The Chan S Great Continent China In Western Minds

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The Chan's Great Continent: China in Western Minds

Jonathan D. Spence
The Chan s Great Continent China in Western Minds Book PDF

Author : Jonathan D. Spence
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
Page : 308 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 1999-10-17
Category : History
ISBN : 9780393247701

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The Chan's Great Continent: China in Western Minds by Jonathan D. Spence Pdf

"Like everything else written by Jonathan Spence, The Chan's Great Continent is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in China. Spence is one of the greatest Sinologists of our time, and his work is both authoritative and highly readable." —Los Angeles Times Book Review China has transfixed the West since the earliest contacts between these civilizations. With his characteristic elegance and insight, Jonathan Spence explores how the West has understood China over seven centuries. Ranging from Marco Polo's own depiction of China and the mighty Khan, Kublai, in the 1270s to the China sightings of three twentieth-century writers of acknowledged genius-Kafka, Borges, and Calvino-Spence conveys Western thought on China through a remarkable array of expression. Peopling Spence's account are Iberian adventurers, Enlightenment thinkers, spinners of the dreamy cult of Chinoiserie, and American observers such as Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Ezra Pound, and Eugene O'Neill. Taken together, these China sightings tell us as much about the self-image of the West as about China. "Wonderful. . . . Spence brilliantly demonstrates [how] generation after generation of Westerners [have] asked themselves, 'What is it . . . that held this astonishing, diverse, and immensely populous land together?' "--New York Times Book Review

The Chan's Great Continent

Jonathan D. Spence
The Chan s Great Continent Book PDF

Author : Jonathan D. Spence
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
Page : 308 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : History
ISBN : 039331989X

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The Chan's Great Continent by Jonathan D. Spence Pdf

Enlightenment thinkers, spinners of the cult of Chinoiserie, and American observers such as Bret Harte, Mark Twain, and Eugene O'Neill convey Western thought on China.

Return to Dragon Mountain

Jonathan D. Spence
Return to Dragon Mountain Book PDF

Author : Jonathan D. Spence
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 261 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2007-09-20
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781440620270

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Return to Dragon Mountain by Jonathan D. Spence Pdf

“Splendid . . . One could not imagine a better subject than Zhan Dai for Spence.” (The New Republic) Celebrated China scholar Jonathan Spence vividly brings to life seventeenth-century China through this biography of Zhang Dai, recognized as one of the finest historians and essayists of the Ming dynasty. Born in 1597, Zhang Dai was forty-seven when the Ming dynasty, after more than two hundred years of rule, was overthrown by the Manchu invasion of 1644. Having lost his fortune and way of life, Zhang Dai fled to the countryside and spent his final forty years recounting the time of creativity and renaissance during Ming rule before the violent upheaval of its collapse. This absorbing tale of Zhang Dai’s life illuminates the transformation of a culture and reveals how China’s history affects its place in the world today.

Russian Orientalism

David Schimmelpenninck van der Oye
Russian Orientalism Book PDF

Author : David Schimmelpenninck van der Oye
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 310 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2010-04-20
Category : History
ISBN : 9780300162899

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Russian Orientalism by David Schimmelpenninck van der Oye Pdf

Here, the author examines Russian thinking about the Orient before the Revolution of 1917. He argues that the Russian Empire's bi-continental geography and the complicated nature of its encounter with Asia have all resulted in a variegated understanding of the East among its people.

Owning the Olympics

Monroe Price,Daniel Dayan
Owning the Olympics Book PDF

Author : Monroe Price,Daniel Dayan
Publisher : University of Michigan Press
Page : 426 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2009-12-10
Category : History
ISBN : 9780472024506

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Owning the Olympics by Monroe Price,Daniel Dayan Pdf

"A major contribution to the study of global events in times of global media. Owning the Olympics tests the possibilities and limits of the concept of 'media events' by analyzing the mega-event of the information age: the Beijing Olympics. . . . A good read from cover to cover." —Guobin Yang, Associate Professor, Asian/Middle Eastern Cultures & Sociology, Barnard College, Columbia University From the moment they were announced, the Beijing Games were a major media event and the focus of intense scrutiny and speculation. In contrast to earlier such events, however, the Beijing Games are also unfolding in a newly volatile global media environment that is no longer monopolized by broadcast media. The dramatic expansion of media outlets and the growth of mobile communications technology have changed the nature of media events, making it significantly more difficult to regulate them or control their meaning. This volatility is reflected in the multiple, well-publicized controversies characterizing the run-up to Beijing 2008. According to many Western commentators, the People's Republic of China seized the Olympics as an opportunity to reinvent itself as the "New China"---a global leader in economics, technology, and environmental issues, with an improving human-rights record. But China's maneuverings have also been hotly contested by diverse global voices, including prominent human-rights advocates, all seeking to displace the official story of the Games. Bringing together a distinguished group of scholars from Chinese studies, human rights, media studies, law, and other fields, Owning the Olympics reveals how multiple entities---including the Chinese Communist Party itself---seek to influence and control the narratives through which the Beijing Games will be understood. digitalculturebooks is an imprint of the University of Michigan Press and the Scholarly Publishing Office of the University of Michigan Library dedicated to publishing innovative and accessible work exploring new media and their impact on society, culture, and scholarly communication. Visit the website at www.digitalculture.org.

The Morality of China in Africa

Professor Stephen Chan
The Morality of China in Africa Book PDF

Author : Professor Stephen Chan
Publisher : Zed Books Ltd.
Page : 116 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 2013-05-09
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781780325682

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The Morality of China in Africa by Professor Stephen Chan Pdf

Edited with authority by the influential and respected Stephen Chan, this unique collection of essays gathers together for the first time both African and Chinese perspectives on China's place in Africa. The book starts with an excellent introductory essay from Stephen Chan, written in his usual elegant prose and featuring some very fresh insights organised with great clarity. Featuring useful historical context, this brave book analyses the "moral" aspects of the policies and ensuing migration. The book completely undermines existing assumptions concerning Sino-African relations, such as that Africa is of critical importance for China; that China sees no risk in its largesse towards Africa; and that there is a single Chinese profile/agenda. The resulting collection touches the issue of racism but is equally about moments of pure idealism and 'romance' in Sino-African history.

Mao Zedong

Jonathan D. Spence
Mao Zedong Book PDF

Author : Jonathan D. Spence
Publisher : National Geographic Books
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 52,6 Mb
Release : 2006-08-29
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9780143037729

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Mao Zedong by Jonathan D. Spence Pdf

“Spence draws upon his extensive knowledge of Chinese politics and culture to create an illuminating picture of Mao. . . . Superb.” (Chicago Tribune) From humble origins in the provinces, Mao Zedong rose to absolute power, unifying with an iron fist a vast country torn apart by years of weak leadership, colonialism, and war. This sharply drawn and insightful account brings to life this modern-day emperor and the tumultuous era that he did so much to shape. Jonathan Spence captures Mao in all his paradoxical grandeur and sheds light on the radical transformation he unleashed that still reverberates in China today.

God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan

Jonathan D. Spence
God s Chinese Son The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan Book PDF

Author : Jonathan D. Spence
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
Page : 432 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 1996-12-17
Category : History
ISBN : 9780393285864

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God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan by Jonathan D. Spence Pdf

"A magnificent tapestry . . . a story that reaches beyond China into our world and time: a story of faith, hope, passion, and a fatal grandiosity."--Washington Post Book World Whether read for its powerful account of the largest uprising in human history, or for its foreshadowing of the terrible convulsions suffered by twentieth-century China, or for the narrative power of a great historian at his best, God's Chinese Son must be read. At the center of this history of China's Taiping rebellion (1845-64) stands Hong Xiuquan, a failed student of Confucian doctrine who ascends to heaven in a dream and meets his heavenly family: God, Mary, and his older brother, Jesus. He returns to earth charged to eradicate the "demon-devils," the alien Manchu rulers of China. His success carries him and his followers to the heavenly capital at Nanjing, where they rule a large part of south China for more than a decade. Their decline and fall, wrought by internal division and the unrelenting military pressures of the Manchus and the Western powers, carry them to a hell on earth. Twenty million Chinese are left dead.

The Question of Hu

Jonathan D. Spence
The Question of Hu Book PDF

Author : Jonathan D. Spence
Publisher : Vintage
Page : 209 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2011-05-04
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780307793812

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The Question of Hu by Jonathan D. Spence Pdf

This lively and elegant book by the acclaimed historian Jonathan D. Spence reconstructs an extraordinary episode in the early intercourse between Europe and China. It is the story of John Hu, a lowly but devout Chinese Catholic, who in 1722 accompanied a Jesuit missionary on a journey to France--a journey that ended with Hu's confinement in a lunatic asylum. At once a triumph of historical detective work and a gripping narrative, The Question of Hu deftly probes the collision of tw ocultures, with their different definitions of faith, madness, and moral obligation.

Finding Wisdom in East Asian Classics

Wm. Theodore De Bary,William Theodore De Bary
Finding Wisdom in East Asian Classics Book PDF

Author : Wm. Theodore De Bary,William Theodore De Bary
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 440 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2011
Category : History
ISBN : 9780231153966

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Finding Wisdom in East Asian Classics by Wm. Theodore De Bary,William Theodore De Bary Pdf

Finding Wisdom in East Asian Classics is an essential, all-access guide to the core texts of East Asian civilization and culture. Essays address frequently read, foundational texts in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese, as well as early modern fictional classics and nonfiction works of the seventeenth century. Building strong links between these writings and the critical traditions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, this volume shows the vital role of the classics in the shaping of Asian history and in the development of the humanities at large. Wm. Theodore de Bary focuses on texts that have survived for centuries, if not millennia, through avid questioning and contestation. Recognized as perennial reflections on life and society, these works represent diverse historical periods and cultures and include the Analects of Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Xunxi, the Lotus Sutra, Tang poetry, the Pillow Book, The Tale of Genji, and the writings of Chikamatsu and Kaibara Ekken. Contributors explain the core and most commonly understood aspects of these works and how they operate within their traditions. They trace their reach and reinvention throughout history and their ongoing relevance in modern life. With fresh interpretations of familiar readings, these essays inspire renewed appreciation and examination. In the case of some classics open to multiple interpretations, de Bary chooses two complementary essays from different contributors. Expanding on debates concerning the challenges of teaching classics in the twenty-first century, several pieces speak to the value of Asia in the core curriculum. Indispensable for early scholarship on Asia and the evolution of global civilization, Finding Wisdom in East Asian Classics helps one master the major texts of human thought.

Chinese Thought

Roel Sterckx
Chinese Thought Book PDF

Author : Roel Sterckx
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 257 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2019-03-28
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780141984841

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Chinese Thought by Roel Sterckx Pdf

Shortlisted for the PEN Hessel-Tiltman Prize 'A terrific book, rich and endlessly thought provoking. . . If you are looking for one book to understand the core ideas of Chinese civilisation, read this' - Michael Wood An engrossing history of ancient Chinese philosophy and culture from an eminent Cambridge expert We are often told that the twenty-first century is bound to become China's century. Never before has Chinese culture been so physically, digitally, economically or aesthetically present in everyday Western life. But how much do we really know about its origins and key beliefs? How did the ancient Chinese think about the world? In this enlightening book, Roel Sterckx, one of the foremost experts in Chinese thought, takes us through centuries of Chinese history, from Confucius to Daoism to the Legalists. The great questions that have occupied China's brightest minds were not about who and what we are, but rather how we should live our lives, how we should organise society and how we can secure the well-being of those who live with us and for whom we carry responsibility. With evocative examples from philosophy, literature and everyday life, Sterckx shows us how the ancient Chinese have shaped the thinking of a civilization that is now influencing our own.

Ultimate Journey

Richard Bernstein
Ultimate Journey Book PDF

Author : Richard Bernstein
Publisher : Knopf
Page : 374 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2001
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0375400095

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Ultimate Journey by Richard Bernstein Pdf

Richard Bernstein's story of his long journey through Asia is at once a memoir of adventurous travel and a record of cultural discovery and spiritual quest. In the year 629, a greatly revered Chinese Buddhist monk, Hsuan Tsang, set out across Asia in search of the Buddhist Truth, to settle what he called the "perplexities of my mind." Nearly a millennium and a half later, Richard Bernstein retraces the monk's steps: from the Tang dynasty capital at Xian through ancient Silk Road oases, over forbidding mountain passes to Tashkent, Samarkand, and the Amu-Darya River, across Pakistan to the holiest cities of India--and back. Juxtaposing his experiences with those of Hsuan Tsang, Bernstein reconstructs the hazards and glories of this long and sinuous route, comparing present and past. The monk described what he saw and experienced: landscapes, customs, and, above all, people and the variety of religious beliefs held by those he met. So does our present-day author--taking us to Buddhist cave temples, to the holy places of the Buddha's own life, to the ruins of the Gandharan civilization in Pakistan, to the university in the Ganges Valley where Hsuan Tsang studied. He too encounters extraordinary figures-- among them a German monk in Bodhgaya, a down-and-out maharaja, and a supposed reincarnation of Shiva. And he follows the path of Hsuan Tsang not only in physical but in contemplative ways, reflecting on the mysteries and paradoxes of Buddhist philosophy and on the nature of the Ultimate Truth that was Hsuan Tsang's goal. Ultimate Journey is a vivid, profoundly felt account of two stirring adventures--one in the past and one in the present--in pursuit of illumination.

After Confucius

Paul R. Goldin
After Confucius Book PDF

Author : Paul R. Goldin
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
Page : 279 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2017-04-01
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780824873998

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After Confucius by Paul R. Goldin Pdf

After Confucius is a collection of eight studies of Chinese philosophy from the time of Confucius to the formation of the empire in the second and third centuries B.C.E. As detailed in a masterful introduction, each essay serves as a concrete example of “thick description”—an approach invented by philosopher Gilbert Ryle—which aims to reveal the logic that informs an observable exchange among members of a community or society. To grasp the significance of such exchanges, it is necessary to investigate the networks of meaning on which they rely. Paul R. Goldin argues that the character of ancient Chinese philosophy can be appreciated only if we recognize the cultural codes underlying the circulation of ideas in that world. Thick description is the best preliminary method to determine how Chinese thinkers conceived of their own enterprise. Who were the ancient Chinese philosophers? What was their intended audience? What were they arguing about? How did they respond to earlier thinkers, and to each other? Why did those in power wish to hear from them, and what did they claim to offer in return for patronage? Goldin addresses these questions as he looks at several topics, including rhetorical conventions of Chinese philosophical literature; the value of recently excavated manuscripts for the interpretation of the more familiar, received literature; and the duty of translators to convey the world of concerns of the original texts. Each of the cases investigated in this wide-ranging volume exemplifies the central conviction behind Goldin’s plea for thick description: We do not do justice to classical Chinese philosophy unless we engage squarely the complex and ancient culture that engendered it. An electronic version of this book is freely available thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched, a collaborative initiative designed to make high-quality books open access for the public good. The open-access version of this book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means that the work may be freely downloaded and shared for non-commercial purposes, provided credit is given to the author. Derivative works and commercial uses require permission from the publisher.

The Search for Modern China

Pei-kai Cheng,Michael Elliot Lestz,Jonathan D. Spence
The Search for Modern China Book PDF

Author : Pei-kai Cheng,Michael Elliot Lestz,Jonathan D. Spence
Publisher : W. W. Norton
Page : 531 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : History
ISBN : 0393973727

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The Search for Modern China by Pei-kai Cheng,Michael Elliot Lestz,Jonathan D. Spence Pdf

This collection of primary source documents--many translated into English for the first time and available only in this book--gather proclamations, treaties, laws, and other public acts with pieces reflecting everyday life, family, social networks, and culture.

The Rise of China and India in Africa

Fantu Cheru,Cyril Obi
The Rise of China and India in Africa Book PDF

Author : Fantu Cheru,Cyril Obi
Publisher : Zed Books Ltd.
Page : 306 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2010-03-11
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781848138278

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The Rise of China and India in Africa by Fantu Cheru,Cyril Obi Pdf

In recent years, China and India have become the most important economic partners of Africa and their footprints are growing by leaps and bounds, transforming Africa's international relations in a dramatic way. Although the overall impact of China and India's engagement in Africa has been positive in the short-term, partly as a result of higher returns from commodity exports fuelled by excessive demands from both countries, little research exists on the actual impact of China and India's growing involvement on Africa's economic transformation. This book examines in detail the opportunities and challenges posed by the increasing presence of China and India in Africa, and proposes critical interventions that African governments must undertake in order to negotiate with China and India from a stronger and more informed platform.