Customer Reviews

A Concise History of China

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is certainly one of the best and, obviously, concise pieces of work which attempts to convey the long history of a massive country. Roberts style is friendly and quite readable and will definitely point out areas of Chinese history in which you will want to delve more deeply. It works as a great starter point for all those who wish to learn more about or know nothing about Chinese history. Bear in mind that it is only an abridged version of a complex subject, and it may leave you wanting more information. An enjoyable informative read.

J.A.G. Roberts' A Concise History of China is an introduction to China for a China ready to join the World Trade Organization. China is not an enigna or special case, but a microcosm of the world as a whole. Roberts' contribution is, that he undermines the notion of a unified Chinese culture or region.

Roberts most memorable chapters recount the disparate states which rose and fell, some contemporaneously, and the foreign influences always ar work on them. China is revealed as a continent of many nations, not as a monolithic and eternal concept.

Roberts' book is also well balanced, and his chapters, instead of following dynastic changes, roughly divide Chinese history into equal time periods. His polemical acumen is considerable, and his chapters are full pf debates between Western and modern Chinese historians. If there is one period where his skills are lacking, it is the immediate past, and the last pages are disappointing.

This is a relevant introduction to Chinese history, that places China historically in the world, and within its own worlds.

I'd certainly recommend it, but be aware that it's a lot more detailed for the 20th c. than for say pre-Ming China. It's a little deceptive to describe this book as "successfully condens[ing] four millennia of Chinese history into 300 pages." Pages 1-78 cover all of Chinese history from the prehistoric period to the end of the T'ang in AD 907. By p. 162 we're well into the 19th century. On page 201 we enter the 20th century for good. Though the author makes an admirable effort to write a history of China that doesn't see all of Chinese history as leading up to a "failure" in "competition" with the West, while one must admit that the evidence is more controversial the further back one goes, and as his handling of the earlier periods is good and useful within the limits he's set himself, it leaves one wishing there were more detail and scope. The last 140 pages seem like an excellent closing chapter to a comprehensive history of China, and the first 160 like an excellent Concise history.

"A Concise History of China" has a great approach to summarizing the past 3000 years of chinese history with appropriate comparisons to other nations such as Great Britain, France, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Russia, Portugal, Germany, Italy, and the United States. The book is filled with facts, and is complimented by Ebrey's "Cambridge Illustrated History of China" which discusses individual topics in less detail, but gives a better picture in its entirety.

This book is an excellent starting point for delving into Chinese history. From this book I was able to get a cursory understanding of the creation and evolution of the Chinese state and society. Although Chinese history is massive, this 300-page book manages to navigate the reader though the labyrinth without getting bogged in details and most importantly without losing the reader. This is no easy feat.

I had this text for a class I took, therefore, I had to read it. It was a fairly good overview of Chinese history, but it wasn't written all that well. It was hard to get through and the author was very inconsistent with the amount, or lack, of details. I think that if you're considering buying this book that another one would be better.

This book successfully packs a lot into 300 pages, but the writing style isn't entertaining. Roberts often discusses different historical theories about a topic, which is helpful, but he rarely provides the anecdotes or details that make a history memorable.

The history of China, from what I have heard and read, is a fascinating story. Chinese history, like most other history, proves that the best stories are true stories. Unfortunately, this is lost of JAG Roberts, the author of this book.

I purchased this book to get an overview of Chinese history. But it was incredibly boring. The author packs so much information in such a small space, nothing is explored with any detail, feeling, or creativity.

A good historical writer will propose a thesis in the beginning of the book and support that thesis. (ex. "The Chinese Communists are a continuation of (or a break from) the old dynastic regimes" or even something so simple as "China has a long tradition of civilization") Roberts does nothing of the sort. The reader merely gets a confusing outline of dynasties, leaders, and events in no narrative flow whatsoever, all without a purpose.

It is not even entertaining.

J.A.G. Roberts' A Concise History Of China refers to recent archaeological finds as it provides a new updated interpretation of China's early history. College-level readers will find it provides the latest ideas on Chinese history and culture, promising to appeal to libraries seeking the latest facts and information for their collections.

I realize that China has a long history, but I needed more of a concise summary. I really didn't need to know the personal details of the various rulers 500 years ago. And I guess I was looking for more about China's interaction with the outside world and more about modern times.

While I found the book interesting and informative, I disagree with reviews posted here that call it easy to read. It's written by a scholar... not by someone who can make things easily accessible.

I made it all the way through the book but it was a chore.