The Penguin History of Modern China

Livre broché, 816 pages

Publié 31 mai 2013 par Penguin.

ISBN :: 978-0-14-197515-3

(1 critique)

The official Penguin history of modern China, covering an extensive but arguably lesser-known period of one of the world's, possibly Asia's greatest powers' history's, provides a detailed and clear insight into the land of the dragon. Particularly of the period pre-1912, when Puyi, the Last Emperor was overthrown, many Western readers have little knowledge and the book is vital reading for anyone taking a Level 3 qualification in history, with specific reference to China, or anyone with simply a general interest in this fascinating country. The guide is arranged in clear chapters, making it easier for readers looking for a specific individual or time to navigate their way through. Nevertheless, a full read of this compendious text is highly recommended.

3 éditions

Mysteriarch a publié une critique de Penguin History of Modern China par Jonathan Fenby

Disappointing

2 étoiles

This history books leaves a lot to be desired. Fenby seems to lack a respect for his subject that you'd expect from a historian - even a highly critical one. In the epilogue he says "as I've argued in this book" but that's exactly the problem: he doesn't really argue any points, he just posits them. He draws comparisons between the imperial era events and the later ones during the communist period without any reasoning. He makes value claims without clarifying or without contextualising in a larger, world-historical view. It's clear he has an utter dislike of the communists, which I don't mind, but this together with his lack of argumentation results in a rather myopic approach without much room for nuance or actual understanding of Chinese society except for the bare facts. Something I also missed was at least one chapter dedicated to KMT ruled Taiwan after their retreat. …

This history books leaves a lot to be desired. Fenby seems to lack a respect for his subject that you'd expect from a historian - even a highly critical one. In the epilogue he says "as I've argued in this book" but that's exactly the problem: he doesn't really argue any points, he just posits them. He draws comparisons between the imperial era events and the later ones during the communist period without any reasoning. He makes value claims without clarifying or without contextualising in a larger, world-historical view. It's clear he has an utter dislike of the communists, which I don't mind, but this together with his lack of argumentation results in a rather myopic approach without much room for nuance or actual understanding of Chinese society except for the bare facts. Something I also missed was at least one chapter dedicated to KMT ruled Taiwan after their retreat. It only gets mentioned again in a few passing paragraphs. All in all a very disappointing book.