Chinese Century:, The : A Photographic History of the Last Hundred Years

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: It's a surprisingly thorough and sophisticated overview of China in the 20th century for a book that at first glance looks primarily like a picture book. The text is outstanding in itself and the pictures quite original. I recommend it to those with a rudimentary knowledge of Chinese history.

Rating:
Summary: Extraodinary pictures but mediocre text
Review: One might be interested in looking at this book for the pictures that are clearly/handsomely presented--pictures concerning savage millieu in the 20th century China. Spence, being a somewhat popular mediocre scholar, simply compiles pictures of the poor Chinamen caught up in the upheaval age of "crises."

I wonder it would make this book a little more readable if we had a different editor. I once heard Spence speak; he was so boring. The text is poorly written. The pictures, not Spence, convince me one thing: Chinamen have identity problems; they will never live a life with dignity. They demonstrate little discipline; their rulers corrupt and incompetent. The Chinese had long lost the sense of dignity, creativity, and are still today refusing to advance their own country by isolating from the rest of the world. In short, the Chinese stay moving "backward," as it has been always the case, and hopeless.

Rating:
Summary: A Very Informative Work!
Review: Overall, I found this book to be very informative and fun to read. Being a UCSD student and taking many classes pertaining to Asia, I read many works by Spence. By far, I have enjoyed reading every one of his works. This particular book in my opinion is the best of Spence's works-- though he cooperated with another author. Spence's works is a testament to his ability to present fact in a dynamic way. In this case, Spence uses photographs to augment his work.

And concerning the individual from Grand Rapids, Missouri (2nd Review). This individual is thoroughly ignorant and racist to say that the Chinese people "lost the sense of dignity, creativity, and are still today refusing to advance their own country by isolating from the rest of the world." China has continually engaged in the free market arena since it opened up commercially in the 1980s. According to most experts, China has the fastest growing economy in the world. On another note, this individual fails to note that there is a level of corruption in every country. Yes, we Americans have seen our fair share of corrupt cops and politicians! Overall, this individual's remark does no justice for the merit of Spence's work, and is an unjustified insult to the Chinese community.

Rating:
Summary: excellent survey
Review: This book is an invaluable resource for scholars and amateurs alike. The introductory essay orients the reader, and the photographs tell their own story.

The "reviewer" below this is clearly insane and/or has an ax to grind. As any of their Yale students could tell you, Spence and Chin are both world-class scholars whose passion is narrating the stories of modern China accessibly, entertainingly, and provocatively.

Rating:
Summary: excellent survey
Review: This book is an invaluable resource for scholars and amateurs alike. The introductory essay orients the reader, and the photographs tell their own story.

The "reviewer" below this is clearly insane and/or has an ax to grind. As any of their Yale students could tell you, Spence and Chin are both world-class scholars whose passion is narrating the stories of modern China accessibly, entertainingly, and provocatively.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: This is a fascinating story of the history of China of the last hundred years intelligently interwoven with 264 rare and entertaining photos that add a unique sense of reality to the history. The authors' in-depth understanding of key historical events in China during the last century, combined with the many well chosen photos interspersed throughout the text (some of a fairly grim nature), make this a much more readable and realistic history book versus the typical history book that usually contains just a few photos crammed together into a center section. This is an oversized 264 page book printed on high quality glossy heavy paper.

Rating:
Summary: A highly recommended and entertaining history of China.
Review: This is a fascinating story of the history of China of the last hundred years intelligently interwoven with 264 rare and entertaining photos that add a unique sense of reality to the history. The authors' in-depth understanding of key historical events in China during the last century, combined with the many well chosen photos interspersed throughout the text (some of a fairly grim nature), make this a much more readable and realistic history book versus the typical history book that usually contains just a few photos crammed together into a center section. This is an oversized 264 page book printed on high quality glossy heavy paper.