The dramatic changes in China's destiny over the past century and the hopes and regrets of the Republic of China's intellectuals
The historian who is the best storyteller——
The masterpiece that made Jonathan Spence famous
"A milestone in Western Sinology." -- John King Fairbank
"It is indisputable that Jonathan D. Spence's works must be classified as part of the "Records of the Grand Historian"." - Yu Ying-shih
★ Los Angeles Times History Book Award ★ New York Times Top Ten Non-Literary Books of the Year ★ China Times Open Book of the Week ★ Golden Tripod Award for Best Translation in Books ★ Yu Yingshi wrote a special article for the preface. Highly recommended
This is a story about Chinese intellectuals, a grand epic tragicomedy that records the dramatic changes in China from 1895 to 1980. From the late 19th century, when a group of reformists intended to reform the Qing Dynasty, to the fall of the Qing Dynasty caused by the monarchists and revolutionaries; from the confrontation between the republican government and the warlords in the early 20th century, to the tragedy of the struggle between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party; from the fall and restoration of China in the 20th century, to the radical rural and cultural transformation of the Chinese government. On the one hand, Chinese intellectuals were the driving force behind the great changes, but on the other hand, they were swallowed up by the waves of great changes. This is an unprecedented tragedy in Chinese history, and during the performance it also reveals a sense of helplessness and self-deprecation in comedy.
Jonathan Spence selects a few of the most representative figures for in-depth discussion, interweaving them into an overall picture of China's spiritual outlook. The main lines of Kang Youwei, Lu Xun, and Ding Ling are the "classics" running through the book, while Qiu Jin, Shen Congwen, Qu Qiubai, Xu Zhimo, Wen Yiduo, and Lao She are inserted in different stages, forming the "latitude". In the intersection of longitude and latitude, countless related figures come and go at any time, including the unavoidable political leaders Sun Wen, Chiang Kai-shek, Wang Jingwei, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, and Deng Xiaoping; the cultural leaders who led the fashion of the time, Zou Rong, Liang Qichao, Cai Yuanpei, Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao, Guo Moruo, Hu Shi, Liang Shuming, Mao Dun, Lin Huiyin, Hu Feng, etc.; even foreign visitors such as Bertrand Russell, Rabindranath Tagore, and Bernard Shaw also make an appearance in between.
Each character in the book has his or her own unique life style and life force, which is far beyond the scope of a "collective biography". Jonathan Spence uses his vivid writing to outline their lives, focusing on the intellectuals' exploration and reflection on their self-positioning under the great changes of the times, and also allows readers to understand a series of unusual events and the "Chinese Revolution" formed by these events. When this group of characters were involved in the process of violence and rebirth in modern China over the past century, Jonathan Spence, in the name of "Tiananmen", which is rich in historical and cultural connotations, traveled through a century and summoned the flourishing thoughts of literati and the spirit of the times.
The title of the book is "Tiananmen", which shows that he has keenly realized:
The historical function of Tiananmen Square is undergoing a dramatic change.
One could even say that he had foreseen the tragic massacre that would take place in Tiananmen Square ten years later.
- Yu Ying-shih
Celebrity Recommendations
A milestone in Western Chinese studies. ——John King Fairbank
It is indisputable that Jonathan Spence's works must be classified as part of the "Records of the Grand Historian". The "Records of the Grand Historian" is not only a masterpiece of Chinese historiography, but also the highest example of Chinese literature. Over the past forty years, Jonathan Spence has written one historical monograph after another, ranging from the late Ming Dynasty (such as "Rimadou's Palace of Memory") to the end of the 20th century (such as "Tiananmen"). In 1990, he wrote the best-selling general history of modern China, which began in the late Ming Dynasty and ended with the Tiananmen Democracy Movement in 1989. This is the entire scope of his teaching and research throughout his life, spanning four centuries. In each of these centuries, he chose one or two specialized topics and wrote vivid narratives, outlining the spiritual outlook of an era from the front or side. This is the true skill of a historian, and it is also the ultimate destination of history. From what I have read, among the scholars who study modern and contemporary Chinese history, it seems that only Sima Jingqian has this special skill. Why? I think it is because he not only has profound historical skills, but also has outstanding literary achievements. "Talents in both literature and history" is exactly the road Sima Qian has opened up in the history of Chinese historiography. --Yu Yingshi
Book Reviews
Absolutely excellent; bold in form, rigorous in content, telling of the ups and downs of life with passion. --Saturday Review
He composed a wonderful symphony with amazing power, achieving what traditional history could not, telling the world about the pain of a nation. - Harrison E. Salisbury, Chicago Tribune Book World
With the novelist's acumen and the historian's disciplined pursuit of the truth... this book is comprehensive, vivid, and humane, and few other works can match it. -Library Journal