The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography uses the life stories of key individuals, selected from the earliest dynasties to the present day, to tell the story of China itself over the entire span of its history. Volume 4, available separately, is on contemporary figures. Long-form essays by many of the world’s leading China scholars introduce key figures who have shaped, influenced, and transformed China over the millennia: emperors, politicians, poets, writers, artists, scientists, explorers and philosophers. This is the first time that such comprehensive collection has been available in English, produced by internationally recognized experts, and designed to satisfy the growing thirst for knowledge about China. “No biographical dictionary of China has successfully replaced Herbert Giles’s [1898] work until the new DCB. It’s about time!” –Benjamin Elman, Princeton University.
Dictionary of Chinese Biography: Complete 4-Volume Set
$779.00
Description
The Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography uses the life stories of key individuals, selected from the earliest dynasties to the present day, to tell the story of China itself over the entire span of its history. Volume 4, available separately, is on contemporary figures. Long-form essays by many of the world’s leading China scholars introduce key figures who have shaped, influenced, and transformed China over the millennia: emperors, politicians, poets, writers, artists, scientists, explorers and philosophers. This is the first time that such comprehensive collection has been available in English, produced by internationally recognized experts, and designed to satisfy the growing thirst for knowledge about China.
“No biographical dictionary of China has successfully replaced Herbert Giles’s [1898] work until the new DCB. It’s about time!” –Benjamin Elman, Princeton University.
Dictionary of Chinese Biography V1, Prehistory to 907 | Xia and Shang, Zhou, Qin, Southern & Northern, Sui, Tang |
Dictionary of Chinese Biography V2, From 960 to 1644 | Song, Jurchen Jin, Yuan, Ming |
Dictionary of Chinese Biography V3, From 1644 to 1979 | Qing, Republic of China, PRC |
Dictionary of Chinese Biography V4, From 1979 to 2015 | PRC, Greater China |
Andrew J Nathan In Foreign Affairs:
The final volume of this dictionary covers 100 prominent figures of the reform era in China, which spans the last 40 years or so. Many of them are still alive. The entries range from the obvious (Chinese President Xi Jinping, the dissident Wei Jingsheng) to the surprising (Wang Shuo, a transgressive novelist; Jet Li, the martial arts movie star; Rebiya Kadeer, the exiled Uighur advocate; Lai Changxing, the smuggling kingpin) and include leaders in politics, business, science, sports, and the arts. Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan are also represented. . . . The entries are not merely life chronologies. They probe their subjects’ personalities and accomplishments, providing a sense of how each subject fits into the complex mosaic of Chinese society. The result is a readable, often entertaining portrait of an era that is still in the process of becoming.
Additional information
| Weight | N/A |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | N/A |
| Pages | 1840 |
| ISBN | 9781614729754 |
| Format | |
| Volumes | 4 |
| Chinese Title | 宝库山 中国传记大全 |
Reviews
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Wm. Theodore de Bary –
“All students of China and indeed of East Asia and world history will be greatly aided in their studies by this comprehensive reference work, a true milestone in collaborative historical research.”