To Change China: Western Advisers in China

by Jonathan D. Spence

Book Overview

From "the best known and most talented historian of China writing in English today" (Los Angeles Times), an examination of a diverse collection of Western foreigners who attempted "to change China"... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140055282
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 335 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

A never ending tale

A bit dry but a good read. There is some facination about China that grips the west endlessly. China attracts mental moths to its bright flame and then burns them all up. All change agents of course want to change China into their own image - jesuits, missionaries - soldiers - politicians have all tried and all failed. The Chinese just dont want to play ball. I wonder why?

Very Very Bad Stereotyping

This book is a collection of biographical sketches of several Westerners who went to China in order to try to change it. On that level, Prof. Spence does a credible job.I didn't write this review because of that. I wrote this review in order to address the comments by "N Zhou Smith." His mocking use of the phrase "vely vely" is racist and bigoted. Obviously he is refering to the stereotype that Asians can't distinguish between "r" and "l" in pronounciation. This stereotype can only be accurately applied to the Japanese, it does NOT apply to the Chinese (they have NO trouble pronouncing either "r" or "l" sounds). At any rate, it is bigoted to put it mildly to use that stereotype even if it had been accurately applied. Japanese, Mandarin, and other Asian languages are radically different from Western (European) languages; it is idiotic to say the least to mock or humiliate people for having been born into a different culture/ethnicity. For shame.It's ironic. Jonathan Spence wrote a book poking holes in the idea that Westerners can go to China in order to totally impose Western attitudes on Asian people. "N Zhou Smith" - if he really is in Beijing and hasn't been run out on a rail - may well have to learn these lessons the hard way.

vely vely useful

For a Western head going to China with something in mind other than just making money, touring about, or slipping into uncritical fascination, this is perhaps the wisest book available. Here is old Spence at his best: good scholarship and wonderful storytelling. It covers the lives of a handful of remarkable men struggling to bring their vision to bear in notoriusly difficult country. Many would-be China hands have found solace here.

Brian Wayne Wells, Esquire, reviews "To Change China":

Jonathan Spence's book, "To Change China" chronicles only the narrow topic of the effect of western advisers to the various Chinese governments from 1620 to 1960. Because the topic is narrow the author can do the subject justice, which is the happy result in this book. The book is a scholarly book which was published by Penguin Books. In the usual pattern of Penguin Books, "To Change China" does not let scholarship become another term for dry, difficult and boring reading. Spences' writing style is very readable and provides much valuable information to the student of modern China.