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Beyond the Stone Arches: An American Missionary Doctor in China, 1892-1932
 
 
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Beyond the Stone Arches: An American Missionary Doctor in China, 1892-1932 [Hardcover]

Edward Bliss Jr. (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)


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Book Description

December 8, 2000
Advance Praise for Beyond the Stone Arches

"Now the world can share the life of this great man. In its intimate detail, this is a fascinating story that serves as a valuable introduction to the people of a country so important to us today."-Walter Cronkite

"A fascinating look at China from the point of view of an American medical missionary, this absorbing life of a quiet hero rings with authenticity and sheds light on the turbulent years from the late 1800s to 1932 that will be a revelation for most Western readers."-Adeline Yen Mah, author of Falling Leaves

"This is a proud man's story of a father who lived a life of a medical missionary in China for forty years-a life of service, sacrifice, joy, and fulfillment. The pages turn easily and quickly with humor, care, and love. It's a jewel of a book that will remain with you forever."-Jim Lehrer, The News Hour

"A small gem. Edward Bliss embarked, against great odds, on a remarkable range of activities aimed at improving the livelihood of common people. He was a veritable one-man Peace Corps. His is an inspiring story that warms the heart and enriches the soul."-H. T. Huang, author of Science and Civilization in China

"It took three years for Edward Bliss, M.D., to ascend the Min River in a convoy of three river junks in 1893, averaging fourteen miles a day. This was his first trip to Shaowu, which became his home for forty-two years, a tumultuous and dangerous time and place. His son tells the story of his father's life and work in fascinating detail, drawing on a trove of letters and extensive interviews with his father."-Donald MacInnis, former Methodist missionary and China Program Director, National Council of Churches/USA


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"When you were so sick in infancy, and there was little hope of your recovery, did I not earnestly pray that the Lord would spare your life that you might live for His glory," wrote the devout Emily Lydston Bliss in 1891 to her oldest son and the author's father, Edward, upon hearing that he had chosen to become a missionary doctor in China. Relying on letters from and conversations with his father and others, as well as his own recollections of living in China as the son of two missionaries, Bliss offers a lovely account of his father's lifelong devotion to China and its people. The author perfectly balances an objective description of his father's contributions as a physician and Christian missionary with a genuine warmth and respect for him. As a backdrop to the primary story of his father's work, Bliss describes the larger sociopolitical events taking place both in China and around the world--recalling that his father once described himself and his fellow American missionaries as "the first anti-isolationists." Bliss senior suffered bouts of malaria, plagues and floods, but it would only be in the wake of Mao's rise to power that Edward would leave China. Bliss succeeds beautifully in painting a private view of a transformative period in world history through the eyes of one man. Readers will recognize Bliss's name from his long and distinguished career in broadcast journalism, which will contribute to sales of this excellent book.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Desiring to lead a helpful life, Edward Bliss Sr. learned medicine and applied for nonpreaching missionary service in China. Thus began the 40 fascinating and varied years that his son lovingly details, drawing on a variety of records and manuscripts and many interviews to make his father's biography an enjoyable depiction of Chinese life. Most of Dr. Bliss' time was spent in and around the city of Shaowu in southeast China. He learned the language; traveled a wide area by boat, train, mule, and on foot; and discovered how his patients lived and thought as well as how to treat and even prevent some of their medical problems. He built clinics and hospitals, several of them more than once because of political, military, and flood problems; established herds of milk cows; and did remarkable practical and research work on fighting rinderpest, a destructive cattle disease. His courtship of his wife, May, conducted in part by building a tennis court, and their long, mutually supportive, productive marriage are other noteworthy achievements. William Beatty
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley (December 8, 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0471397598
  • ISBN-13: 978-0471397595
  • Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #451,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Average Customer Review
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A pioneer missionary doctor in China: a true adventure tale, January 26, 2001
By 
Donald (brunswick, maine USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Beyond the Stone Arches: An American Missionary Doctor in China, 1892-1932 (Hardcover)
"Beyond the Stone Arches" is the gripping story of a pioneer missionary doctor who served for four decades in a mission station deep in the interior of Fujian province. Each chapter could stand alone, for the scene changes from Imperial China to the shaky, new Republic in 1911, to civil wars, banditry, floods, plague and cholera epidemics - but through it all, Edward Bliss, Jr. tells the story of his father's daily work, his love for China and its people, his ventures such as raising milk cows so children could have milk, and his courage in the face of danger from Communist guerrillas, bandit gangs and rampant warlords. The book reads like an autobiography, for the author draws heavily on his own extensive interviews with his father and his father's letters, plus the author's own memories of childhood in pre-modern China. This is not a stereotype "missionary book!"
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars beautifully realized, June 28, 2003
By 
This review is from: Beyond the Stone Arches: An American Missionary Doctor in China, 1892-1932 (Hardcover)
This is a wonderfully written account of a missionary's life in early 20th century China. Both educational and entertaining. Well worth the reader's time. Ed Bliss does the subject exquisite justice.
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1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Gift Idea for Father's Day!!, June 1, 2001
By 
This review is from: Beyond the Stone Arches: An American Missionary Doctor in China, 1892-1932 (Hardcover)
From what I've read of reviews and from what I know of the content of this beautifully written biography of a father by his son.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
THE CITY WAS not yet in sight. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
rinderpest blood, salt boat, duck boats, foreign doctor
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
East Gate, American Board, Shi Xiansheng, Farmer Boy, New Haven, North Gate, Crystal Hill, Allen Street, Lucy Bement, United States, Miss Bortz, New York, Pagoda Anchorage, San Francisco, North China, Josephine Kennedy, May Bortz, Elizabeth Wilkinson, Grace Funk, Joseph Walker, Rooster Fight, World War, Frances Bement, Mary Gardner, West Gate
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