China: A New History, Second Enlarged Edition

A Review of “China A New History” by John King Fairbank and Merle Goldman I read “China, a New History” after completing Ray Dalio’s book, “The Changing World Order”. Mr. Dalio offered three major reasons why nations or empires fail: viz. the accumulation of debt, internal discord, and a rising external powerful nation. One need not look too far to see these factors in America’s current history. Mr. Fairbank’s book, “China a New History, affords a look into the third factor, China. My reading sought to extract insight into China’s historical influences that correlate to modern Chinese state behaviors. Perhaps the characteristics of Chinese culture began when neolithic farming villages formed kinships and networks in a system of “subordination-superordination” that continued thru Mao Zedong and beyond. Or beginnings arose as Neolithic silkworms feasted on mulberry leaves initiating silk production establishing a home craft economic structure. Perhaps cultural norms were initiated with the quasi-historical “Three Empires” (Xia, Shang, and Zhou; 2200 B.C. thru 256 B.C) when a strong central authority was established, and the Zhou leadership forcibly contested with surrounding Nomadic tribes. China’s evolution was partially shaped by its geology. China’s borders extend from latitudes equivalent to Canada in the north and Cuba in the south. China began as an agrarian society and for much of its history depended on rice from the warmer southern climates and some grains from the North’s less arable soil and less cultivable area. This led to the importance of the family unit, village life, and subsequently to the hierarchical economic organization, noted above, for support and distribution. This structure evolved thru the feudal-like Empire periods and was conducive to the destructive Commune period of Mao Zedong. The Empires were essentially autocracies conditioning China for the Communist revolution and the post Mao period from Deng Xiaoping to Xi Jinping. The foundational philosophy of Chinese culture was Confucianism (Confucius 551-479 BC), which is, also, quintessentially hierarchical. The Analects of Confucius codified a set of behavioral principles; child to parent, citizen to the social stratification, and the society to the ruler. Conformity and adherence to the Confucian code would assure nobility in mankind and order in the society. As this developed in the Han and Shang periods, the most important part of the code was loyalty. This influence is unmistakable in modern China, whereas the Confucian distaste for the profit motive has been somewhat deflated by State capitalism. Additional philosophical influences in Chinese thought include Taoism (Lao Tzu), which is more to the mystical side, intimating a central ineffable Tao (the Way) akin to the Vedic Dharma or, perhaps, the essential nature of things. Introspective theosophies seem to have faded into the periphery of Chinese culture. After the decline of the Han dynasty- to which the Chinese trace their ancestry (221 BC to 220AD)- there was a “Buddhist Age”, which achieved a level of autonomy from the State (500 A.D.-850 A.D), incidentally evolving into a meditation form called Chan in Chinese and Zen in Japanese. Chinese thought does not invoke a deity, and Confucius’ attention to social stability seems to remain the most important underlying doctrine. A more extensive discussion of these philosophical influences would have been welcomed in Mr. Fairbank’s influential work. China’s history is replete with the interaction of the dominant Han Chinese and the nomadic tribes to the north and west. The author opines that China’s interior development of art, aestheticism, pictography, warfare, and isolationism (no early development of seafaring) was a cultural foundation stimulated as a reaction to the constant threat of “barbaric invasions” and establishing a cultural distinction from the nomad. The periodicity of Chinese Empires includes successes of nomadic tribes. The Mongol Empire (1279AD-1368AD) known as the Yuan Dynasty established its capital at Beijing under Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Kahn. The final Chinese dynasty before the “Republican Revolution” of 1911 was the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), which was of Manchu origin (mostly descendants of seminomadic Ruzhen tribes which established the earlier Chinese Jin dynasty in the 12th Century); some examples of the Chinese National identity interspersed with governorships of tribal (semi)nomadic origins. The nomadic leaders generally followed Confucian ideation, which strengthened their central control. Chinese dynasties were often interrupted by periods of disorder such as the Warring States period (403BC-221BC) and the period of North-South disunion ((220-589AD) when the Han migrated to the warmer Yangzi valley and there was an ongoing incursion of nomadic tribes. This period was characterized by multiple small kingdoms in the north and south of China. Contestations of China with inner Asian tribes continues with modern China. The Chinese invaded Tibet in 1950. They are currently “re-educating” and forcefully confining the Uyghurs, a northern tribe with prominence since the 8th century and for a period dominated by the Tang dynasty (618AD to 907AD) in the continually shifting Sino-tribal relationships. Of course, China’s relationship with Taiwan is of critical importance currently. The history of Taiwan, (indigenous Peoples 3000BC-Portuguese (Formosa) settlement-Han (Hoklu) influxes post Portuguese-Taiwan secession to Japan-1949 Kuomintang democratic state-) argues against historical Chinese ownership. This issue is beyond the chronology of John King Fairbank’s book. Mr. Fairbanks presents approximately 150 pages detailing the history of Chinese empires, which is admixed with cultural, philosophical, important period contributors, and overview opinions, which makes a confluent demarcation of specific periods somewhat difficult to define. Tables and maps partially come to the rescue. China had an established wide East Asian trade before the Portuguese and the Spanish invaded East Asia in the sixteenth century. The evolution of Western influence in China led to a period of foreign dominace that has not been forgotten in Chinese memory, as it has evolved into the second largest world economy. The British East India company established trade with China in the early 18th century, which strengthened after 1759 thru their exclusivity in the port at Canton (Guangzhou). Opium was imported in exchange for Chinese silver and goods leading to the Opium Wars of 1839-1842 and 1856-1860. The treaty of Nanjing in 1842 and the treaty of Tianjin in 1858 essentially gave Great Britain extraordinary privileges in China (and ownership of Hong Kong to boot). The Coastal cities were Westernized, and the importation of Opium continued for 100 years. The author, John Fairbanks cites these events as more culturally significant than that of the Ruzhen, Mongols, and Manchus empires combined. Undoubtedly, the European, Russian, American, and Japanese encroachments in China, resulting in China’s “Century of shame” (1842-1949), was an enormous stimulus towards China’s subsequent growth, modernization, independence, and much later, economic dominance secondary only to the United States. The People’s Republic of China was established by Mao in 1949 after defeating Chiang Kai-Shek’s Kuomintang. The civil war ended foreign dominance in China. Mao Zedong’s ‘great leap forward’ and ‘cultural revolution’ are covered in great factual detail by Mr. Fairbank. The post-Mao reform era is recounted as an addition to Mr. Fairbank’s original tome by Merle Goldman including the influence of Deng Xiaoping in creating the China that the world now faces. The intent of this review was to focus on the way that China’s history from Neolithic origins thru Mao Zedong reflect on China’s worldview and its influence on possible Chinese policies. “China, a New History” is a scholarly exposition toward that intent.

The 2006 version of this book has 2 added chapters from historian Merle Goldman. She wraps up the post-Mao events, economical, political, societal, and foreign interactions. The main part of the book is informative, with objective descriptions of events and people, the last two show the changes that have occurred since 1976, with a opening left for post-2005 China changes. Well worth having for anyone interested in Chinese history, whether modern or older. This book is good for the layman who may also want to learn more, as the suggested readings are comprehensive.

I found this history to be balanced and has a good broad coverage of the field. However, in some areas of interest to me, there was a lack of depth. Particularly the Neoliothic societies, and the transitions through the earliest dynasties.

I had wanted to purchase this back-to-front history of China for some time, and I am now glad that I own it. Written by one of America's mainline experts on the history, society, civilization and politics of China, John K. Fairbanks (and Merle Goldman, JKF's successor at Harvard), this book is thoroughly accessible from the first page to the last, and its prose is rewardingly clear. I urge everyone interested in the history and fate of this great civilization and our leading international rival today to acquire this book. Having read this book through, from beginning to end, the reader might indeed complement him/herself with a thorough knowledge of Chinese history, society and culture. Whatever work he/she might do in future on this subject might only work from the insights and narrative offered in this text by Fairbanks and Goldman.

The modern chinese society post WW2 is always interesting to look at as most people have very little idea what happened this is a very enlightening book.

I had to write a review in light of all of the 4 and 5 star reviews that convinced me to buy this book. In my view, the book is truly awful. The author writes as if he is trying to dazzle you with references and topics that he fails to explain, almost as if we are sitting in on a conversation with 10 China-historians and he's trying to sound smarter than they are. This book is only for someone already conversant with China and its history on an intermediate level. Look, I'm not stupid. I'm an attorney, I took hard classes in school, I read and write for a living, and I read history for fun in my spare time. That said, the eye-glazing, ridiculous, overly-complex langage, the endless attributions that shoudl be relegated to the endnotes (e.g. "Prosser argues x..." or Wiseman, in his 1935 treatise, compels a second look at..."), and the lack of any look into the actual humans that feature in Chinese history (you never get past names) makes this an unforgiveably dull and needlessly complicated read. It is second only to Gibbons' Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, which at least has the excuse that it was written in the 18th Century when "pompous-sounding" was a lot more cool. Oh, and how is it a "new" history of anything? It sounds like a not-terribly-detailed summary of everyone ELSE's work. Honestly, the first 130 pages could be condensed to 10 pages for all the information it passes along. This guy needs to find an editor who writes for humans. The tone of this book is suitable ONLY for publication to fellow historians focusing on China, though its broad scope probably makes it uselessly general for that audience, too.

My interest is ancient China. While "China: A New History" is materially rich, I found the topical layout disjointed. I have had to piece together bits of information on ancient dynasties from different sections. I also found the authors' commentary throughout the book distracting. I purchased "China: Its History and Culture" by Morton and Lewis and found it to be a well-written, materially rich book--excellent for anyone doing research on ancient China.

It's a great book if you are looking to get a good understanding of Chinese history and roots, though, given the limited amount of pages, it cannot go in details. When I compare it with other books about Chinese history, the structure of the book is clear and it touches the author always touches the most important topics (not an easy task to summary over 4.000 years of history.

John King Fairbank’s "China: A New History" remains one of the most respected and comprehensive single-volume accounts of Chinese civilization. Originally published in 1992 (and later updated by Merle Goldman), it serves as a definitive guide for anyone trying to understand how a semi-feudal empire transformed into a global superpower. The Weight of Tradition: He explores how the Confucian social hierarchy and the Imperial examination system created a remarkably stable—but eventually rigid—society. The "Impact-Response" Model: A core Fairbank theory suggesting that much of China’s modern history was a series of responses to the traumatic "impact" of Western imperialism in the 19th century. Cycles of Dynastic Change: The book details the "Mandate of Heaven" and how dynasties rose through vigor and fell through corruption and natural disasters. The Continuity of the State: Fairbank argues that even the Communist Revolution under Mao Zedong carried over many "Imperial" traits, such as a centralized bureaucracy and a focus on social orthodoxy

In preparation to an upcoming 3-week trip to China, I wanted to get a good review of the complete history of China from the early dynasties to the present time. This book met all my objectives. The original version of this classic by John King Fairbank was published in 1992 and covers the history of China up to the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square crackdown of 1989. The additional chapters written by Merle Goldman, Chapter 21 on The Post-Mao Reform era as well as the Epilogue, add sixty pages of material to bring to book up to date to the year 2006. It is well written and gives a good understanding of the Chinese people, a people currently going through major economic and cultural changes that are opening up the country and bringing it into the modern era but a people still stifled by a party-state that does not allow opposition to party political views and still exert a major control over the media, although with increasing difficulty.

I didn't expect much as it was tagged as an acceptable used book with marginal marks inside. It turns out, however, to be a brand new book with just a slight sign of wearing on the outside. The delivery is excellent as well. Received just four days after ordering. Very good!

Pretty much everyone suggested this book to me as the best introductory overview of China's history to follow after with more focused books. In that the book does delivers the promises. That said, it is necessary to leave out much on an complete history of China and the book is very focused on the governance, less on other aspects like economics, minorities, etc. Also on the whole it seems to me that the book is much more deep on the period after the Europeans arrival. Some periods, as for example Ming dinasty, are a bit "light".

good