China: Tradition and Transformation - Softcover

One of two texts which introduce East Asian history, both have been rewritten to take account of the changes in China since Mao's death, of Japan's economic success, and of the emergence of Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore as important political and economic powers. They aim to combine authoritative scholarship with comprehensive coverage and a succinct, readable style and are aimed at undergraduate students and the general reader. The essence of the ferment in China is the interaction between new forces, many of which derived from the West, and traditional habits and modes of thinking. "China" divides naturally into two phases: the evolution of traditional Chinese civilization in relative isolation over three thousand years, and the upheavals and transformation of that civilization in recent times, partly in response to contact with the modern western world. "China: tradition and transformation" is essential reading for all historians of China and for anyone wishing to understand modern China. The authors have worked together as part of a remarkable team at Harvard University. Edwin O. Reischauer was US Ambassador to Japan and John K. Fairbank is Director of Harvard's East Asian Research Centre.