China: Empire and Civilization

by Edward L. Shaughnessy

Book Overview

To Western eyes, China is one of the most mysterious and intriguing of all civilizations. The legacy of its long dynastic rule, extending back more than 3,000 years, includes fascinating contributions to philosophy, religion, art, science, and mythology that continue to influence the modern world. China explores the ideas and achievements of this unique culture through a combination of authoritative, accessible scholarship and magnificent imagery...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195182871
• ISBN13: 9780195182873
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 7.1" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Good for an Overview

This book was great for a college student like me, who knew nothing of China. The chapters are separated into easily digestible segments. There are lots of images for references, too. The class I used it with, though, uses this as backround information and anything more detailed are in separate books entirely. This is a good book to start learning about China, or even a place to cross-reference ideas.

It's good for a starter

All in all not a bad book and quite fine as a primer on the subject of China's history and culture. It should defiantly be followed up with more advanced materials covering specifics. But a good start none the less.

Wonderful into to China

I bought this book as a gift for my sister who went to China this year but I ended up keeping it for myself. So many illustrated books on Asia only pick out what's exotic and exploit it. This book, however, offers an even-handed introduction to China's past, focusing on politics, philosophy, technology, daily life and the arts. The section on beliefs is particularly fresh. I learned so much, yet I didn't feel the book wowed me with pieces of jade and the like that so often show us how we'd like to see imperial China, not how it really was.

Great research and art

The team of historians headed by Edward Shaughnessy did a fantastic job on this book, covering the most interesting fascets of imperial China (and its legacy in 20th century China). But the illustrations were my favorite part. The Chinese were masters at fusing beauty with function. Some of their inventions, artworks, and everyday tools make the West seem so clumsy. The captions are meaty and provide for good reading as well. I only wish the book were longer and went into more detail. A must have for China lovers!