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Rana Mitter
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Modern China: A Very Short Introduction 1st Edition

by Rana Mitter (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 80 ratings
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Modern China: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
Modern China: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
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China today is never out of the news: from human rights controversies and the continued legacy of Tiananmen Square, to global coverage of the Beijing Olympics, and the Chinese "economic miracle." It is a country of contradictions and transitions: a peasant society with some of the world's most futuristic cities, an ancient civilization that is modernizing as rapidly as possible, a walled-off nation that is increasingly at the center of world trade. This Very Short Introduction offers an indispensable starting point for anyone who needs to quickly know the themes and controversies that have shaped modern China. Prize-winning author and scholar Rana Mitter examines the modern history, politics, economy, and thriving cultural scene of contemporary China, and its relations with the wider world. This lively guide covers a range of social issues from the decline of footbinding and the position of women in society, to the influence of television and film, and the role of the overseas Chinese diaspora. It covers many prominent figures as well, such as the Communist leaders, the last emperors, and prominent writers and artists throughout China's history.

About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam
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  1. ISBN-10
    9780199228027
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0199228027
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    April 7, 2008
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    6.8 x 0.3 x 4.2 inches
  8. Print length
    168 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Book Description

A penetrating and concise guide to a vast and ancient civilization

About the Author

Rana Mitter is University Lecturer in the History and Politics of Modern China at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of St Cross College. He is the author of The Manchurian Myth: Nationalism, Resistance and Collaboration in Modern China, and A Bitter Revolution: China's Struggle with the Modern World (OUP, 2004), for which he won the title Times Higher Education Young Academic Author of the Year 2005. The book was also runner-up for the Longman/History Today Book of the Year prize, a finalist for the British Academy Book Prize, and named by Foreign Affairs as one of five "must-read" Notable Books on China. He presents and comments regularly on radio and television, and his reviews and essays have appeared in the Financial Times, History Today, and London Review of Books.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0199228027
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (April 7, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 168 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780199228027
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199228027
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.26 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.8 x 0.3 x 4.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 80 ratings

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Rana Mitter

Rana Mitter

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
80 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the introduction very short, informative, and interesting. They also say the book is well-written and written on tissue paper.

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IntroductionWriting quality
7 customers mention "Introduction"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the introduction very short, informative, and interesting. They also describe the book as a concise account of China's journey.

"Great introduction and very well written. Small book, small type and written on tissue paper." Read more

"This is indeed a very short introduction, compressing a great deal of information about a vast subject into a few pages...." Read more

"Well written, thoughtful and concise account of China's journey to modernity." Read more

"The book provides useful background information and context for current developments in China...." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book great. They also mention it's well-written on tissue paper.

"Great introduction and very well written. Small book, small type and written on tissue paper." Read more

"...On balance, Mitter knows more than I do about this subject, and he writes clearly, so I recommend it as a very short introduction to an absorbing..." Read more

"Well written, thoughtful and concise account of China's journey to modernity." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

E Hladik
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2016
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Great introduction and very well written. Small book, small type and written on tissue paper.
One person found this helpful
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Absinthe
4.0 out of 5 stars As advertised
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2013
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This is indeed a very short introduction, compressing a great deal of information about a vast subject into a few pages. I find myself referring to it often in order to get names and dates straight. Mitter is sympathetic to Mao, and he tends to downplay the cruelty of the Communist regime under the Chairman. In particular, he gives smaller estimates for the number of dead under Mao than other specialists, and he gives Mao credit for economic achievements that many scholars dispute. Half the book is devoted to questioning whether contemporary China's society, economy and culture are "modern". These are meaningless questions, in my opinion, but Mitter's discussions about contemporary Chinese attitudes towards women's rights, eugenics, economic growth, literature, cinema etc. can be illuminating. On balance, Mitter knows more than I do about this subject, and he writes clearly, so I recommend it as a very short introduction to an absorbing topic.
11 people found this helpful
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Maeve
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2014
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Well written, thoughtful and concise account of China's journey to modernity.
One person found this helpful
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William A Black
4.0 out of 5 stars Useful and informative
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2019
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The book provides useful background information and context for current developments in China. The book ends around 2008 and would be greatly improved by an update.
One person found this helpful
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alcarson
5.0 out of 5 stars book on china
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2012
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Good book. Short but concise and considering the history of China it is pretty difficult to do that in a short book.
2 people found this helpful
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LM
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting Read
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2014
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Very interesting read for my Asia class
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Gloria Kennedy
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2014
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Short , which is good. Don't confuse "modern" with "present" which I did. Perfect to add to your reading list before a trip to China.
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Cambridge Don
1.0 out of 5 stars Book format is ridiculous -- shame on Oxford University Press!
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2013
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First, it must be stressed that this review is about the format of the book, not the content, so it says nothing about the author, who is a respected authority on modern Chinese history. However, people who are considering buying this book need to know what they will get so that they are not as shocked as I was when they open the box. So, caveat emptor: this book is tiny, pocket-sized, with pages measuring little more than 4" x 6" and very small print that anyone over 40 will have great trouble reading. In retrospect, I suppose I could have looked at the "product dimension" info and known this in advance (at least page size if not font size), but seriously, how often do you look at "product dimension" when ordering books? Is it too much to expect a top university press to produce a decent book? Oxford no doubt wanted to save on production costs (paper etc.) but this is going too far -- buying this you expect to get a "short" book but not a tiny pamphlet. Even if you want to spend more money for a full-size edition it is apparently impossible -- there does not seem to be a hard cover edition for sale. Maybe Oxford figures everyone reads on Kindle now anyway? Well, if you do this review may be irrelevant to you, but you are still interested in a physical book this review will be useful. As for the content, that will have to wait until Oxford produces an edition of this book I can actually read.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Miss S A Dale
5.0 out of 5 stars A very good introduction.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 13, 2015
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An excellent introduction to a very complex country and subject. This was one of the books recommended by our Tutor for a WEA class on China - the last 100 years, and it does what it says in the title. A readable book which is sufficient for my purpose, but is suitable as an introduction if a reader wanted to get the groundwork in before reading something 'heavier'.
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Allisandre
5.0 out of 5 stars A very good introduction
Reviewed in France on December 30, 2013
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I chose this book as a beginner, as I wanted to start somewhere, and it turned out to be really good. It contains plenty of information and gives you interesting insights on modern and contemporary Chinese history. It helps you understand the key issues. Of course, the book will not turn you into a specialist of China, but it is highly accessible and understandable without any background on the country.

The fact that it is short and has a few illustrations adds to the quality of the book.
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Dr. Sven Jungmann
4.0 out of 5 stars Sehr gut für einen schnellen Überblick. Aktuelle Konflikte wurden nicht adressiert.
Reviewed in Germany on December 22, 2013
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China ist ein Land, das ebenso aussergewöhnlich wie auch für uns Europäer oftmals schwer zu begreifen ist. Es hat eine faszinierende Geschichte und brachte viele kulturelle und technologische Innovationen (z.B. die Uhr, was mir nicht bewusst war). Aufgrund seiner schieren Größe und wirtschaftlichen Signifikanz ist es heute für jeden von uns von Bedeutung.

Dieses Buch beschäftigt sich primär mit dem China des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts und stellt die Frage: Ist China modern? Dabei beantwortet es auch die Frage, was China eigentlich bedeutet, bzw. wie es sich selbst sieht.

Das heutige China ist noch dabei, sich selbst zu finden und entwickeln, und der Autor zeigt auf, welche äußeren Einflüsse und innere soziale Experimente China formten und formen.
Der Autor geht auch auf aktuelle Konflikte mit Japan ein und skizziert die historischen Hintergründe für China's aktuelle Außenpolitik und Sicht der Welt. Er geht auch auf die kulturellen (ie, Film, Literatur, Underground Produktionen, etc.) Bewegungen ein und erklärt, wie sich der Zeitgeist in diesen Werken widerspiegelt.

Alles in allem ist es ein Werk, dass mir sehr weitergeholfen hat, die Chinesische Kultur etwas besser zu verstehen. Das ist durchaus bemerkenswert für einen derart kurzen Text. Ich kann in gewisser Weise auf einer anderen Ebene starten, wenn ich mit meinen Chinesischen Kollegen interagiere.

Etwas enttäuschend fand ich, dass weniger auf die ganz aktuellen Konflikte und Menschenrechtsverletzungen eingegangen wird. Es scheint bisweilen ein wenig, als wolle der Autor eine Lanze brechen für China – und ist dann für meinen Geschmack etwas zu politisch korrekt. Allerdings sind vermutlich die meisten seiner Leser gerade an den Fragen nach Rechten, Freiheit (z.B. Meinungsfreiheit, Mobilität, etc.) Korruption etc. interessiert. Der Autor beschreibt diese Themen in der Vergangenheit, z.B. in der Mitte der 20er Jahre, geht aber nicht auf aktuelle Vorwürfe der internationalen Organisationen gegenüber China ein. Man muss dazu sagen, dass das Buch 2008 veröffentlicht wurde. Es wäre eventuell Zeit für eine überarbeitete Auflage, die die Entwicklungen der letzten 5 Jahre mit einbezieht.

Dennoch, ein empfehlenswertes Buch, dass man in zwei Tagen entspannt gelesen hat, nicht zu akademisch und mit einer Brise kleinere Erzählungen und Bilder, die manchmal mehr sagen, als große wissenschaftliche Abhandlungen.
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George hamby
4.0 out of 5 stars My review
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2013
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I found that this book was very interesting. I think that it is both compelling and intriguing in the way that it shows how china has modernized throughout the many era,emperors and rulers. This book was very factual and has taught me a lot, this book is very reliable
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rektorjohn
5.0 out of 5 stars Modern China
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 28, 2013
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I was attracted to the book after I was privileged to hear the author talking about the war between China and Japan. The clarity and deep understanding he showed in the talk was reflect also in this book. Clear, eloquent and deep but easy to follow.

Informative and an easy read.
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