jonathan spence the search for modern china

The audible edition is nonetheless worth spending a credit on, and comes highly recommended. Although the reader never lost my attention, his pronunciation of Chinese names is inconsistent and, more often than not, incorrect. The performance is solid as well, but has some serious problems.

In short, this is a classic of Chinese history, and even, dare I say, a classic of narrative history. This is one of those rare historical tomes that I would recommend to anyone, regardless of whether one's interest in Chinese history is professional or casual, and regardless of one's level of scholarship. In its best moments, it evokes the likes of Edward Gibbon, as we follow the rise and fall of the larger-than-life personalities, from the Chongzheng Emperor to Deng Xiaoping, that dot the historical landscape of the Middle Kingdom. This book is epic, narrative history at its absolute best, as it traces the history of China from the time of the late Ming until the present day. However, for non Mandarin speakers, this may not be a problem. For those who speak Mandarin, the Chinese pronunciation is annoyingly incorrect making it difficult to follow the narrative when it comes to places and names.

How could the performance have been better?Ĭhinese pronunciation is difficult for a non-native speaker and the reader's attempts, while noble, fall short of the mark. Together, the reader will get a good feel for China. Nothing out there really compares to Spence's tome, but to supplement this history, Arthur Smith's 19th and 20th century writings cover Chinese culture and society from a more humanistic perspective. What other book might you compare The Search for Modern China to and why? Spence does a great job at covering China's history in a easily digestible read. I would certainly recommend this book as it is both comprehensive and concise. Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Jonathan spence the search for modern china