The Search for Modern China: A Documentary Collection

I had to take a history course to satisfy my degree requirement. But I am focused on my major and really do not want to spend too much time in my GE so I chose Chinese history as I am a fluent Chinese speaker who received modern Chinese history when I was young in Taiwan. However reading this book made me realize a lot of the history lessons I received as a child contains some mix of propaganda that obscured the subject. The Search for Modern China: A Documentary History included the original archival record relevant to the issues raised by Cheng et al. with some unbiased introduction. Together with the J.Spence's, The Search for Modern China, both books perfectly complemented each other. The translation of the archival record is easy to read (much easier to read than the original classic Chinese version) and is a pleasure to go through even for leisure read. I highly recommend this book together with Spence's textbook on The Search for Modern China.

This was a required text for a course on the history of modern China. I really enjoyed the book and looked forward to the assigned reading: the original documents (and the explanations accompanying them) gave real insight into China's history: cultural, political, and military.

Great book! Contains first-hand resources for major events in modern China.

This is an amazing book with great sources,and it is very well organized. It's a must have for any Chinese historian.

Companion book to the book "The Search for Modern China" by Jonathan D. Spence. While the book by Spence is Historical, this is more of a personal collection of history, more Oral History than anything else. A great companion that Helps understand the main text.

I thought this was the history book but it's actually a collection of primary sources. Definitely an interesting book, but not what I had wanted originally.

A reading books fro school

A good companion to Spence's "The Search for Modern China." All the documents are clearly introduced and all necessary background given. The authors also match each chapter to its repesctive chapter in Spence, making referencing very easy.

Excellent companion for my third year history course. Easy to follow primary documents from various time periods in China. Highly recommended.