We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Find out more
Instructor inspection copy request

E-book purchase
Choose a subscription

Downloaded copy on your device does not expire. Includes 4 years of Bookshelf Online.

close

Where applicable, tax will be added to the above price prior to payment.

E-book purchasing help

E-book purchase

E-books are granted under the terms of a single-user, non-transferable license, and may be accessed online from any location.

Contact information
E: Contact Us

Cover

The Oxford History of Modern China

Edited by Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom

Publication Date - 27 April 2022

ISBN: 9780192895202

512 pages
Paperback
7.7 x 5.1 inches

In Stock

Description

'excellent' LSE Review of Books

China is the world's most populous country and newest superpower, whose place on the international stage can only be understood through the lens of its modern history.

The Oxford History of Modern China is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand this rising power in what promises to be the 'Chinese century'. Covering the period of dramatic shifts and surprising transformations which comprise China's modern history, the book spans from the founding of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) to the present day. It introduces readers to important but often overlooked events in China's past, such as the bloody Taiping Civil War (1850-1864), and also sheds new light on more familiar landmarks in Chinese history, such as the Opium War (1839-1842), the Boxer Uprising of 1900, the rise to power of the Chinese Communist Party in 1949, the Tiananmen protests and Beijing Massacre of 1989, and China's rise to economic superpower status in the 21st century. A new chapter for this edition brings the story into the era of Xi Jinping.

New to this Edition

  • A new chapter on the Xi Jinping Era of Chinese Politics written by Diana Fu and Emile Dirks

Features

  • The history of modern China, from the rise of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) through to the 21st century
  • A period of dramatic shifts and surprising transformations, from Taiping to Tiananmen and beyond
  • The most ambitious effort to date to grapple with the broad sweep of Chinese history, from the origins of modern China to the dramatic events of the last few years
  • Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand this rising superpower in what promises to be the 'Chinese century'

About the Author(s)

Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom, Chancellor's Professor of History, University of California, Irvine

Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom is the Chancellor's Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine. He has written, co-written, edited, or co-edited a dozen books. His most recent ones are, as author, Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink (2020), and, as coauthor, the third edition of China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know (2018). In addition to writing for scholarly periodicals, he often contributes to newspapers and magazines.

Reviews

"The Oxford History of Modern China brings together top experts to tell a compelling story of China in its past four centuries. Integrating narrative with analysis in a perfect balance, this great asset for classroom instruction also reminds the instructor what brought her into the history profession in the first place. Truly amazing!" -- Mara Yue Du, Cornell University

"The Oxford History of Modern China brings together top experts to tell a compelling story of China in its past four centuries. Integrating narrative with analysis in a perfect balance, this great asset for classroom instruction also reminds the instructor of what brought her into the history profession in the first place. Truly amazing!" -- Mara Yue Du, Cornell University

Table of Contents

    List of Maps
    A Guide to Pronouncing Romanized Chinese
    Introduction by Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom
    1. From Late Ming to High Qing, 1550-1792 by Anne Gerritsen
    2. New Domestic and Global Challenges, 1792-1860 by Stephen R. Platt
    3. Restoration and Reform, 1860-1900 by Robert Bickers
    4. Felling a Dynasty, Founding a Republic by Peter Zarrow
    5. The Rise of Nationalism and Revolutionary Parties, 1919-1937 by James Carter
    6. The War Years, 1937-1949 by Rana Mitter
    7. The Early Years of the People's Republic, 1950-1964 by S. A. Smith
    8. The Cultural Revolution Era, 1964-1976 by Richard Curt Kraus
    9. Reform and Rebuilding, 1976-1988 by Timothy Cheek
    10. Tiananmen and Its Aftermath, 1989-1999 by Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom and Kate Merkel-Hess
    11. China Rising, 2000-2010 by William A. Callahan
    12. The People's Leader: The Xi Jinping Era of Chinese Politics by Diana Fu and Emile Dirks
    13. The Presence of the Past--A Coda by Ian Johnson
    Timeline
    Further Reading
    Index

Related Titles