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Rana Mitter
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Modern China Paperback – 28 April 2008

by Rana Mitter (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 77
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Modern China: A Very Short Introduction
Modern China: A Very Short Introduction
$17.95
(183)
Only 1 left in stock (more on the way).
China today is never out of the news: from human rights controversies and the continued legacy of Tiananmen Square, to global coverage of the Beijing Olympics, and the Chinese 'economic miracle'. It seems a country of contradictions: a peasant society with some of the world's most futuristic cities, heir to an ancient civilization that is still trying to find a modern identity. This Very Short Introduction offers the reader with no previous knowledge of China a variety of ways to understand the world's most populous nation, giving a short, integrated picture of modern Chinese society, culture, economy, politics and art. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
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  1. Print length
    168 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Oxford University Press BPS
  4. Publication date
    28 April 2008
  5. Dimensions
    17.27 x 0.76 x 10.67 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    9780199228027
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0199228027
  8. See all details
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Product description

Review

A brilliant essay. (Timothy Garton, TLS)

A perfect overview for level 5 students who are not yet familiar with the workings of China - politically and socially (Clodagh Harrington, De Montfort University)

Anyone with an interest in China, and anyone who teaches about China, knows the importance of a brief and reliable introduction to the topic of contemporary China ... This book is not only a far more reliable overview, and the product of a serious historian, but it is an immensely enjoyable read. (David S.G. Goodman, Journal of Contemporary History)

About the Author

Rana Mitter is University Lecturer in the History and Politics of Modern China at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of St Cross College. He is the author of The Manchurian Myth: Nationalism, Resistance and Collaboration in Modern China (California, 2000), and A Bitter Revolution: China's Struggle with the Modern World (OUP, 2004), for which he won the title Times Higher Young Academic Author of the Year 2005. The book was also runner-up for the Longman/History Today Book of the Year prize, a finalist for the British Academy Book Prize, and named by Foreign Affairs as one of five <"must-read>" Notable Books on China. He presents and comments regularly on radio and television, and his reviews and essays have appeared in the Financial Times, History Today, and London Review of Books.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0199228027
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press BPS (28 April 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 168 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780199228027
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199228027
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 17.27 x 0.76 x 10.67 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 77

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Rana Mitter

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Gloria Kennedy
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on 9 March 2014
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Short , which is good. Don't confuse "modern" with "present" which I did. Perfect to add to your reading list before a trip to China.
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Miss S A Dale
5.0 out of 5 stars A very good introduction.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 February 2015
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An excellent introduction to a very complex country and subject. This was one of the books recommended by our Tutor for a WEA class on China - the last 100 years, and it does what it says in the title. A readable book which is sufficient for my purpose, but is suitable as an introduction if a reader wanted to get the groundwork in before reading something 'heavier'.
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Allisandre
5.0 out of 5 stars A very good introduction
Reviewed in France on 30 December 2013
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I chose this book as a beginner, as I wanted to start somewhere, and it turned out to be really good. It contains plenty of information and gives you interesting insights on modern and contemporary Chinese history. It helps you understand the key issues. Of course, the book will not turn you into a specialist of China, but it is highly accessible and understandable without any background on the country.

The fact that it is short and has a few illustrations adds to the quality of the book.
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Dr. Sven Jungmann
4.0 out of 5 stars Sehr gut für einen schnellen Überblick. Aktuelle Konflikte wurden nicht adressiert.
Reviewed in Germany on 22 December 2013
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China ist ein Land, das ebenso aussergewöhnlich wie auch für uns Europäer oftmals schwer zu begreifen ist. Es hat eine faszinierende Geschichte und brachte viele kulturelle und technologische Innovationen (z.B. die Uhr, was mir nicht bewusst war). Aufgrund seiner schieren Größe und wirtschaftlichen Signifikanz ist es heute für jeden von uns von Bedeutung.

Dieses Buch beschäftigt sich primär mit dem China des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts und stellt die Frage: Ist China modern? Dabei beantwortet es auch die Frage, was China eigentlich bedeutet, bzw. wie es sich selbst sieht.

Das heutige China ist noch dabei, sich selbst zu finden und entwickeln, und der Autor zeigt auf, welche äußeren Einflüsse und innere soziale Experimente China formten und formen.
Der Autor geht auch auf aktuelle Konflikte mit Japan ein und skizziert die historischen Hintergründe für China's aktuelle Außenpolitik und Sicht der Welt. Er geht auch auf die kulturellen (ie, Film, Literatur, Underground Produktionen, etc.) Bewegungen ein und erklärt, wie sich der Zeitgeist in diesen Werken widerspiegelt.

Alles in allem ist es ein Werk, dass mir sehr weitergeholfen hat, die Chinesische Kultur etwas besser zu verstehen. Das ist durchaus bemerkenswert für einen derart kurzen Text. Ich kann in gewisser Weise auf einer anderen Ebene starten, wenn ich mit meinen Chinesischen Kollegen interagiere.

Etwas enttäuschend fand ich, dass weniger auf die ganz aktuellen Konflikte und Menschenrechtsverletzungen eingegangen wird. Es scheint bisweilen ein wenig, als wolle der Autor eine Lanze brechen für China – und ist dann für meinen Geschmack etwas zu politisch korrekt. Allerdings sind vermutlich die meisten seiner Leser gerade an den Fragen nach Rechten, Freiheit (z.B. Meinungsfreiheit, Mobilität, etc.) Korruption etc. interessiert. Der Autor beschreibt diese Themen in der Vergangenheit, z.B. in der Mitte der 20er Jahre, geht aber nicht auf aktuelle Vorwürfe der internationalen Organisationen gegenüber China ein. Man muss dazu sagen, dass das Buch 2008 veröffentlicht wurde. Es wäre eventuell Zeit für eine überarbeitete Auflage, die die Entwicklungen der letzten 5 Jahre mit einbezieht.

Dennoch, ein empfehlenswertes Buch, dass man in zwei Tagen entspannt gelesen hat, nicht zu akademisch und mit einer Brise kleinere Erzählungen und Bilder, die manchmal mehr sagen, als große wissenschaftliche Abhandlungen.
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Absinthe
4.0 out of 5 stars As advertised
Reviewed in the United States on 25 May 2013
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This is indeed a very short introduction, compressing a great deal of information about a vast subject into a few pages. I find myself referring to it often in order to get names and dates straight. Mitter is sympathetic to Mao, and he tends to downplay the cruelty of the Communist regime under the Chairman. In particular, he gives smaller estimates for the number of dead under Mao than other specialists, and he gives Mao credit for economic achievements that many scholars dispute. Half the book is devoted to questioning whether contemporary China's society, economy and culture are "modern". These are meaningless questions, in my opinion, but Mitter's discussions about contemporary Chinese attitudes towards women's rights, eugenics, economic growth, literature, cinema etc. can be illuminating. On balance, Mitter knows more than I do about this subject, and he writes clearly, so I recommend it as a very short introduction to an absorbing topic.
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