Background
Spence, Jonathan Dermot was born on August 11, 1936 in Surrey, England. Came to United States, 1959. Son of Dermot Gordon Chesson and Muriel (Crailsham).
(“A savory, fascinating story of absolute rule, one that n...)
“A savory, fascinating story of absolute rule, one that not only reveals a great deal about China’s turbulent past but also suggests where some of the more durable reflexes of China’s current leaders have their roots. . . . A detective yarn and a picaresque tale.” (Richard Bernstein, The New York Times) Shortly before noon on October 28, 1728, General Yue Zhongqi, the most powerful military and civilian official in northwest China, was en route to his headquarters. Suddenly, out of the crowd, a stranger ran toward Yue and passed him an envelope—an envelope containing details of a treasonous plot to overthrow the Manchu government. This thrilling story of a conspiracy against the Qing dynasty in 1728 is a captivating tale of intrigue and a fascinating exploration of what it means to rule and be ruled. Once again, Jonathan Spence has created a vivid portrait of the rich culture that surrounds a most dramatic moment in Chinese history.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000418/?tag=2022091-20
( “A milestone in Western studies of China.” (John K. Fair...)
“A milestone in Western studies of China.” (John K. Fairbank) In this masterful, highly original approach to modern Chinese history, Jonathan D. Spence shows us the Chinese revolution through the eyes of its most articulate participants—the writers, historians, philosophers, and insurrectionists who shaped and were shaped by the turbulent events of the twentieth century. By skillfully combining literary materials with more conventional sources of political and social history, Spence provides an unparalleled look at China and her people and offers valuable insight into the continuing conflict between the implacable power of the state and the strivings of China's artists, writers, and thinkers.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140062793/?tag=2022091-20
(“Spence shows himself at once historian, detective, and a...)
“Spence shows himself at once historian, detective, and artist. . . . He makes history howl.” (The New Republic) Award-winning author Jonathan D. Spence paints a vivid picture of an obscure place and time: provincial China in the seventeenth century. Life in the northeastern county of T’an-ch’eng emerges here as an endless cycle of floods, plagues, crop failures, banditry, and heavy taxation. Against this turbulent background a tenacious tax collector, an irascible farmer, and an unhappy wife act out a poignant drama at whose climax the wife, having run away from her husband, returns to him, only to die at his hands. Magnificently evoking the China of long ago, The Death of Woman Wang also deepens our understanding of the China we know today.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014005121X/?tag=2022091-20
(In this book, Jonathan Spence tells the story of a man ca...)
In this book, Jonathan Spence tells the story of a man called John Hu, who accompanied a French missionary returning from Canton to France in 1722. Jonathan Spence has written several books including, "The Gates of Heavenly Peace" and "The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci".
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679725806/?tag=2022091-20
(In the work of twenty-five years, Jonathan Spence has est...)
In the work of twenty-five years, Jonathan Spence has established himself as an interpreter of modern Chinese history. His most recent book was "The Search for Modern China". Spence recreates the historical character and setting in the moving story of Arcadio Huang's odyssey from south China to Enlightenment Paris, where he briefly gains a foothold in an alien culture but then is tragically undermined; takes a Shakespearean approach to the life of the great Qing emperor K'ang-hsi; informs the reader on China's tragic experience with opium; and describes the splendours of food in Chinese culture.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393033554/?tag=2022091-20
( The leading textbook by the leading scholar. This tex...)
The leading textbook by the leading scholar. This text, the classic introduction to modern China for students and general readers, emerged from Spence’s highly successful introductory course at Yale, in which he traced the beginnings of modern China to internal developments beginning in the early 17th century. Strong on social and political history, as well as Chinese culture and its intersections with politics, this paperback is a longstanding leader in the survey course on modern China.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393934519/?tag=2022091-20
( "A remarkable achievement...vivid...fluent, graceful......)
"A remarkable achievement...vivid...fluent, graceful.... A publishing event."―Boston Globe In this widely acclaimed history of modern China, Jonathan Spence achieves a fine blend of narrative richness and efficiency. Praised as "a miracle of readability and scholarly authority," (Jonathan Mirsky) The Search for Modern China offers a matchless introduction to China's history.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393307808/?tag=2022091-20
(The search for modern China is epic history. With unsurpa...)
The search for modern China is epic history. With unsurpassed learning, imagination and passion. Jonathan Spence tells a story of vast struggle of exhilerating dreams and cushed lives, and above all of the sheer capacity of the human spirit to endure.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00817PASG/?tag=2022091-20
(A remarkable re-creation of the life of K'ang-hsi, empero...)
A remarkable re-creation of the life of K'ang-hsi, emperor of the Manchu dynasty from 1661-1722, assembled from documents that survived his reign. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/067972074X/?tag=2022091-20
( Look no further for a comprehensive narrative of Chines...)
Look no further for a comprehensive narrative of Chinese history from the fall of the Ming dynasty to the present. Beautifully written by a leading scholar in the field, the new edition of The Search for Modern China brings to life the characters and events of China’s turbulent modern history. The narrative is detailed balanced, integrating political and cultural history with social and economic developments. Spence has streamlined and thoroughly updated the text in light of new scholarship and the major new steps China has taken in the last ten years. The Search for Modern China, Second Edition, features a visually striking art program that includes more than 150 illustrations―many by world-famous photographers―50 maps, and many helpful tables.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393973514/?tag=2022091-20
Spence, Jonathan Dermot was born on August 11, 1936 in Surrey, England. Came to United States, 1959. Son of Dermot Gordon Chesson and Muriel (Crailsham).
Bachelor, Cambridge University, England, 1959. Doctor of Philosophy, Yale University, 1965. Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Knox College, 1984.
Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), University New Haven, 1989. Doctor of Literature (honorary), Wheeling College, 1985. Doctor of Literature (honorary), Chinese University Hong Kong, 1996.
Doctor of Literature (honorary), Gettysburg College, 1996. Doctor of Literature (honorary), Quinnipiac College, 1998. Doctor of Literature (honorary), Union College, 2000.
Doctor of Literature (honorary), Beloit College, 2000. Doctor of Literature (honorary), Connecticut College, 2000. Doctor of Literature (honorary), Oxford University, 2003.
Assistant professor history Yale University, New Haven, 1966-1971, professor, since 1971, chairman department history, 1983-1990, director division humanities., Sterling professor history. Wiles lecturer Queens's University, Belfast, 1985. Gauss lecturer Princeton University, 1987.
Visiting professor Peking University, 1987. Chairman Council on East Asian Studies. Board governors Yale University Press, since 1988.
Honorary professor Nanjing University, 1993, Wuhan University, 1999.
(“A savory, fascinating story of absolute rule, one that n...)
(In this book, Jonathan Spence tells the story of a man ca...)
(A remarkable re-creation of the life of K'ang-hsi, empero...)
(In the work of twenty-five years, Jonathan Spence has est...)
(Spence narrative with a great deal of historical context ...)
( Look no further for a comprehensive narrative of Chines...)
(Gate of Heavenly Peace the Chinese (View amazon detail pa...)
(“Spence shows himself at once historian, detective, and a...)
(Part of the Penguin Lives series of biographies.)
(Death of Woman Wang, The PaperbackJonathan D. Spence (Aut...)
( The leading textbook by the leading scholar. This tex...)
(The search for modern China is epic history. With unsurpa...)
( “A milestone in Western studies of China.” (John K. Fair...)
(Gate of Heavenly Peace by Jonathan D. Spence. Penguin Boo...)
( "A remarkable achievement...vivid...fluent, graceful......)
Served with British Army, 1954-1956. Fellow British Academy. Member American Academy Arts and Sciences, American Philosophical Society, American History Association (president 2004), Association Asian Studies, Order St. Michael and St. George (companion).
Married Helen Alexander, September 15, 1962 (divorced 1993). Children: Colin Chesson, Ian Alexander. Married Chin Annping, August 12, 1993.