Modern Chinese History: Classics for Every Reader

Using China’s modernization as its central theme, this book argues that “whether the Chinese people can modernize will determine the nation’s survival or decline.” It discusses Chinese history from the Opium War to the eve of the War of Resistance Against Japan. It focuses on the efforts people made to strengthen the country in the face of a transformation unseen in thousands of years, and the reasons those efforts failed. It then argues that “modern national defense requires not only modern transportation, education, and economics, but also modern politics and a modern citizenry.” An appendix includes important articles by Jiang Tingfu on modern Chinese history, reflecting his approach to questions of modernization and his personal views on the War of Resistance in his later years. These writings help readers understand his History of Modern China. Recommended by leading scholars: Though short, this book is rich in scholarship. Spanning the period from the Opium War to the eve of the War of Resistance Against Japan, it explains nearly a century of history in an accessible, engaging way. It does not get bogged down in narrating events and details. Instead, it takes a broad view of historical developments, revealing the author’s reflective and analytical style. It became widely read soon after publication., Shen Weibin, professor in the Department of History at Fudan University In the half-century since its publication, how many books on modern history have surpassed it? Even all the imposing, award-winning tomes published today put together cannot match the weight of this book., Ho Ping-ti, professor in the Department of History at the University of Chicago and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences