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A History of China
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392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1947
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 3, 2014
Wolfram Eberhard's "A History of China" is the first (and only, thus far) historical work on China that I've read- and being that I knew nothing of China's history before starting this, my expectations weren't very high. Let me first announce that this particular volume can be read for free, either through Project Gutenberg or on the Amazon Kindle marketplace (though one version costs some money, and it includes the images that Eberhard used which are not in the free edition... go figure). That being the case, I think people should really take advantage of it. Why go in search of a two hundred dollar textbook when there are free documents for the taking? I digress.
China's history is a long one. A LONG one. And it's very confusing. I lost count of the number of Dynasties, the number of civil wars, and the number of troubles associated with these numerous changes. I guess that goes without saying, and I've had the fortune (or misfortune) of being born into a country with a short history of just over three hundred years. It's no surprise, then, that I know more American history than anything else. My point being that even after finishing this particular book, I still don't really have a grasp on China's history. I don't blame the author; I think that I need to investigate further resources. Truly, Eberhard crafted a fairly stable history. He covers an obnoxious amount of time in a fairly small amount of pages, and yet still manages to touch upon the most important factors and explain them well enough for a new student of Chinese history to grasp and understand. What I found most interesting is the fact that there is really no sense of bias in these pages, especially considering the fact that this book is quite dated. Eberhard may be a westerner, but his perspective as a historian embraces eastern ideology as a credible one. His knowledge of Chinese culture is, apparently, vast, and he manages to use it to his advantage while examining the tumultuous changes in China's history. This is relevant, of course, for every nation across the globe has evolved at its own singular rate and, despite sharing many similarities with its cousins, is bound to look a bit differently from the outside when all is "said and done." I'm speaking, of course, of socialism. I do not doubt that some western historians may claim at some point that China is heading in "the wrong direction." And yet a careful analysis of China's past may lead the reader to realize that things truly aren't ever so different. Did the Chinese peasant suffer under the tyranny of its aristocratic rulers? Certainly. Don't to sound like a Marxist, but the more history I come to read, the more I realize that the struggle of the proletariat really IS the common theme of history across the globe. It's extraordinary, really, that capitalism has continued to thrive in as many countries as it does today.
Sorry for the political tangent. Anyway, Eberhard's history is a decent starting point for a student of Chinese history, and one could even argue that this is more of a "social history" of China than otherwise, which will delight those interested in cultural studies. There's quite a deal of talk on the arts, literature, and the status of the common folk, and some brief notes on religious affairs. One may wonder why I only gave the book three stars. Well, to be perfectly honest, I was sometimes bored. Do you blame me? This is a history book. How many history books have YOU read that have the capability of entertaining you into the wee hours of the night? I find that the heavier the prose (especially in regards to the use of jargon), the heavier my eyes become. Not that this book always made me tired, but the endless talk of changing Dynasties did cause my mind to drift. At any rate, I plan to read more on China's history and satisfy my interest sufficiently. In comparison to Japanese history (I've studied some due to my soft spot for all things Japanese), Chinese history is certainly more engaging. Maybe I should read up on the Koreans next.
China's history is a long one. A LONG one. And it's very confusing. I lost count of the number of Dynasties, the number of civil wars, and the number of troubles associated with these numerous changes. I guess that goes without saying, and I've had the fortune (or misfortune) of being born into a country with a short history of just over three hundred years. It's no surprise, then, that I know more American history than anything else. My point being that even after finishing this particular book, I still don't really have a grasp on China's history. I don't blame the author; I think that I need to investigate further resources. Truly, Eberhard crafted a fairly stable history. He covers an obnoxious amount of time in a fairly small amount of pages, and yet still manages to touch upon the most important factors and explain them well enough for a new student of Chinese history to grasp and understand. What I found most interesting is the fact that there is really no sense of bias in these pages, especially considering the fact that this book is quite dated. Eberhard may be a westerner, but his perspective as a historian embraces eastern ideology as a credible one. His knowledge of Chinese culture is, apparently, vast, and he manages to use it to his advantage while examining the tumultuous changes in China's history. This is relevant, of course, for every nation across the globe has evolved at its own singular rate and, despite sharing many similarities with its cousins, is bound to look a bit differently from the outside when all is "said and done." I'm speaking, of course, of socialism. I do not doubt that some western historians may claim at some point that China is heading in "the wrong direction." And yet a careful analysis of China's past may lead the reader to realize that things truly aren't ever so different. Did the Chinese peasant suffer under the tyranny of its aristocratic rulers? Certainly. Don't to sound like a Marxist, but the more history I come to read, the more I realize that the struggle of the proletariat really IS the common theme of history across the globe. It's extraordinary, really, that capitalism has continued to thrive in as many countries as it does today.
Sorry for the political tangent. Anyway, Eberhard's history is a decent starting point for a student of Chinese history, and one could even argue that this is more of a "social history" of China than otherwise, which will delight those interested in cultural studies. There's quite a deal of talk on the arts, literature, and the status of the common folk, and some brief notes on religious affairs. One may wonder why I only gave the book three stars. Well, to be perfectly honest, I was sometimes bored. Do you blame me? This is a history book. How many history books have YOU read that have the capability of entertaining you into the wee hours of the night? I find that the heavier the prose (especially in regards to the use of jargon), the heavier my eyes become. Not that this book always made me tired, but the endless talk of changing Dynasties did cause my mind to drift. At any rate, I plan to read more on China's history and satisfy my interest sufficiently. In comparison to Japanese history (I've studied some due to my soft spot for all things Japanese), Chinese history is certainly more engaging. Maybe I should read up on the Koreans next.
January 5, 2015
Really a good read on the history of China. It wasn't just facts but how those facts impacted everyday life. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it.
October 13, 2019
It took me about two years to complete reading this book, not because of its length, but because of the challenge of staying interested in it. My goal in reading it was to get a better sense of the history of China--a topic not well covered in my education. "World" History classes often focused primarily on the history of Western Civilization, with only cursory glances "eastward" or periodic references to Asian history when it interacted with Western history.
However, I found that staying focused on the early and middle periods of Chinese history was difficult. The book can be dry and pedantic, although it appears to be well-researched. The variety of names and places challenged me due to my lack of familiarity with the Chinese language, culture and geography. Thus, I found it beneficial to read a portion, then put the book aside as I read other literature, and come back later for another portion.
This book was published in 1969, so it doesn't address the current period of Chinese history and its rise as a worldwide economic force. However, the later chapters did conjecture about the future of China and it seems some of the projections were on target.
My "take away" from this history is that humans are human in many of the same ways, despite great distances and significantly different experiences of philosophy, religion, ethics, etc. The same faults can be found in both Western and Eastern societies: greed, deceit, selfishness, anger, murder, a relentless quest for power and dominance, poverty, oppression, and so on. Likewise, the same good qualities are expressed through art, music, drama and literature, reform, and so on.
My focus in this regard has been China, but I could have justified learning more about African, Southeast Asian, Indian, and Polynesian cultures and histories. One can only absorb so much, but even a limited exposure and insight is worth the effort.
However, I found that staying focused on the early and middle periods of Chinese history was difficult. The book can be dry and pedantic, although it appears to be well-researched. The variety of names and places challenged me due to my lack of familiarity with the Chinese language, culture and geography. Thus, I found it beneficial to read a portion, then put the book aside as I read other literature, and come back later for another portion.
This book was published in 1969, so it doesn't address the current period of Chinese history and its rise as a worldwide economic force. However, the later chapters did conjecture about the future of China and it seems some of the projections were on target.
My "take away" from this history is that humans are human in many of the same ways, despite great distances and significantly different experiences of philosophy, religion, ethics, etc. The same faults can be found in both Western and Eastern societies: greed, deceit, selfishness, anger, murder, a relentless quest for power and dominance, poverty, oppression, and so on. Likewise, the same good qualities are expressed through art, music, drama and literature, reform, and so on.
My focus in this regard has been China, but I could have justified learning more about African, Southeast Asian, Indian, and Polynesian cultures and histories. One can only absorb so much, but even a limited exposure and insight is worth the effort.
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August 25, 2019Alman Tarih Doktoru Wolfram Eberhard'ın "Çin Tarihi" kitabı, bu alanda, Türkçe'de hâlâ başlıca kaynaklardan biridir! Doktor Wolfram Eberhard, "Uzakdoğu Tarihi" kitabı ile de Türkçe'de okunan bir Tarihçidir, ayrıca, "Çin Öyküleri" ve "Çin Denemeleri" kitapları ile de değerli kaynaklar üretmiş bir Tarihçidir, bir Arşivcidir. Doktor Wolfram Eberhard, İkinci Dünya Savaşı yıllarında, Almanya'dan Türkiye'ye sığınıp, Ankara Üniversitesi Dil Tarih Coğrafya Fakültesi'nde Tarihçi Öğretim Üyesi olarak yıllarca çalışan bir bilim adamıdır. Sonra, Doktor Wolfram Eberhard, Çin'e ve Uzakdoğu ülkelerine gider, araştırmalarını sürdürür, yeni kitaplar yazar. "Çin Tarihi"nde, Eberhard, Çin'i "antikçağ Çin"inden "modern Çin"e kadar inceler, araştırır ve vardığı bilgileri yazar, "Çin Tarihi"nde, neredeyse üç bin yıllık bir sürede Çin'de neler olduğunu, modern Çin'in nasıl ve hangi koşullarda oluştuğunu, Doktor Wolfram Eberhard'ın "titiz", "realist", "pozitif", "hümanist" ve "rasyonel" Tarihçiliği ile okuyor ve anlıyoruz!
December 21, 2025
Bu ilginç tarih kitabını ben almadım. Açıkçası almayı da düşünmezdim ama bir arkadaşım hediye ettiğinde çok mutlu oldum. Çünkü günümüzde bu kadar etkili olan bir milletin tarihini elbet okumak lazımdı.
Öncelikle kitabın 2. Dünya Savaşı öncesinde Almanya’dan kaçan bir sinolog tarafından Ankara’da Türkçe kaleme alındığını belirteyim. Bu yüzden kitap, buram buram 40’ların garip akademik diliyle yazılmış ve okuması biraz güç. Bir sürü bilmediğim Arapça kelimeyle haşır neşir oldum. Türk Tarih Kurumu da kapağı hariç kitabı olduğu gibi bırakmış. Bence baştan sona elden geçirilmesi lazım.
Gelelim içeriğe: Başarılı bir derleme ama Çin tarihi o kadar özgün ve kompleks ki bazı yerler kısa geçilmiş, bazı yerler ise gereksiz tekrarlarla dolu. Açıkçası olayların kronolojik olarak anlatılmasındansa kavramlara ve kültürel gelişim tarihine daha fazla yer verilmesini tercih ederdim.
Ama anladığım kadarıyla Çin tarihi şu dört kavram üzerinde yükselmiş ve bunlar hakkında daha fazla okumam gerekiyor: Çin yazı kültürü, gentry, Konfüçyüs ve Taoizm
#çintarihi #wolframeberhard #türktarihkurumu
Öncelikle kitabın 2. Dünya Savaşı öncesinde Almanya’dan kaçan bir sinolog tarafından Ankara’da Türkçe kaleme alındığını belirteyim. Bu yüzden kitap, buram buram 40’ların garip akademik diliyle yazılmış ve okuması biraz güç. Bir sürü bilmediğim Arapça kelimeyle haşır neşir oldum. Türk Tarih Kurumu da kapağı hariç kitabı olduğu gibi bırakmış. Bence baştan sona elden geçirilmesi lazım.
Gelelim içeriğe: Başarılı bir derleme ama Çin tarihi o kadar özgün ve kompleks ki bazı yerler kısa geçilmiş, bazı yerler ise gereksiz tekrarlarla dolu. Açıkçası olayların kronolojik olarak anlatılmasındansa kavramlara ve kültürel gelişim tarihine daha fazla yer verilmesini tercih ederdim.
Ama anladığım kadarıyla Çin tarihi şu dört kavram üzerinde yükselmiş ve bunlar hakkında daha fazla okumam gerekiyor: Çin yazı kültürü, gentry, Konfüçyüs ve Taoizm
#çintarihi #wolframeberhard #türktarihkurumu
November 27, 2020
Classic on China History.Chinese language genious Wolfram Eberhard claims very interesting facts on the foundation of China.''An analysis of their
tribal composition at the time of the conquest seems to indicate that
the ruling house of the Chou was related to the Turkish group, and that
the population consisted mainly of Turks and Tibetans.''
tribal composition at the time of the conquest seems to indicate that
the ruling house of the Chou was related to the Turkish group, and that
the population consisted mainly of Turks and Tibetans.''
July 26, 2021
Survey Of History
Covering thousands of years in a very short book, you get about 40%of the book covering 1700 to 1970. It is a very high level look at the first 2000 years -with a bit of a cultural and religious focus. A decent look at Chinese history in a short easy read.
Covering thousands of years in a very short book, you get about 40%of the book covering 1700 to 1970. It is a very high level look at the first 2000 years -with a bit of a cultural and religious focus. A decent look at Chinese history in a short easy read.
August 22, 2020
A good survey that stops at 1969.
With zero knowledge of the history of China, this was a good start. I think some of the really low reviews don't know what a survey history is.
With zero knowledge of the history of China, this was a good start. I think some of the really low reviews don't know what a survey history is.
September 17, 2016
This book is currently (mid-2016) a free Kindle download from Amazon, and it's worth every penny. I got it because I wanted a short survey of Chinese history, as I was sorely lacking in that department, and this pretty much worked for that. It's hard to condense thousands of years of history into one volume, and this book has the added disadvantage of using an outdated Romanization system for names, which can make it hard to compare with other sources. Finally, it doesn't have any maps and such (at least in the Kindle edition) so it can be tough going for someone with very limited knowledge of Chinese geography to follow. Nonetheless, let me say that it really did serve its purpose of letting me get a toe into Chinese history. I usually had Wikipedia up while I was reading, so I could see maps and figure out the modern transliterations. So really, it was fine.
January 3, 2014
A good *second* book to read as an introduction to the history of China. A bit too detailed for a first book, but works excellently, if one already has some idea of the major dynasties etc. The book strikes the right balance of presenting facts and reasons/causes.
August 30, 2014
This is a well written, thoroughly researched history book. It really goes into detail. Some things that I didn't understand before I do now. If you really want to understand the present you need to understand the past and that's the concept this book has been written with.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews