History of Ancient China
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Students majoring in history or education who need to understand the evolution of modern Chinese history textbook formats
- Readers interested in modern academic history and historiography who wish to examine the early forms of the new-style general history
- Middle school history teachers who can use it to understand the origins of the chapter-based general history narrative framework
- Lovers of literature and history who enjoy slow reading of old books and are willing to analyze texts in their historical context
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking the latest archaeological findings and contemporary historiographical conclusions, for whom the book's views are outdated
- Beginning readers who only want a quick, easy read through stories of ancient Chinese history
- Readers impatient with the rather classical style of narration and the late Qing and early Republic context
Reading tips
- Read the preface or publisher's note first to understand the book's place in modern historiography, then proceed to the main text.
- Read section by section according to the book's own periodization, and after each period summarize its basis for division in a few sentences.
- Keep a pen handy to mark clearly dated judgments, and review them together after finishing.
- Read alongside a contemporary general history of ancient China to observe changes in narrative framework and historical perspective.
About the publisher
China Culture and History Press has long devoted itself to modern and contemporary literature and culture-and-history reading matter, with publishing directions centered on classic works, social novels, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy, alongside culture-and-history periodicals such as Zongheng. Among the more than 1,500 titles in the collection, representative books include Zhang Henshui's Ti Xiao Yin Yuan, Lu Xun's Complete Classic Works (10 volumes) and Wild Grass, and Lao She's Four Generations Under One Roof series and the boxed set of Lao She's Classic Works (10 volumes), while its author resources are concentrated on figures such as Zhang Henshui, Lu Xun, Lao She and Sima Qian. Its publishing character lies in solid editorial work on culture-and-history source texts and in issuing famous authors' works in sets, balancing the readability of individual texts with the systematic presentation of complete collections for focused reading and collecting. Beyond these directions, public information on the press's contemporary original publishing is limited, so it is not elaborated here.
Contents
- 版权信息
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FAQ
How is this book different from the ancient Chinese history books commonly found today?
Can readers without a background in historiography get through it?
The book divides Chinese history into three periods. What should readers pay special attention to?
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About the author
Xia Zengyou (1863–1924), courtesy name Suiqing and style names Bieshi and Suifo, was a native of Hangzhou, Zhejiang, and a historian, poet and Buddhist scholar of the late Qing and early Republican periods. A jinshi of 1890, he was closely associated with Liang Qichao, Tan Sitong and Yan Fu and took part in reformist activities. His most important achievement is his Textbook of Chinese History, later renamed The Ancient History of China, regarded as the first modern-style general history in modern China; by adopting a new periodization and mode of compilation, it reorganized the historical development from antiquity to the medieval period and played a pioneering role in the transformation of modern historiography. After the founding of the Republic, he served as director of the Social Education Department of the Ministry of Education and as curator of the Capital Library. His extant writings are few; besides the general history, they touch on literary appreciation and Buddhist studies, combining a historian's rigor with a poet's sensibility.
