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Harold Miles Tanner
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China: A History (Volume 1): From Neolithic Cultures through the Great Qing Empire, (10,000 BCE - 1799 CE) Kindle Edition

by Harold M. Tanner (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 199 ratings
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Available in one or two volumes, this accessible, yet rigorous, introduction to the political, social, and cultural history of China provides a balanced and thoughtful account of the development of Chinese civilization from its beginnings to the present day.

Each volume includes ample illustrations, a full complement of maps, a chronological table, extensive notes, recommendations for further reading and an index.

Volume 1: From Neolithic Cultures through the Great Qing Empire (10,000 BCE—1799). Volume 2: From the Great Qing Empire through the People's Republic of China (1644—2009).

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  1. ISBN-13
    978-1603842020
  2. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  3. Publisher
    Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
  4. Publication date
    March 15, 2010
  5. Book 1 of 2
    China: A History
  6. Language
    English
  7. File size
    18028 KB
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Tanner has written an excellent text on Chinese history which offers a fine balance between the traditional and the modern. He also charts a good balance between studies of the elite, government, philosophy and diplomacy and, on the other hand, analyses of ordinary people, economic institutions, social patterns, and folk religion. The book provides a comprehensive view of Chinese culture, including developments in literature and the arts. A generous selection of illustrations facilitates comprehension of and pleasure in the visual arts. Finally, Professor Tanner's consideration of Western contact with China and the attendant problems and gains is judicious and informative. --Morris Rossabi, Distinguished Professor of History, City University of New York



A solid, clearly written and up-to-date account of China's dynastic history, taking note of recent research, and with attention to cultural developments and economic practice. An accessible read, even for first-comers to this highly complex subject; this is an excellent introduction to China that instructors will welcome and students will enjoy. --Michael Loewe, University Lecturer in Chinese Studies, University of Cambridge 1963-1990; Emeritus Fellow of Clare Hall.



. . . . Tanner writes attractively . . . . He tells many stories of villains and heroes, of tragedy and comedy, of high culture and coarse humour, of wealth and poverty, of feast and famine, of poignant suffering, all of which keep the reader's interest and indeed fascination. It is a heroic tale that he tells and he does this superbly, rejecting myths and misunderstandings that have beset Western views of a complex country. --G.R. Batho, The Historical Association Reviews

About the Author

Harold M. Tanner is Professor of History at the University of North Texas.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00OZ4NMBG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. (March 15, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 15, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 18028 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 405 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1603842020
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 199 ratings

About the author

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Harold Miles Tanner

Harold Miles Tanner

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Harold Tanner is a native of Princeton, New Jersey. As he grew up, he realised that he had absolutely no desire to have a normal life, job, or career. He received a valuable, but checkered (particularly in terms of grades) education at Friends World College on Long Island and at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire and Arundel, U.K. During and after a sometimes bumpy academic career, he managed to hitchhike in Scotland and Europe, study in Nepal with the Experiment in International Learning, work on farms, factories, and an orchard, visit India and Thailand, begin learning Chinese, and travel for six months (in 1984) in China. As reality began to close in, he packed himself onto the Trans-Siberian express from Beijing to Moscow, went on to London, and began his studies of Chinese politics, law, and culture at the School of Oriental and African Studies. Nine years later, he had inexplicably spent several years in China, earned an M.A. from SOAS and a Ph.D. from Columbia University, and found a job teaching Chinese history at the University of North Texas. He is still there, and has compromised with normality enought to have a family, a dog, a house, and a stable income. But he still likes to travel. He is the author of two books and is working on two more.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
199 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book very detailed but well written, providing an overall look at China history. They also describe it as a good book.

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Writing qualityReading experience
23 customers mention "Writing quality"19 positive4 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book very detailed, but well-written so it's not boring. They also say it provides a fairly high-level overview of Chinese history that's readable by interested amateurs. Customers also mention that the chronology is clear enough that one doesn't lose one's place in the millennia.

"...history of China reflecting the latest scholarship but readable by the interested amateur. Rather better than the Fairbanks book, in my opinion." Read more

"This book was truly an excellent overview of Chinese history up to about 1800 and I'm looking forward to reading the second volume...." Read more

"...The chronology is clear enough that one doesn't lose one's place in the millennia through which Chinese culture progressed, floundered, and..." Read more

"...book on one long week-end vacation trip because it was both efficiently informative and made for enjoyable reading...." Read more

20 customers mention "Reading experience"20 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very enjoyable, informative, and easy to read. They also say it provides a comprehensive and well-written overview of Chinese history. Customers also mention that the book is great for Chinese people, an excellent source, and one of the best short works on the history of China.

"This was everything I wanted it to be. The book is perfect for someone like me who is not looking to earn a doctorate in Chinese history but gain a..." Read more

"...trip because it was both efficiently informative and made for enjoyable reading. It covered a lot of ground without being sketchy or polemic...." Read more

"...Perfect for anyone who wants a comprehensive and well-written overview of Chinese history and civilization." Read more

"...A good read for a history book." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Wayne Joerding
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2013
Verified Purchase
Just what I was looking for. A through but not arcane recounting of the history of China reflecting the latest scholarship but readable by the interested amateur. Rather better than the Fairbanks book, in my opinion.
11 people found this helpful
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Alexander T. Barclay
4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough, Excellent, Dry
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2015
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This book was truly an excellent overview of Chinese history up to about 1800 and I'm looking forward to reading the second volume. My only complaint is that it was a bit dry, discussion massacres of thousands of people in the same tone as literary accomplishments. You have to read it very closely to pick out the drama, of which there has been tons in the history of China. On the other hand, it tried hard to be very even handed and was quite up front about it. I'm more likely to go back and read more specific colorful histories now that I have the overall outline of what happened.
18 people found this helpful
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Anthony Robert Savarese
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2021
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This was everything I wanted it to be. The book is perfect for someone like me who is not looking to earn a doctorate in Chinese history but gain a fundamental understanding of the history of the nation. I highly recommend this two part series.
5 people found this helpful
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Becky Fairweather
5.0 out of 5 stars Here's a dependable springboard to begin learning about this ancient and vast civilization.
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
Heavy with detail, this is almost an academic's history. I felt I was being treated with respect, that the author was not being condescending to the intellect of a non-historian. The chronology is clear enough that one doesn't lose one's place in the millennia through which Chinese culture progressed, floundered, and reinvented itself, time after time.
3 people found this helpful
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Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars This book reads well
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2019
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I finished the book on one long week-end vacation trip because it was both efficiently informative and made for enjoyable reading. It covered a lot of ground without being sketchy or polemic. If I were going to read only one book on the history of China, this would be it.
3 people found this helpful
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Mike Fratto
5.0 out of 5 stars Whirlwind tour of the history of China
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2017
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Whirlwind history of China. I think its a good starting point as a backgrounder from which you can go deeper into specific times. I bought this for Kindle. Mostly text but the maps are hard to read. Paper would be better.
17 people found this helpful
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L. Schneemann
3.0 out of 5 stars Good Readable History
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2014
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This book covers the history of China to about 1800. I'm not a big fan of reading history, but I wanted to know more about Chinese history, recognizing what a huge subject that is and how little I knew about it previously. This book was just what I was looking for. It covers the key people, the expanding/shrinking empires, major culture trends, and of course the history, at a deep enough level so it made sense, but not so deep that I got lost in it. It's somewhat confusing, but that's more do to the complexity of the subject matter and my ignorance than any fault of the book. I would recommend it.
15 people found this helpful
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A. Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, concise
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2015
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Excellent, concise, recent history that takes the reader from the earliest times up to the present. Perfect for anyone who wants a comprehensive and well-written overview of Chinese history and civilization.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

bill rogerson
5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed
Reviewed in Canada on July 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book gave me knowlege I will appreciate about this FANTASTIC Country and its people I did not even think to consider. The History of agriculture for example is 10,000 years old. 8,000 BCE WOW.
This book is packed with stories you will appreciate.
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Geoff Curzon Bruton
5.0 out of 5 stars Detail, Detail
Reviewed in Australia on February 7, 2021
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I have not finished it. The detail is amazing, a very good buy.
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Iain Howe
5.0 out of 5 stars A fulsome history that gives the big picture.
Reviewed in Canada on April 23, 2019
Verified Purchase
This is a great work that I found very handy in my studies on Chinese history. I own other books that cover specific era in more detail, but this provides an interesting perspective and a complete overview. I highly recommend it!
One person found this helpful
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