Modern Chinese History

Name: Modern Chinese History
ISBN: 9787222138858

Tsiang Ting-fu (T.F. Tsiang)Yunnan People's Publishing House · ChinaDec 2021

4.5

Word count: 57K words
Chapters: 29
ISBN: 9787222138858

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Summary

Jiang Tingfu's Modern Chinese History was an authoritative and bestselling history book of the Republican era. In clear, fluent prose, it narrates a century of change, writing of the rivalries of politics, the collisions of civilizations, and also the rules of society and the inertia of the nation. In barely sixty thousand characters, it makes sense of the major events and key figures of modern China's hundred years. Precisely because it grasps the essence, the book achieves at once 'the utmost brevity' and 'the utmost completeness.'

Editor's review

Jiang Tingfu's *The Modern History of China* is a recognized classic of historical scholarship, and its Douban rating has long held steady above 8.5—itself a testament to its enduring academic value and appeal. Though concise, the book is far from a simple historical outline. Its core value lies in the logical framework Jiang Tingfu constructs, through his distinctive historical insight, for understanding modern China's fate. The "modernization" thread he proposes offers a profound analysis of how China, beset by internal and external troubles after the Opium War, struggled to find a path to national survival and revival. His assessments of key figures such as Li Hongzhang and Lin Zexu avoid simplistic caricature, examining them instead within the constraints of their era and the broader historical tide—a calm, objective historical perspective that still offers readers deep insight today. Written in the 1930s, some of its views may be open to debate, but its cross-cultural vision, profound concern for the nation's fate, and clear sense of problematic make it an indispensable intellectual resource for looking back at where we came from and reflecting on the present. Reading this book is not only to learn a period of history but to learn a way of thinking about history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the broad contours of modern Chinese history who want a clear cognitive framework.
History students or enthusiasts who wish to study classic works of historiography and sharpen their historical insight.
Readers who like to reflect on the fate of the nation and the process of modernization.
Readers seeking a macro perspective on the deep historical roots of contemporary China's social transformation.

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking sensationalized unofficial histories or pure biographical anecdotes.
Readers looking for exhaustive factual detail in a voluminous, multi-volume general history.

Reading tips

Read through the whole book first to grasp the author's core historical view and logical framework, then close-read key chapters.
Compare with other works of modern and contemporary history research while reading, and reflect on the differences in narrative under different historical perspectives.
Focus on the key questions the book raises, such as "What were the main obstacles to China's modernization," and try to form your own reflections.

About the publisher

Yunnan People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1951

Yunnan People's Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher with foreign literature and philosophical works as important publishing directions. Its representative books include Les Misérables (3 volumes), The Republic, Timaeus, Gitanjali, A Ship at Sea, a Horse in the Mountains: Poems of Lorca, On the Motion of the Heart and Blood, The Harmony of the World, and Xinmin Shuo, covering categories such as foreign literature, Western philosophy, literature, popular science, and history. Its author resources include Victor Hugo, Li Yumin, Plato, He Xiangdi, Song Jijie, Tagore, Xiao Xingzheng, and Federico García Lorca, among Chinese and foreign writers and translators. The press is adept at combining classic works with quality translations, balancing academic value and readability; public information on its fuller publishing features and plans is limited.

版权信息
总论
第一章剿夷与抚夷
1. 英国请中国订立邦交
2. 英国人做鸦片买卖
3. 东西对打
4. 民族丧失二十年的光阴
5. 不平等条约开始
6. 剿夷派又抬头
7. 剿夷派崩溃
第二章洪秀全与曾国藩
1. 旧社会走循环套
2. 洪秀全企图建新朝
3. 曾国藩刷新旧社会
4. 洪秀全失败
第三章自强及其失败
1. 内外合作以求自强
2. 步步向前进
3. 前进遇着阻碍
4. 士大夫轻举妄动
5. 中日初次决战
第四章瓜分及民族之复兴
1. 李鸿章引狼入室
2. 康有为辅助光绪变法
3. 顽固势力总动员
4. 孙总理提民族复兴方案
5．民族扫除复兴的障碍
6. 军阀割据十五年
7. 贯彻总理的遗教

FAQ

There are many editions of this book. What are the features of this edition?

This edition from China Overseas Chinese Publishing House is typically collated against an authoritative base text, clearly typeset, and may include an introduction or brief annotations to help modern readers understand the background. It is one of the more cost-effective standard editions.

Are the views in this book outdated?

The value of a classic lies precisely in the enduring relevance of the core questions it raises. Its discussion of modernization, nation-state building, and related issues retains a depth of thought with strong contemporary relevance. What is outdated is not the core problematic but some specific historical materials and conclusions—precisely what readers need to discern while reading.

Is this book suitable as an introductory text on modern history?

Very much so. Its moderate length, clear viewpoints, and lucid structure help readers quickly build an overall understanding of the key turning points and core contradictions of modern history. It is an excellent introductory and foundational read.

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About the author

Tsiang Ting-fu (T.F. Tsiang) Author · Chinese · 1895–1965

Jiang Tingfu (Tsiang Ting-fu, T.F. Tsiang, 1895–1965), courtesy name Shouzhang, was a native of Shaoyang (present-day Shaodong), Hunan, and a renowned modern Chinese historian and diplomat. He earned his doctorate at Columbia University and served as chair of the history departments at Nankai University and Tsinghua University. In 1935 he left academia for public service, holding posts including Political Vice Minister of the Executive Yuan, Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Ambassador to the United States. His representative work, The Modern History of China, is regarded as a pioneering study of modern Chinese history. The collection includes 45 of his works, mostly historical readings and cultural titles, chiefly editions of The Modern History of China along with compiled versions such as the "Dajiatan" edition. Grounded in historical sources and clear in structure, his writing distills key questions at major turning points and sketches the transformations and choices of modern China with concise prose that combines scholarly weight with readability, leaving a lasting influence on later narratives of modern Chinese history.