The Chinese: Their History and Culture (Hardcover)

~ Kenneth Scott Latourette (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishing Company (October 1964)
• ISBN-10: 0025689207
• ISBN-13: 978-0025689206
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,782,021 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the great single-volume descriptions of China, May 28, 2005

By	Colin R. Glassey (Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Latourette's 1964 edition (his 3rd revision and published just 4 years before his death) is one of the great single volume histories of China and its civilization. For 30 years, Latourette taught history at Yale (1921 to 1953) and he was also an expert on Christianity. His book is filled with judgements which more modern authors have tended to shy away from. I found his considered judgments to be both plausible and correct.

His bibleography at the end of each chapter (while out-of-date) is wonderful in its description of the various ancient Chinese works that cover the time period in question.

In at least one area his description of Manchu control over Tibet is in error (modern scholars argue that Manchu control was very limited). Also, the book lacks any illustrations or historical maps.

Despite these faults, this book is the best text I've found on "Imperial China".