A History of Chinese Civilization

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 780 pages
• Published by: Cambridge University Press
• Edition: 2nd Edition May 31, 1996
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0521497817
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0521497817
• Book Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches
• Weighs: 2.4 pounds

Product Review
"If one could have only one book on China's history, this would be it." Booklist

"This is the most detailed and comprehensive one-volume survey of China's social, economic, and intellectual history.This should be in the reference collection of every serious library." Library Journal

"an great book which should be of interest to both professional and general readers who study or enjoy the history of China." Asian Thought & Society

Product Description
When published in 1982, this translation of Professor Jacques Gernet's masterly survey of the history and culture of China was immediately welcomed by critics and readers. This revised and updated edition includes a detailed chronology that has been updated through 1993, a new bibliography, and an expanded index that includes Chinese characters.

Reader Reviews
This book gives better depth to Chinese history than Spence or Fairbank do. Spence is more concerned with the last 200 years, and Fairbank is too closely tied to the US foreign policy establishment for my tastes. The fact that Gernet is on page 462 of 655 before he starts writing about the Manchus is a good thing. He covers art and economics, politics and religion, with a refreshing equanimity. It would be interesting to hear how well written it is in French, but the English is fine. While clearly Western, Gernet's French persective is a welcome change of pace to these American's eyes.