The Rise of Modern China

I recently took a course on the history of modern China in university, which covered the era spanning from the late Qing to 21st century. Initially I was rather daunted by the size and thickness of this book, but I ended up reading this book 3 times by the end of the course because it was so readable. Immanuel Hsu's analysis is clear and obviously up to par. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is taking a similar course. If you're keen to understand China particularly in the light of current affairs, you need to know about its recent history as well. There is no better place to start than with "The Rise of China" by Immanuel Hsu.

This is the best single-volume history of Modern China that you could own. It covers the history of China from the Ch'ing (Qing) dynasty to the emergence of China as a global superpower at the beginning of the 21st century. Scholarly, yet immensely readable. This work will remain a lasting memorial to Professor Hsü, a preeminent scholar of Modern Chinese History, whom I had the great privilege to know.

Now in it's sixth edition, this work bt C.Y. Hsu is still one of the most popular textbooks on this subject in universities across the country. Within its 1000+ pages the book covers the period from the beginning of the Ching dynasty (1644) to 1998. I believe that what separates this book from others on this subject is that instead of focusing primarily on geography, chronology, and names, it attempts to provide a glimpse of the personalities and motivations of the many important figures that emerged during this period. The chapters concerning the years between the decline of the Ching at the turn of the 19th century and the establishment of the PRC in 1949 are extremely well done, and convey a great deal of information about important players of that age such as Sun Yat Sen, Mao, and Chiang Kai Shek. It is a well-researched, well-written book, and a pleasure to read.

Whether you are studying Chinese history or you're simply interested in China, this book is essential for every library. It is both consumately researched and artfully written.Asian history doesn't get any better than this!

It is a very good book, it is very thorough,and factual, it is really critical of Mao. I highly recommend it