The Cambridge History of China

The Cambridge History of China
Name	The Cambridge History of China
Author	Denis Twitchett, John King Fairbank
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	History of China
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Published	1978-2009
Media type	Print

The Cambridge History of China is a major historiographical work published by Cambridge University Press, covering the History of China from the earliest times to the present day, with a focus on the Qing dynasty, Ming dynasty, and Song dynasty. The series was conceived by Denis Twitchett and John King Fairbank, two prominent China scholars, who aimed to provide a comprehensive and authoritative account of Chinese history, drawing on the expertise of Harvard University, University of Oxford, and University of California, Berkeley scholars. The series has been widely acclaimed for its rigorous scholarship and has become a standard reference work for China studies, used by researchers at Peking University, Tsinghua University, and National Taiwan University. The project involved collaboration with numerous institutions, including the British Academy, Royal Asiatic Society, and Association for Asian Studies.

Introduction

The Cambridge History of China series provides a detailed and nuanced understanding of Chinese history, from the Shang dynasty to the present day, with contributions from renowned scholars such as Jonathan Spence, Perry Link, and Timothy Brook. The series covers a broad range of topics, including the Silk Road, Mongol Empire, and Chinese Civil War, and draws on a wide range of sources, including classical Chinese literature, historical archives, and archaeological findings from Xi'an, Luoyang, and Nanjing. The series has been praised for its attention to detail and its commitment to scholarly excellence, with reviews published in The China Quarterly, Journal of Asian Studies, and Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies. The project has also involved collaboration with scholars from University of Tokyo, Seoul National University, and Australian National University.

History of the Series

The Cambridge History of China series was first conceived in the 1960s by Denis Twitchett and John King Fairbank, who were both prominent scholars of Chinese history at Cambridge University and Harvard University. The series was designed to provide a comprehensive and authoritative account of Chinese history, drawing on the expertise of scholars from around the world, including Columbia University, University of Chicago, and Stanford University. The first volume was published in 1978, and the series has since grown to include 15 volumes, covering topics such as the Tang dynasty, Song dynasty, and Qing dynasty, as well as the Chinese Revolution and the People's Republic of China. The series has involved collaboration with numerous institutions, including the Library of Congress, British Library, and National Library of China.

Volume Overview

The Cambridge History of China series consists of 15 volumes, each of which covers a specific period or topic in Chinese history, such as the Han dynasty, Sui dynasty, and Yuan dynasty. The volumes are written by teams of scholars, including Frederick W. Mote, Willard J. Peterson, and R. Bin Wong, who are experts in their respective fields, and have been published over a period of several decades, with the most recent volume appearing in 2009. The series covers a wide range of topics, including Chinese philosophy, Chinese art, and Chinese literature, as well as the history of science and technology in China and the economic history of China. The volumes have been widely praised for their scholarly excellence and have become standard reference works for scholars and students of Chinese history, used by researchers at University of Michigan, University of Washington, and University of California, Los Angeles.

Editorial Approach and Contributors

The Cambridge History of China series was edited by a team of prominent scholars, including Denis Twitchett and John King Fairbank, who were responsible for overseeing the production of the series and ensuring its scholarly excellence. The series drew on the expertise of scholars from around the world, including China, United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia, and involved collaboration with numerous institutions, including the Academia Sinica, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Institute of History and Philology. The contributors to the series include many of the most prominent scholars of Chinese history, such as Philip A. Kuhn, Madeleine Zelin, and William T. Rowe, and the series has been praised for its attention to detail and its commitment to scholarly excellence, with reviews published in The Journal of Modern History, American Historical Review, and The Historian.

Reception and Impact

The Cambridge History of China series has been widely acclaimed for its scholarly excellence and has become a standard reference work for scholars and students of Chinese history, used by researchers at University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, and Yale University. The series has been praised for its attention to detail, its commitment to scholarly excellence, and its comprehensive coverage of Chinese history, and has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Association for Asian Studies's Joseph Levenson Book Prize and the American Historical Association's John K. Fairbank Prize. The series has also had a significant impact on the field of Chinese studies, helping to shape the way that scholars understand and interpret Chinese history, and has been widely reviewed in academic journals, including The China Journal, Journal of Chinese History, and Modern China.

Publication History

The Cambridge History of China series was published by Cambridge University Press over a period of several decades, with the first volume appearing in 1978 and the most recent volume appearing in 2009. The series has been published in both hardcover and paperback editions, and is available in many academic libraries and bookstores, including Harvard University Library, University of California, Berkeley Library, and British Library. The series has also been digitized and is available online through various platforms, including Cambridge University Press's website and JSTOR, making it accessible to scholars and students around the world, including those at Peking University, Tsinghua University, and National Taiwan University. The publication of the series has involved collaboration with numerous institutions, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, American Council of Learned Societies, and Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation.

Category:Book series