(Drivebycuriosity) - Telling the history of China is a huge challenge. Michael Wood tries to narrate the "story" of the giantic country from the bronze age through the present by going his own way ( amazon). He writes: "Our view of China opens from below, and from the fringes and the provinces; seen through the live of individuals,men and women, the dynasty founders and emperors,but also from writers and travelers, for instance a Mrs Wang and her children on a southern river Odyssey".
Wood`s anecdotes are interesting but tales about "Mrs. Wang and her children" and other anecdotes obstruct the view on the whole picture and the reader gets lost in countless sub-stories, that were not really important for the evolution of China.
I prefer "China: A History" by John Keay (my review). His history is much more focused, more sober and much better to read and to understand. While I got lost in Wood´s "stories", I learned from Keay why China´s recent rise, the awakening "of the dragon", is just a comeback, a reawakening.
No comments:
Post a Comment