The Great Chinese Revolution 1800-1985 [Paperback]

John King Fairbank (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 006039076X | ISBN-13: 978-0060390761 | Publication Date: September 9, 1987 | Edition: 1st Perennial Library Ed

Examines the transformation of Imperial China to Communist China, discusses the social and cultural changes that have occurred, and looks at modern economic development in China.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a highly readable work of sound scholarship, Fairbank (a general editor of The Cambridge History of China and author of more than 20 books on China) undertakes the daunting task of integrating pre- and postrevolutionary China in a historical overview. Tracing the origins of the Communist revolution of 1949 back to the late imperial era, he claims that the roots of this triumph of Marxist ideology go deep into Chinese tradition and convincingly relegates Western influence to the periphery. He proceeds to an expert analysis of the Manchu dynasty, the warlords (who found both their ultimate expression and death knell in Chiang Kai-shek), Mao's creation of a new state and China under Deng Xiaoping. Insightful and informative, this excellent synthesis of the forces that shaped contemporary China should be basic reading for anyone interested in understanding what the author calls "a largely unknown country seen from a great distance."
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Fairbank's latest book is a fresh and spritely general survey of Chinese history from 1800. As an architect, editor, and contributor to the Cambridge History of China , Fairbank has maintained a marvelous command over the most recent scholarship. His knowledge, easy style, and own special acerbic commentaries combine to make this book a delight. Fairbank divides his account into four sections: growth and change during the 19th century; the crisis of the old order from 1895 to 1911; and China's two attempts to create a modern nation, the Chinese Republic (1912-49) and the Chinese People's Republic (post-1949). The book is never pedantic, but gathers together a lifetime of scholarship plus a true gift for presentation of complex issues and a fine eye for telling illustration. This will be widely read for decades; highly recommended for most school and public libraries. David D. Buck, History Dept., Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 396 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; 1st Perennial Library Ed edition (September 9, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006039076X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060390761
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #342,842 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fairbank's Crowning Glory, October 7, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Singapore, Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Chinese Revolution 1800-1985 (Paperback)

No decent individual who wants to talk about China, or wants to understand Chinese history in the last 150 years, can skip anything written by Fairbank. If there's anybody who can claim to be 'the' authority on China, Fairbank would be the one. And this work is his crowning glory, culmunating in a tour de force after research in this field for more than half a century. This work sees China's history from the late Qing period till the Post-Mao era as one huge struggle -- for modernity, for survival, for progress. If you are not convinced that China is agreat nation, read this and you'll change your mind, thanks to the late Fairbank.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing Storytelling, July 18, 2000

By 

Ho Hock Doong - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Chinese Revolution 1800-1985 (Paperback)

If there's one book that I could recommend to the general reader on the history of modern China (i.e. from circa 1800-1985), it would be this book.

To be honest, my first impression of this book is not a very good one in the sense that I did not feel like dancing in joy. This is because the book appears to me to be too simple, lacks good facts and not very scholarly. How could Fairbank write such a book? My expectations were very high or to be precise, I have expected the wrong things. This book is not intended to be scholarly, not intended to bog you down with boring details but is intended to be entertaining and at the same time have enough facts to highlight certain important events.

I bought this book only on a second visit to the bookshop and perhaps due to a change of mood, I find the book entertaining and at the same time enlightening in that it proposes different views on events that have not been considered before. For example, the discussion on the port of Hankow was quite enlightening. This is refreshing and after understanding the intentions of the book, my perception and expectations changed and I was able to see it in a new way. Since then, this has been one of my favourite books on modern Chinese history and will become a benchmark for me to measure good historical storytelling.

Compared to Jonathan Spence's "In Search of Modern China" this book appears to me be more entertaining and in a way, more intelligent. Highly recommended.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting interpretation, May 12, 2003

By 

Marc Osborne (Miami, FL, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Great Chinese Revolution 1800-1985 (Paperback)

I wouldn't read this book as an introduction to Chinese history of this period. Fairbank's China: A New History, or several other general histories, are better for that. This book is Fairbank's argument that the development of Chinese history was far less heavily influenced by the West than most historians and Westerners believe. He convincingly puts the major interactions between China and the West in Chinese contexts, noting the similarities between Taipei Rebellion and the White Lotus Rebellion, for instance, although the latter event occurred when Western influence was much less. It's unfortunate that this topic is so politicized. Whether China was heavily or lightly influenced by the West should have no bearing on the inherent moral worth of the Chinese people, although many people on both sides of the debate don't see it that way. Nevertheless, Fairbank's topic is interesting in itself. Ultimately, I didn't find him fully convincing (not that I'm an expert), but I'm glad I read his book.