Sources in Chinese History: Diverse Perspectives from 1644 to the Present

The format of Sources in Chinese History assumes the use of outside readings or a textbook, but for the more adventurous it could also be used as a standalone sourcebook.  Each chapter begins with a short introductory essay that examines a key event, personage, or theme from the period covered by the chapter.  In addition, the authors have selected perspectives that help to orient the student to the issues, trends and challenges of each particular period, and hope that the different viewpoints presented will lead students to rethink the way in which historical events are commonly understood.

Glance at any recent newspaper, magazine or mainstream website and one will encounter some mention of China. The number of Americans and Europeans studying the Chinese language has soared in recent years.  Foreign investment in China and Chinese exports to the world are increasing at a record pace.  Western political leaders ponder how to join or combat the country’s expanding influence. Yet, this emerging “discovery” of China should more correctly be described as a “re-discovery.” European and American churches have sent missionaries to China for more than five centuries.  Western traders and businesses have sought Chinese products, and pursued new markets for their own goods, for a commensurate period. Still, this newfound interest in China suggests there is a need for a sourcebook that goes beyond the narrow boundaries of political and intellectual thought; a sourcebook that explores the broad cultural, social and ethnic trends that are the foundation of a 21^st century China.