China's Imperial Past: An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture [Hardcover]

Charles Hucker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1975

A work unique in the sweep of its design and scope, intended expressly for the general reader interested in human history and culture, this is a vivid panoramic survey of the vast course of Chinese civilization from prehistory to 1850, when the old China began the agonizing transition to the new. Historical surveys of China tend to be dynasty-by-dynasty chronicles with a profusion of names and dates and occaisional cultural tidbits, or to concentrate on the period from earliest times to the Han dynasty (or the T’ang), giving only scant coverage to the last thousand years. China’s Imperial Past

is different. Not only does it treat the three major periods of Chinese history at roughly equal length, weaving all their complexity into a balanced, integrated whole, but it gives ample space to China’s magnificent literary and artistic achievements.

The author’s approach is primarily interpretive, emphasizing patterns of change and development rather than factual details, but he never loses sight of the particularities that made traditional Chinese civilization one of the richest in human history. Especially notable are the many translations of Chinese poetry, among them more than twenty exquisite poems from the great poets of the T’ang.

The author divides Chinese history into three major epochs: a formative age, from high antiquity to the unification of China under the Ch’in in the third century B.C.; an early imperial age, from the Han dynasty (202 B.C.-A.D. 220) through the T’ang (618-907) and its breakdown; and a later imperial age, from the Sung dynasty (960-1279) to the mid-nineteenth century. Each major epoch is considered in topical chapters—on general history, political institutions, socioeconomic organization, religion and thought, and literature and the arts. A brief Epilogue comments on aspects of Chinese history since 1850.

The book includes 47 plates, eight maps, and various charts, and as appendixes and unusually detailed chronological table, notes on the Chines language, and suggestions for supplementary reading.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“An admirable success. It is the embodiment of great Sinological acumen and experience and of a lovingly painstaking scholarship, beautifully presented. Moreover, it is a book that deploys its learning gracefully and succinctly, with a rhetorical modesty that is likely to wear very well on its many future readers. . . . Professor Hucker has produced a most attractive harvest of the many labors of his distinguished scholarship and teaching career, and we should be grateful.”—Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies

“The book is an impressive tour de force of skillful organization, clarity, and precision; the style is quiet, concise, and unambiguous. Hucker’s coverage is strikingly comprehensive. . . . His incorporation of the major findings and issues of recent research is meticulous and well proportioned.”—The Journal of Asian Studies

“The genius of the book lies in its organization. . . . It is arranged in such a way that one can read it straight through for a comprehensive view of China’s past; or one can read it topically, as a record of major events, or as a political-institutional history, or socio-economic history, or the history of ideas, or literary or art history. . . . It is an eminently sound introduction to its subject, a work compiled with evident thought and care.”—History

“China’s Imperial Past, by Charles O. Hucker, is the best introduction to Chinese culture from earliest times to the 19th century.”—Diversion

“ . . . [The] achievement of Professor Hucker is a formidable one. His work is a beautifully balanced one, organized with logic and clarity. His interpretations, if leaning to the safe side, are invariably sound. His erudition is carried lightly and there is found throughout, an awareness of the needs of the student. . . . In sum, Hucker has produced a readable and comprehensive text. It will undoubtedly become a standard in college courses and it can be highly recommended to anyone who seeks a solid yet painless introduction to the civilization of traditional China.”—Monumenta Serica (Germany)

From the Inside Flap

A work unique in the sweep of its design and scope, intended expressly for the general reader interested in human history and culture, this is a vivid panoramic survey of the vast course of Chinese civilization from prehistory to 1850, when the old China began the agonizing transition to the new. Historical surveys of China tend to be dynasty-by-dynasty chronicles with a profusion of names and dates and occaisional cultural tidbits, or to concentrate on the period from earliest times to the Han dynasty (or the T’ang), giving only scant coverage to the last thousand years. China’s Imperial Past

is different. Not only does it treat the three major periods of Chinese history at roughly equal length, weaving all their complexity into a balanced, integrated whole, but it gives ample space to China’s magnificent literary and artistic achievements.
The author’s approach is primarily interpretive, emphasizing patterns of change and development rather than factual details, but he never loses sight of the particularities that made traditional Chinese civilization one of the richest in human history. Especially notable are the many translations of Chinese poetry, among them more than twenty exquisite poems from the great poets of the T’ang.
The author divides Chinese history into three major epochs: a formative age, from high antiquity to the unification of China under the Ch’in in the third century B.C.; an early imperial age, from the Han dynasty (202 B.C.-A.D. 220) through the T’ang (618-907) and its breakdown; and a later imperial age, from the Sung dynasty (960-1279) to the mid-nineteenth century. Each major epoch is considered in topical chapters—on general history, political institutions, socioeconomic organization, religion and thought, and literature and the arts. A brief Epilogue comments on aspects of Chinese history since 1850.
The book includes 47 plates, eight maps, and various charts, and as appendixes and unusually detailed chronological table, notes on the Chines language, and suggestions for supplementary reading.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 492 pages
• Publisher: Stanford University Press; First edition (June 1, 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804708878
• ISBN-13: 978-0804708876
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,876,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good introduction to Chinese history, July 9, 2000

By 

Mike R. Lai (China) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: China's Imperial Past: An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture (Paperback)

This book is clearly written and covers competently a broad range of topics. The author follows a topical format (as opposed to a strictly chronological) and discusses in turn general political history, social and political structures, intellectual life, arts and literature. All are described fairly well, though the coverage of some personalities is sketchy perhaps because of space limitations. But the author is clearly very knowledge and provides an adequate amount of critical analysis (in addition to the merely descriptive) so that one doesn't lose sight of the bigger picture.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth buying!, September 26, 2007

By 

Wlodzimierz Sobczyk "WloS" (Warsaw, Poland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: China's Imperial Past: An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture (Paperback)

For me China is just a matter of personal interest - no academic or business motivation. What's the most interesting is to understand the foundations of culture, of social structures, customs and behaviours. With the organisation of this book I could easily pick up the pieces which I consider the most relevant. Having read quite a number of books on the subject I finally found the explanations of several intriguing aspects of Chinese culture, which in the other sources were presented in a "as a matter of fact" mode!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great overview of a fascinating subject, February 28, 2010

By 

J. Delapedraja - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: China's Imperial Past: An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture (Paperback)

I am new to Chinese history, but based on reading many other history books on other subjects, I can say that this is a great introductory book. It's worth noting that Hucker studied with H.G. Creel (author of the excellent "The Birth of China") and dedicates the book to him. To me, this says a lot about Hucker's dedication to the subject. This is a fine book and the organization is unique--the first chapter of each section sketches out a basic chronology, and subsequent chapters flesh out the details about government, society, thought, and art. This book covers a LOT of ground, but it does it fairly well. As an aside, I once tried reading a one-volume history of China and found it unbearable (it had to cover too much history in too few pages), but Hucker's decision to cut off this book at 1850 allows for a more focused and readable treatment. I recommend this book.