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China: A History Paperback – Illustrated, December 6, 2011

by John Keay (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 884 ratings
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An authoritative account of five thousand years of Chinese history

Many nations define themselves in terms of territory or people; China defines itself in terms of history. Taking into account the country's unrivaled, voluminous tradition of history writing, John Keay has composed a vital and illuminating overview of the nation's complex and vivid past. Keay's authoritative history examines 5,000 years in China, from the time of the Three Dynasties through Chairman Mao and the current economic transformation of the country. Crisp, judicious, and engaging, China is the classic single-volume history for anyone seeking to understand the present and future of this immensely powerful nation.
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  1. Print length
    608 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Basic Books
  4. Publication date
    December 6, 2011
  5. Grade level
    11 and up
  6. Reading age
    13 years and up
  7. Dimensions
    6 x 1.63 x 9.25 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    0465025188
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0465025183
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Exquisitely written.... In fluid, effortless prose, Keay moves energetically through the vicissitudes of China's dynastic past."―Guardian (UK)

"Absorbingly readable.... A pleasingly cultured account of the great sweep of China's evolution."―Independent (UK)

"Here, at roughly 130 pages per millennium, is China's history from the earliest fragments of Xia dynasty to the last emperor, with a little of Chairman Mao added for good (or bad) luck. Its core, though, covers the 'big five' dynasties--Han, Tang, Song, Ming and Qing--from 200 BC to the start of the twentieth century, and Keay's choice is deliberate. There is no understanding China present or future without a sense of its past. Much of that past, by any standard, is awe-inspiring."―Observer(UK)

"Without sacrificing substance for brevity, Keay manages to illustrate China's history very much as a narrative of the rise and fall of strong and feeble emperors, bureaucratic cliques and factionalism, the development of philosophical traditions and religious incarnations, and the constant restructuring of the empire's geographical boundaries. Readers already interested in, or wishing newly to embark upon, Chinese history will adore this book. Highly recommended."―Library Journal

"John Keay has written...with unflagging zest, clear, accessible prose, and a refreshingly panoramic perspective." ―Open Letters Monthly

About the Author

John Keay is the author of several acclaimed books, including China: A History, The Great Arc: The Dramatic Tale of How India Was Mapped and Everest Was Named, and the bestselling India: A History. He was formerly a special correspondent for the Economist, and contributes regularly to the Sunday Telegraph, Times Higher Educational Supplement, and the Literary Review.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; Illustrated edition (December 6, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465025188
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465025183
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 11 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.78 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.63 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 884 ratings

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John Keay

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
884 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book comprehensive, filled with good details, vignettes, stories, and facts. They also say it offers an insight into the character of the Chinese people. Opinions are mixed on readability, with some finding it amazingly readable and helpful while others say it's difficult to read.

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ComprehensivenessEnjoymentReadability
57 customers mention "Comprehensiveness"54 positive3 negative

Customers find the book filled with good details, vignettes, stories, and facts. They say it's an educational, eye-opening, myth-busting read that provides good maps. Readers also say the book is very complete and accurate, and offers an insight into the character of the Chinese people.

"...Fascinating and the author does a wonderful job of keeping your interest despite unfamiliar names and and all the detail that comes with over 5,000..." Read more

"...The writing is clear and the content is interesting, worth the read." Read more

"True to the back-cover blurb, this history of China is engagingly written and as comprehensive as a book of this length can be...." Read more

"...You're reading this book, and much of it is fascinating, but you can't close your eyes and imagine what it looked like in China or understand what..." Read more

4 customers mention "Enjoyment"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book refreshing and entertaining.

"...For the first few pages, one may find this refreshing and even entertaining...." Read more

"...side (due to the sheer mass of history covered), but overall an entertaining read that is both educational and empowering to read...." Read more

"I am about half way into the book. So far I am enjoying it very much. Not that I will ever remember all the genealogy, or yangs, bangs and gangs...." Read more

"Outstanding book, fun and informative AND insightful..." Read more

43 customers mention "Readability"24 positive19 negative

Customers are mixed about the readability. Some find the book amazingly readable and comprehensive, with enough detail to decide areas they would like to explore. They also appreciate the witty interjections. However, some readers find the language and names difficult to understand, and the author gets quite wordy at times. They say the topic is hard to understand and the story hard to follow.

"...The writing is clear and the content is interesting, worth the read." Read more

"...The book could have been written more concisely and a little less scrambled. Nothing straight forward here, and definitely at the college level...." Read more

"I like this book, John Keay is a brilliant writer, but this book frustrates me enormously at times. He's not good with concrete detail...." Read more

"...However - In between there are long meandering sentences...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

hotfeet
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read if you want comprehensive history of China
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2024
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I'm on my second read - too much information to take in and absorb in one reading! Fascinating and the author does a wonderful job of keeping your interest despite unfamiliar names and and all the detail that comes with over 5,000 years of uninterrupted history.
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A. Menon
4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive history of pre-modern China
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2016
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The history of China is complex. John Keay gives an overview of China and its rich history starting from before the country was unified under the Qin and up until modern times excluding the Communist party from the second half of the 20th century. There is of course a lot to try to convey in this 3000 year period but the author does well to give the reader an overview of both the history and evolution that China has witnessed. Having grown up with an absence of books on China's entire history this is a good addition to the literature for a wide audience.

The author begins with some of the earliest records of China starting before 1000 BC but quickly gets into the period of warring states and the unification and beginning of the Qin dynasty. The author gives all the background needed to understand how later conflicts reference back to the early conflicts faced in China. The author gives the reader a brief picture of the world Confucius lived in and the philosophy he created that was probably the strongest current in Chinese government through its history. The book details the dynasties and the philosophies that drove each age. It also discusses how dynastic transitions were described by Chinese historians as the legitimate passing of the mandate of heaven on as rulers failed in their duties. The author gives an overview of all the major dynasties and in particular he focuses on the Han dynasty which is often seen as the golden age where borders were expanded and leadership was just. He focuses on the Tang dynasty where China resurfaced as a unified power and the Song where China was last ruled by its own people before being over run by a series of outside powers. One reads a history where China has not been unified throughout its history and fragmentation of the empire has been distinct in multiple periods. One learns of how China had frequent dynastic turnover as emperors were invaded and lost the faith of the people only for the cycle to repeat itself. One of course learns of the Mongolian invasion and their Yuan dynasty as well as the peasant uprising that led to the Ming dynasty. It is fascinating to learn about how the mandate of heaven was transferred to a peasant in more than one occasion when the broad population was discontent with the ruler of the times. The relative decline of China is described in the last 500 years as it went from most properous and populous to exploited as industrialization took place in the west and gun boat diplomacy defined trade relations. This happened in particular with the Manchu's as they conquered the Ming in the 17th century. From there one sees a sequence of bullying trade deals and incremental isolation of China. The author spends time discussing the opium wars and the nationalist movement in China with Sun Yat-Sen and leaves us at the end of the second world war.

China: A History gives a relatively quick overview of the major dynasties in China and its early modern history. Multiple more volumes could no doubt be written but this is a good starting point to get a sense of how China has evolved and where its civilization started. The archaeological record continues to broaden as its academic world opens up. This book gives you exactly what the title says, a History of China. The writing is clear and the content is interesting, worth the read.
64 people found this helpful
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David Hoffman
5.0 out of 5 stars Yin and Yang
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2014
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Perhaps nowhere is the saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same” more appropriate than in China. China has the honor of being the civilization with the longest continuous history on Earth. China was not the first or the oldest civilization, but while ancient Egypt and Sumer have long since vanished from history, China remains. In that long 3000-4000 years of history, China has undergone many changes. Dynasties of rulers have risen and fallen. The country has been united into an empire, only to break apart and then be united once again. The Chinese Empire has expanded its frontiers into Central Asia, and has been restricted to northern or southern China, while foreigners have ruled other sections. China has been conquered and has regained its independence. Through all the revolutions and changes, China remains China.

The Communists under Mao Zedong were determined to remake China into a modern, socialist country, yet they went about their goals in a characteristically Chinese fashion. Mao condemned Confucius and sought to end that sage’s influence on China. So did Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China (previous rulers were referred to as “kings”). The Communists enforced a rigid Marxist conformity on China intellectuals. The Song Emperors enforced a rigid Neo-Confucian ideology. China, under Mao limited its contacts with foreigners. So did the Qing Emperors. The present rulers of China have converted China into a major trading nation. So did the Tang Emperors. The Communist Party does not tolerate any rival parties. No imperial dynasty was ever comfortable with parties or partisanship. Like the Emperors of old, the Chinese government thinks more in terms of taking a paternal interest in the lives of its subjects rather than in protecting human rights.

Yet, one must not think China as being unchanging or Chinese history as being boring. China has seen drastic changes throughout its history. One might think of this history of change and continuity in terms of the Chinese philosophical ideas of Yin and Yang, opposites that work together. Passive, feminineYin might represent the periods of imperial unity and strength while active, masculine Yang might represent the chaotic periods of war and disunity that were, nevertheless, the most intellectually productive periods of Chinese history.

I think there are few resources which explore the grand sweep of the Yin and Yang of Chinese history in one volume better than John Keay’s China, A History. In his book, John Keay tells the story of the Chinese nation from its Neolithic beginning right up to the modern age. Keay does not, as many writers of history books do, spend too much time on recent events while neglecting past centuries. Every dynasty gets the proper amount of attention, as do the periods of disunion. If I have any complaint at all about China, A History, it is that at 611 pages it is simply too short. Six hundred pages are hardly enough to give an outline of Chinese history. I am not complaining, however. If you want a general outline of Chinese history, China A History serves the purpose admirably and if you want to know more about any topic, there is the bibliography John Keay provides.
25 people found this helpful
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Ciqikou
5.0 out of 5 stars Now This Is Truly a Fine Book!
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2016
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True to the back-cover blurb, this history of China is engagingly written and as comprehensive as a book of this length can be. After each chapter I am left fascinated and eager to read a longer account of the key events described, whether the Qianlong emperor's threatening dicta, the Taiping Rebellion, or something from recent history. I quibble over the treatment of the Long March -- one of the sources relied on is very controversial -- but the author sees each important event and personage as part of a long history. Maybe then the best thing of all about this book is that it is a true synthesis, placing the events of the past two and a half centuries against a backdrop of control and chaos, isolation and often forced opening up. Highly recommended as a foundation text for Chinese history since earliest times.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Lucy
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book to learn Chinese History
Reviewed in Canada on August 28, 2023
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Enjoy reading it. Lots of contents about the lives of individuals and ordinary people. Not the usual history about emperors.
Hope he has written more about the years between the end of West Han Dynasty and Tang Dynasty.
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Lucca Canizela De Camargo
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb
Reviewed in Brazil on May 22, 2022
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Very informative book!
One person found this helpful
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Stella
5.0 out of 5 stars fab book
Reviewed in Germany on March 11, 2024
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fabulous book
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Amrinder
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and informative work
Reviewed in India on January 24, 2024
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Amrinder
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and informative work
Reviewed in India on January 24, 2024
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JD, SW1
5.0 out of 5 stars An academic work, beautifully written and thoroughly readable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2021
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China from the prehistoric to the 20C. A long, slow read, academically well researched. Packed with intricate detail that is clearly explained for the benefit of the layperson. The author’s sense of humour saves it from becoming just a textbook.
One person found this helpful
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