From Outsider to Insider-Introduction on Some Serious Readings about China (i)
As I mentioned in a previous article, China is a bottomless put of interesting history. Just look at the past century in China— an epic historical event transpired pretty much every decade. Coupled with the fact that if your high school was anything like mine was and barely scratched the surface of Chinese history, there is a lot one can learn about this country. This is why for the past 3 years almost all of the books I have read have been about China. So, without further ado, below I mention “review” some of the books that come to mind when I think about books about China I have read recently.
1) Stillwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45 by Barbara W. Tuchman
This Pulitzer Prize winner is the book that got me going on my China-related book reading kick. As one of the reviews of the book mention, this book is “not just a book, but an education”. Besides giving the most in-depth, unbiased account of the China arena during World War II, this book pretty much offers a full history of China from just before the Boxer Rebellion through to the establishment of the modern People’s Republic of China. That’s a lot of information to fit in one book, but Tuchman does it so succinctly as to make it easy to read, easy to retain and easy to understand. The pieces fit together perfectly as presented by Tuchman. Sure, she is a bit of a Stillwell groupie, but only a groupie could write such a thorough piece of literature about Stillwell.
2) Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler
This recently published book has received tons of praise since it hit the shelves in the US. Hessler is not a contemporary Chinese historian, and if you want to read in-depth anthropological studies about China, this is not the book to choose. But if you want to read some insight into life in China by a typical expat in China (if there is such a thing), this is the book to read. If you have not been to China, it’s a great introduction to the country and the society. Most importantly, its recent publication is important because China is developing so quickly that most books are out of date by the time they are published. This one is not out of date yet, so a lot of what Hessler talks about will be evident to most travelers and expats while they are in China. And if you have been to China already, you will probably identify with a lot of the topics he discusses, whether you agree with them or not. (To be continued)
Posted at 01:19PM Dec 15, 2008 by admin in Laowai Talk | Comments[2]
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I especially liked his focus on the places outside of the big cities (such as outside of Shenzhen). Most people in China don't live in the big cities. It's their lives that we don't normally get to see and yet I find to be the most interesting. Anyway, good book and a worthy recommendation.
Posted by Josh on December 15, 2008 at 02:50 PM CST #
Posted by Curtis Flemming on January 13, 2009 at 10:45 AM CST #