Product Description

This new edition of the classic history of modern China since the seventeenth century has been updated to examine the return of Hong Kong in 1997 and the upcoming return of Macao in 1999. In his new concluding chapter, Hsü discusses the end of the last vestiges of foreign imperialism in China, as well as China's emergence as a regional and global superpower. US-China revalry and the prospect of unification between China and Taiwan are also considered. In addition, the further readings sections have been entirely revised.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #123093 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .0 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 1136 pages

Customer Reviews

A great if overwhelming read
Hsu's biography of the rise of modern China is huge. Approaching the topic I was looking for a comprehensive history solely for the past 50 years. What this book gave me was an insight into the history of a great nation. By encompassing a large historical range Hsu maintained a professional and analytical overview.
The main problem with such vast swathes of information meant that it took hours to remember who was who and what relation they had to X or Y. However, after the initial complication with non-Western names, the writing flowed smoothly and I now have a conceptual grasp of the situation facing China today.

Insightful
My purchase was motivated by the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of China, a country that is estimated to become a leading world power in 20 years. The book satisfied my wishes completely, but in addition I gained a lot in the field of politics and diplomacy. Although the book is focused on China's affairs, it did complement superbly to my understanding of world diplomacy and is therefore a pleasant addition to Huntingtons "Clash of Civilisations" and Kissingers "Diplomacy". The book also describes in an exciting manner the mechanisms of politics. Although China has been an empire for most of the history and one-party country thereafter, there are still (and perhaps even more) continuously several power struggles, which are explained with simple approach in the book.