Anne Davison

A History of China (In Brief, #9) (eBook, ePUB)

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

Napoleon Bonaparte, when referring to China, famously said; "China is a sleeping giant. Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world." His words were prophetic. For centuries China slumbered. Then, about forty years ago she woke up and since that time has risen to become the world's second largest economy by GDP with the world's greatest purchasing power.

This book tells of China's turbulent past. It is a story of famine and flood, invasion and occupation, revolution and renewal, world war and civil war.

Starting with the pre-historical Yellow Emperor, the earlier chapters trace the origins of the Great Wall, the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors and the opening up of the ancient Silk Road. Later chapters include the arrival of Buddhism, the period under the Mongol rule of Kublai Khan as well as the refinement of porcelain and the opening up of trade with the West under the Ming dynasty.
The final chapters cover the opium wars and the 'hundred years of humiliation' that led to the fall of the Qing dynasty. This is followed by the Republican era, Civil War and the arrival of Communism. The Epilogue looks at how China has succeeded in combining socialism with a market economy that has resulted in a dynamic and exciting country.
As with other books in the 'In Brief' series, this book is aimed at the general reader who wants to understand a particular historical topic but does not have the time or inclination to read a heavy academic tome. With this mind, footnotes have been omitted.

While there will inevitably be gaps in a book of this size, the intention is to cover the most significant events that moulded China's history. Should the reader be inspired to further reading on the subject, a small selection of the main works that have been consulted is provided at the end.

Where possible, maps and charts are provided which should help the reader navigate through the text. A 'Who's Who and What's What' is included at the end.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Anne Davison
• Erscheinungstermin: 16. März 2019
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9780463426982
• Artikelnr.: 55851104

Autorenporträt

Canon Doctor Anne Davison has had a lifelong interest in history and the religions of the world. Her journey into understanding other cultures began in her early 20s when she lived in Lagos, Nigeria. Later, a job with British Airways gave her the chance to travel the world more widely.

When she became aware of a global increase in religious intolerance she felt the need to better understand our world, past and present. She was particularly interested in how 'religion' interacts with politics. This led her to study for a Degree in History and Comparative religion, followed by a PhD in inter religious relations.

Whilst living in Switzerland in the 1990s Anne took on the role of Vice Moderator of the World Council of Churches in Geneva, before moving back to London to work with the Church of England as an Adviser in Inter Religious Relations.

In addition to organising pilgrim groups to Israel and Lebanon, Anne co-ordinated a Youth Exchange Programme for 16 to 18 year- old Jews, Christians and Muslims between Jerusalem and East London. In recognition of her work in inter-religious relations Anne was made a Lay Canon of the Church of England.

Since retiring from the Church of England she has lectured on many cruise ships and in the UK for the Arts Society

It was in response to people asking for her lecture notes, that in 2013 Anne decided to write her first book: From the Medes to the Mullah: A History of Iran. She has just published her ninth book on A History of China.

She remains convinced that many of the problems facing the world today are the result of an ignorance that can lead to intolerance at best and hatred at worst.

She firmly believes that one way to combat this ignorance is to promote a better understanding of our diverse world. Anne likes to think that by offering lectures and writing short, accessible books, she is playing her part in a small way.