Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China is a book by Sir Richard Evans chronicling the rise of Deng Xiaoping as the leader of the People's Republic of China. The first British edition was published in 1993 by the Hamilton company.[1] The first American edition was published by Viking Books in 1993.[2] This was Evans's first book.[3] Evans had served as the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to China,[4] from 1984 to 1988. To conduct his research, with approval of PRC officials, Evans had interviewed several PRC governmental officials.[5]
Hsu, Immanuel C. 2000, The rise of modern China / Immanuel C. Hsu Oxford University Press Oxford Wikipedia Citation Please see Wikipedia's template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. Modern China: The Fall And Rise Of A Great Power, 1850 To The Present Download. No country on earth has suffered a more bitter history in modern times than China. In the second half of the nineteenth century, it was viewed as doomed to extinction. Speaking to these vital and fascinating questions, The Fall and Rise of China, taught by China expert and Professor Richard Baum of the University of California, Los Angeles, brings to vivid life the human struggles, the titanic political upheavals, and the spectacular speed of China's modern rebirth. Having grown up in mainland China, having read most of the Chinese history books available, and having steeped with all comtemporary arts and media propaganda as well as serious scholar works, I thought that I have a full grasp of the modern Chinese history until I read this book half through, of which I bought the fifth edition several years ago but collecting dust on the book shelf.
Content[edit]
Glen Jennings, author of a book review for the Australian Journal of Politics and History, wrote that the book is 'a lucid account of Deng's life and an accessible general introduction to the CCP and the People's Republic of China.'[6] A.P. of Current History wrote that the book 'follows' closely the career of Deng 'almost entirely from the angle of party politics.'[7] The book uses Deng's official biography, interviews of CPC historians, secondary sources, and translations of works by Deng as sources. Ann Kent wrote in the Australian Outlook that the book is '[m]ore a narrative of the complicated ups and downs of Deng's career than a searching portrayal or character study'.[8] She argues that the main image of Deng in the book is the 'black cat, white cat' pragmatist, of no fixed ideological address, who ultimately succeeded in reasserting his power and changing China's entire political direction through sheer force of circumstance combined with political acumen.'[8] A.P. wrote that 'Deng's private life remains remote' and therefore Evans produced 'very little about' the childhood of Deng and that Evans 'is constantly running into walls and left to cite with hushed attention some fairly banal details' when not discussing Deng's political career.[7]
The book includes history of the development of the Communist Party of China along with information about Deng himself. Peter R. Moody wrote in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science that 'There are long stretches with much more Party history than information about Deng.'[9] Margaret Flanagan wrote in Booklist that 'Since Deng Xiaoping's life literally parallels the course of modern Chinese history, this chronicle also provides a blueprint for comprehending the often arcane complexities of twentieth-century China.'[10] In Moody's words, the book concludes that Deng was 'pragmatic in economics and repressive in politics'.[9] Kent wrote that the book's epilogue 'provides a balance sheet of Deng's achievements and failures.'[8]
The individuals thanked for the book include Qian Qichen and other members of the Central Committee Research Department. This included the head of the Deng Xiaoping Study Group.[11]
A.P. concluded that Evans's 'respect' for Deng 'is palpable.'[7] Jennings argued that the book is 'appraising Deng’s career in a generally positive manner'.[12] He argued that the author 'supports Deng Xiaoping’s emphasis on the primacy of economic reform',[13] and also that he 'tends to downplay negative issues which have the potential to tarnish Deng’s overall reputation as a political pragmatist and determined economic reformer.'[12] Mirsky argued that the book has a 'trusting quality' towards information given from Communist Party sources.[11]
Reception[edit]
Dick Wilson of The China Quarterly said in 1994 that '[f]or the time being, this is probably the best book to recommend about China's paramount leader.'[4] Mark Meng of the Library Journal said that the book 'is well researched and full of insightful observations' and is '[h]ighly recommended for all libraries.'[5]Donald Zagoria of Foreign Affairs said that the book 'will be a reliable and valued guide for years to come' and that it 'is superbly researched, quite readable and extremely judicious in its assessments.'[14] Margaret Flanagan of Booklist said that the book is 'Highly recommended for Asian studies collections.'[10]
Beth Duff-Brown of The New York Times Book Review said 'Long on history and short on inside anecdote, this book will tell you everything you've ever wanted to know about Deng except who he really is.'[15] Simon Finch of New Statesman said that 'this book could usefully replace Deng's state-approved biography for the time being. Yet it still requires 'a great leap forward' before another account begins to gauge the full significance of this diminutive and influential old man.'[16] Peter R. Moody wrote in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science said that the author 'writes clearly, accurately, and often insightfully but does not add much to what others have done.'[17] Moody concluded that 'This well-written study is probably useful for the general reader, someone interested in history or public affairs who wants a balanced overview of contemporary China and its rulers.'[9]
Benjamin Yang of The China Journal said that the book 'is of mediocre quality' and argues that '[t]o regard this as the 'best book on modern China in four decades (Asian Times) or to say it offers 'everything you ever wanted to know about Deng' (New York Times) reflects less on the quality of the book than on the reviewers.'[3] Louise do Rosario of the Far Eastern Economic Review said that the book 'pales by comparison with' The New Emperors and that Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China 'appears to have been written in haste.'[18]The Economist stated that there was a large amount of difficulty in writing a biography of Deng since he was still ruling China, and that despite the fact that the author 'has a fluent style, and offers some usefully crisp summaries' he 'contributes little to an understanding of his subject's complexities' and 'adds little to what we already know.'[19]
Ann Kent wrote in the Australian Outlook that the book was 'competent, readable but not heavily documented'.[8] She argued that while it was a 'useful guide to Deng's activities' it is a 'sanitised version of Deng's life, partly or perhaps' because of Evans's experiences in China.[8] Kent wrote that the book does not explain why Deng became, after Mao's death, 'the most important political figure in China'; reconcile the views of Deng being a 'ruthless demagogue' and being 'China's great liberal reformer'; use primary and secondary accounts regarding Deng's life during the Cultural Revolution and after the death of Zhou Enlai; or 'elucidate the controversies' regarding Deng's career.[8] Moody wrote that the lack of 'personal detail' is the most disappointing aspect of the work, and that even though the author was not a professional scholar 'and it may not be to the point to fault his book for lacking pedantry' Moody argued that the author did not make use of 'his on-the-spot experience.'[17] Moody stated that Evans and Harrison Salisbury, the author of The New Emperors both 'used similar sources' but that 'Evans seems to lack Salisbury's nose for the salacious detail that inquiring minds want to know.'[17]
Tim Ward of The Globe and Mail argued that the book 'embodies this quality of evenness - one of the highest virtues of classical China' and that despite the presence of criticism, the presence of 'a dispassionate sense of balance' would cause Deng Xiaoping to approve the book.[20]
References[edit]
- A.P. 'DENG,XIAOPING AND THE MAKING OF MODERN CHINA - EVANS,R' (book review). Current History. 1994. Volume 93, Issue 584. p. 288-289. ISSN0011-3530.
- Jennings, Glen. 'DENG,XIAOPING AND THE MAKING OF MODERN CHINA - EVANS,R' (book review). Australian Journal of Politics and History. 1995. Volume 41, Issue 1. p. 164. ISSN0004-9522.
- Kent, Ann. 'Deng Xiaoping and the making of Modern China - Evans,R' (book review). Australian Outlook. 1995. Volume 49, Issue 2. p. 307. ISSN0004-9913. Accession Number 1452107. Indexed at EBSCOHostAcademic Search Complete.
- Mirsky, Jonathan. 'DENG,XIAOPING AND THE MAKING OF MODERN CHINA - EVANS,R' (book review). The Times Literary Supplement. 1994. Issue 4747. p. 12. ISSN0307-661X.
- Moody, Peter R. 'Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China by Richard Evans' (book review). Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, American Academy of Political and Social Science. Volume 538, March 1995. p. 212-213. Available at Jstor.
- Wilson, Dick. 'DENG,XIAOPING AND THE MAKING OF MODERN CHINA - EVANS,R' (book review). The China Quarterly. September 1, 1994. Issue 139. Page 824. ISSN0305-7410. Available at Jstor.
Notes[edit]
- ^http://www.worldcat.org/title/deng-xiaoping-and-the-making-of-modern-china/oclc/246844257&referer=brief_results
- ^http://www.worldcat.org/title/deng-xiaoping-and-the-making-of-modern-china/oclc/214534136&referer=brief_results
- ^ abYang, Benjamin. 'Deng Xiaoping and the making of modern China - Evans,R' (book review). The China Journal. The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University. January 1, 1996. Volume 35. Page 155. ISSN1324-9347. Available at Jstor. Retrieved on April 5, 2012. - DOI 10.2307/2950291
- ^ abWilson 825.
- ^ abMeng, Mark. 'Book reviews: Social sciences.' Library Journal. January 1, 1994. Vol. 119, Issue 1. p. 128, 1/7 p. ISSN0363-0277. Available from Academic Search Complete.
- ^Jennings, p. 164
- ^ abcA.P., p. 288.
- ^ abcdefKent, p. 307.
- ^ abcMoody, p. 213.
- ^ abFlanagan, Margaret. 'Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China.' Booklist. 90.13 (Mar. 1, 1994): p1177. Available at Popular Magazines Infotrac, Gale Cengage Learning. Document ID GALE|A15237950.
- ^ abMirsky, 12
- ^ abJennings, p. 165.
- ^Jennings, p. 166.
- ^Zagoria, Donald. 'Recent Books: Asia and the Pacific.' Foreign Affairs. March 1, 1994 (March/April 1994). Volume 73, Issue 2. p. 169, 3/4 p. ISSN0015-7120. Available from Academic Search Complete. - DOI 10.2307/20045994
- ^Duff-Brown, Beth. 'IN SHORT: NONFICTION.' The New York Times Book Review. February 27, 1994. p. 26. ISSN0028-7806. Available from Academic Search Complete.
- ^Finch, Simon. 'Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China' (book review). New Statesman & Society. October 22, 1993. Volume 6, Issue 275. p. 41. ISSN0954-2361. Available from Academic ASAP.
- ^ abcMoody, p. 212.
- ^Rosario, Louise do. 'Great Dictator, Short Fuse.' (book review of Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China) Far Eastern Economic Review. Vol. 157, Issue 20 (May 19, 1994): p. 42. Available on ProQuest
- ^'Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China.' The Economist. 329.7835 (Oct. 30, 1993): p103. Available at Popular Magazines InfoTrac, Gale Cengage Learning (Document ID: GALE|A14496858)
- ^Ward, Tim. 'Deng Xiaoping & the making of modern China' (book review) The Globe and Mail. ISSN0319-0714 August 6, 1994. p. C16.
Further reading[edit]
- Goodman, David S.G. 'Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China. by Richard Evans.' (book review). International Affairs. Royal Institute of International Affairs. Vol. 70, No. 2 (Apr., 1994), pp. 387–388. Available at Jstor. DOI 10.2307/2625347. - DOI 10.2307/2625347
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Now in its sixth edition, this book has been updated to examine the return of Hong Kong in 1997 and the upcoming return of Macao in 1999. Hsu discusses the end of the last vestiges of foreign imperialism in China, as well as China's emergence as a regional and global superpower. U.S.-China rivalry and the prospect of unification between China and Taiwan are also considered...more
Published December 9th 1999 by Oxford University Press, USA (first published 1970)
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Rating details
Immanuel Hsu
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Jan 05, 2010Mkp rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Fascinating account of the Opium War and the mid-19th century political turmoil. Another interesting segment concerns the late 19th Century Reform movement. The Wade-Giles encoding of Chinese names is a drawback, and I find all the apostrophes in the names difficult to work with. On the positive side, though, the index is quite complete and valuable (although there are some omissions that I have noticed).
However Hsu's view of Mao (which amounts almost to hagiography) starkly contrasts with the w...more
However Hsu's view of Mao (which amounts almost to hagiography) starkly contrasts with the w...more
This is a huge book. I read the Chinese version, and it still took me more than 3 weeks to finish. If I read this English version I would have to spend 3 months or more...
I was once proud of my country, China. But I'm growingly not sure. What kind of country allows its people to suffer from dictators and suppression, for thousands of years? Ummm, a psychopath one?
I was once proud of my country, China. But I'm growingly not sure. What kind of country allows its people to suffer from dictators and suppression, for thousands of years? Ummm, a psychopath one?
I honestly regret not finishing this before I took my IB exams back in 2014. The amount of detail, supported by clear context and reasoned argument has proved highly interesting and doubtlessly would have earned me more than a few brownie points in my scripts.
Nov 03, 2017Marios Antoniou rated it it was amazing
One of the most influential books on modern China. Easily understandable, engaging and balanced!
A fantastic introduction to the history of modern China, detailing the cultural, economic, and political impact of western influence on Chinese society since the Qing Dynasty. The book documents China's journey from being a conservative monarchy into today's superpower. Certain historical events were brutal and often hard to read (i.e. the Opium War, the Cultural Revolution, the Tiananmen Massacre), but these events shed some light on the cultural mentality of China and how it became the way it...more
Jun 19, 2018Randall Harrison rated it really liked it
Read this book for an undergraduate class at the University of Oklahoma in the Spring of 1982. One of two course I took from Professor Sidney Brown.
Dec 05, 2015Mao rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
This book covers from 1600 to 1990s. I like that it strikes to present a balanced and objective views of major events and changes in the history. I like to read about the details of history events and the reason and causes(including economics and culture) of them, which I didn't know when I learned history.
Hsu's dense work is not what I would call fun reading, but he is very thorough. The subject matter is fascinating and he deals with it maturely. His treatment of China is authoritative, and if you want a starting point for further sinological studies, this is a good one.
Significant article about modern Chineses history in English. Fairbank's book is about pre-modern China and his book is about modern. If you want to know whole the history about China, history and the future, Hsu and Fairbank's books are mostly recommended.
Sep 03, 2012Dave rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Comprehensive history of China from the fall of the Ming Dynasty through the People's Republic of China's acceptance as a member of the United Nations in the 1970's. Well written and thoroughly documented; extensive footnotes.
The decisive overview of the past 200 years of Chinese history. Unlike Jonathan Spence's Search for Modern China, Hsu excellent gears his text towards students in clearly understandable sections linked to political, social and economic factors.
Although focusing on political and social history more than 'The Search for Modern China', it's much more detailed and comprehensive than other accounts.
中国近代史——徐中约
相对客观的讲述了中国近代发生的事情
相对客观的讲述了中国近代发生的事情
Oct 08, 2010Kleon Chan is currently reading it
For the moment I think that this book has a very good balanced views, the writer tries to not be biased and takes us into a very good history of modern china starting from 1600-2000
Sep 01, 2009pinenutsandrice rated it it was ok · review of another edition
The bane of junior-college history students, circa 1990s.
Was excellent at the time. Now there are better sources available.
Joseph Cadotte rated it it was amazing
Jul 22, 2014
Jul 22, 2014
KWONG WAI KAY PHILIP rated it it was amazing
Sep 04, 2015
Sep 04, 2015
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