж. Зохиолч уг бүтээлээрээ бүх хятадын түүхийг туурвихыг оролдоогүй ба монголчуудын эзлэн түрэмгийллээс орчин үеийн хятад хүртэлх хятад газар болсон үйл явдал, түүхэн хэлхээг үзүүлжээ. Одоогийн бидний дэлхийд хоёр хятад зэрэгцэн оршиж буй бөгөөд тэр хоёрын санал нэгддэг ганц үзэл нь Нэг-Хятад гэх үзэл аж. Дээрх үзэл шинэ зүйл биш ба эртний хятадаас авч хэлэлцдэг байсан ч хойд зүгээс ирсэн нум сум агсагч нүүдэлчдийн ташуурын доор бүх хятад нэгдэх хүртэл хоосон зэрэглээ, мөрөөдөл төдийхөн байжээ. “Да Юань” (ИХ ЮАНЬ УЛС)-ын буюу монголчуудын дарлалаас хятадууд ангижирч чадсан ч монголчуудын үлдээсэн ул мөр арилахын аргагүй байсан ба энэ нь цаашдын хятадын төр улсын бодлого, амбицийг өөрсдийнх нь ч анзаараагүйгээр эргэлт буцалтгүй өөрчилсөн байв.
Энэхүү ном нь хятадын гадаад ертөнцтэй харилцах харилцаа, хоорондын хамаарал, хятад улсад дэлхий яагаад хэрэгтэй, дэлхий дахинд яагаад хятад хэрэгтэй хийгээд хятадын дотогшоо чиглэсэн бодлого юунаас улбаалан гадагшаа чиглэсэн ИХ УЛС-ын хандлагатай болсон талаар харуулсан маш сайн судалгаа шинжилгээн дээр тулгуурлагдан бүтсэн аж. Зохиолч уг бүтээлээрээ бүх хятадын түүхийг туурвихыг оролдоогүй ба монголчуудын эзлэн түрэмгийллээс орчин үеийн хятад хүртэлх хятад газар болсон үйл явдал, түүхэн хэлхээг үзүүлжээ. Одоогийн бидний дэлхийд хоёр хятад зэрэгцэн оршиж буй бөгөөд тэр хоёрын санал нэгддэг ганц үзэл нь Нэг-Хятад гэх үзэл аж. Дээрх үзэл шинэ зүйл биш ба эртний хятадаас авч хэлэлцдэг байсан ч хойд зүгээс ирсэн нум сум агсагч нүүдэлчдийн ташуурын доор бүх хятад нэгдэх хүртэл хоосон зэрэглээ, мөрөөдөл төдийхөн байжээ. “Да Юань” (ИХ ЮАНЬ УЛС)-ын буюу монголчуудын дарлалаас хятадууд ангижирч чадсан ч монголчуудын үлдээсэн ул мөр арилахын аргагүй байсан ба энэ нь цаашдын хятадын төр улсын бодлого, амбицийг өөрсдийнх нь ч анзаараагүйгээр эргэлт буцалтгүй өөрчилсөн байв.
May 10, 2020
When I chose to read this book it was primarily to fill in huge gaps in my knowledge of medieval and contemporary China. As a non-expert, merely seeking to understand the world a bit better, I found Timothy Brook's narrative style easy to follow and the book perfectly pitched to individuals seeking to learn about the Great State. Like other reviewers, I too at times became more absorbed in the individual stories that Brook uses and was somewhat lost as to how it tied into the greater hypothesis of Great State behaviours. Nevertheless, the book is informative and I was particularly impressed by Brook's epilogue. Understanding modern-day China is certainly enhanced by reflecting on its past. Of course, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, I would love to hear Timothy Brook's thoughts on how these events will (re-)shape the world as we know it. The importance of the book is not diminished despite being published just before this current global pandemic.
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December 30, 2020The history of China is so long that it would be impossible to capture in a single volume. Wisely, Timothy Brook’s Great State pulls several lesser known tales from Chinese history (confined between 1280-2010) and uses them to extrapolate an arc of China’s evolving place in the world. Brook’s stories typically focus on individuals who are not Chinese – from Matteo Ricci to a relatively-anonymous Danish mine worker, to the Dalai Lama. Brook uses these deeply researched portraits to illuminate China’s evolving international policies even as the nation itself grew and changed internally. Working against Western assumptions of isolationism, he persuasively argues that China has always played an integral role in global affairs. This relatively compact collection nonetheless provides a sweeping picture of how China has shaped and in turn, been shaped by war, diplomacy, colonialism, and trade.
January 11, 2021
Rather than seeking to detail out an entire ice floe, Tim extracts beautifully written ice cores that help use almost parable like tales detail out the contexts upon which they took place.
A fantastically unique way of conveying National history, Tim Brooks utilises key stories across centuries of China’s history to provide a lens into what steered China into the form it takes today as well as the way it interacts with nation states around it.
Coupled with key imagery that help to visualise each of these tales, I found myself understanding and memorising far more about China’s history than I’ve done from other, more detailed books. Most valuably, I’ve also been able to compile a list of topics I want to explore in more detail thanks to this book.
Although I would’ve liked perhaps a few more chapters around a few key periods, beggars can’t be choosers with books with the direct this one had in mind. A worthwhile read for sure.
A fantastically unique way of conveying National history, Tim Brooks utilises key stories across centuries of China’s history to provide a lens into what steered China into the form it takes today as well as the way it interacts with nation states around it.
Coupled with key imagery that help to visualise each of these tales, I found myself understanding and memorising far more about China’s history than I’ve done from other, more detailed books. Most valuably, I’ve also been able to compile a list of topics I want to explore in more detail thanks to this book.
Although I would’ve liked perhaps a few more chapters around a few key periods, beggars can’t be choosers with books with the direct this one had in mind. A worthwhile read for sure.
May 6, 2023
J'ai mis du temps à lire ce livre pas parce qu'il était compliqué (même si mon manque de connaissance du "Moyen-Âge" en Asie a pu jouer) ou parce qu'il n'était pas bien, mais juste de par sa structure : 13 chapitres non liés entre eux, qui ne se passent pas à la même période, dont le point de départ sont toujours des anecdotes ou des personnes, mais qui ont pour point commun la Chine et sa relation avec l'étranger. Il est donc très facile de lire un ou deux chapitres, de poser le livre pour faire autre chose et d'y revenir quelques mois plus tard.
Chaque histoire part d'un point fixe : un meurtre, une peinture, une stèle que l'auteur décrit, explique et contextualise. Cela ne donne pas lieu à une synthèse ou même une thèse, mais c'est plus un prétexte pour étudier les liens entre la Chine et l'étranger, à différents moments - immédiat ou plus lointain : les invasions, le rapport à l'autre, la colonisation... La contextualisation donne tout son intérêt à l'ouvrage.
Le choix des histoires n'est pas non plus pris au "hasard", dans le sens où elles reprennent des points "nodaux", du point de vue européen en tout cas, de l'histoire de la Chine (les débats de la fermeture du pays à l'époque moderne, le Tibet, la colonisation...).
Chaque histoire part d'un point fixe : un meurtre, une peinture, une stèle que l'auteur décrit, explique et contextualise. Cela ne donne pas lieu à une synthèse ou même une thèse, mais c'est plus un prétexte pour étudier les liens entre la Chine et l'étranger, à différents moments - immédiat ou plus lointain : les invasions, le rapport à l'autre, la colonisation... La contextualisation donne tout son intérêt à l'ouvrage.
Le choix des histoires n'est pas non plus pris au "hasard", dans le sens où elles reprennent des points "nodaux", du point de vue européen en tout cas, de l'histoire de la Chine (les débats de la fermeture du pays à l'époque moderne, le Tibet, la colonisation...).
February 16, 2020
A comprehensive overview of just some of the facets of Chinese history, I won’t deny that this book is well-researched and comprehensively put together. There’s a great sense of atmosphere in it, but there is also a massive void in terms of the knowledge and the cultural overview. The chapter on the People’s Republic is spectacularly short, and I was somewhat disappointed by the sheer lack of detail in some of the areas. There was also the issue that this didn’t seem to focus on a micro or macro cosm of the country, but instead was more a middle ground, which left me feeling like personal narratives had been neglected and that the full country’s history had also been overlooked. A decent book, but not stellar, and a bit of a let down in some aspects,
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