Rana Mitter je uznávaným historikem moderní čínské historie, působícím na Oxfordské univerzitě. Ve své práci se soustředí na klíčové momenty a dynamiku vývoje Číny, analyzuje politické, společenské a kulturní proměny. Jeho hluboký vhled do minulosti osvětluje současné výzvy a trajektorie země. Díky svému analytickému přístupu a srozumitelnému stylu se Mitter stal ceněným komentátorem mezinárodních vztahů a historie.
In Rana Mitter's tense, moving and hugely important book, the war between China and Japan - one of the most important struggles of the Second World War - at last gets the masterly history it deserves.
China today is poised to play a key role on the world stage, but in the early twentieth century the situation was very different. In this powerful new look at modern China, Rana Mitter goes back to a pivotal moment in Chinese history to uncover the origins of the painful transition from pre-modern to modern world. Mitter identifies May 4, 1919, as the defining moment of China's twentieth-century history. On that day, outrage over the Paris peace conference triggered a vast student protest that led in turn to "the May Fourth Movement." Just seven years before, the 2,000-year-old imperial system had collapsed. Now a new group of urban, modernizing thinkers began to reject Confucianism and traditional culture in general as hindrances in the fight against imperialism, warlordism, and the oppression of women and the poor. Forward-looking, individualistic, embracing youth, this "New Culture movement" made a lasting impact on the critical decades that followed: the 1940s, with the war against Japan and the civil war between the Nationalist Party and the Communists; the 1960s, with the bizarre, seemingly anarchic world of Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution; and the 1980s, with the rise of a semi-market economy against the backdrop of continued single-party rule and growing inequality. Throughout each of these dramatically different eras, the May 4 themes persisted, from the insanity of the Cultural Revolution to the recent romance with space-age technology. China, Mitter concludes, still seems to be in search of a new narrative about what the country is, and what it should become. And May 4 remains a touchstone in that search.
Recognized as an Economist Book of the Year, this work delves into pressing global issues, offering insightful analysis and thought-provoking perspectives. It combines rigorous research with engaging narrative, making complex economic concepts accessible to a broad audience. The author explores the interplay between economics and social dynamics, highlighting the implications for policy and personal lives. This book is essential for anyone seeking to understand the current economic landscape and its impact on society.
Once sidelined from public memory, World War II is now a historical touchstone in China. Rana Mitter links reassessment of the war to China's rising nationalism. At home, Chinese use the war to shape conflicted identities; abroad the war with Japan is now treated as a Chinese victory, a founding myth for a people destined to shape the global order.
"Rana Mitter's updated guide describes with flair and authority China's often tortuous, sometimes triumphant pursuit of "modernity", what it has meant for the Chinese people, and what we can expect it to mean in future - for all of us." Graham Hutchings, Oxford Analytica. "Now updated to bring the story of modern China up into the era of Xi Jinping, this slim, accessible, and lively volume offers an appealing mix of information and argument. The first edition proved popular with students as a classroom text, so I look forward to putting this 2.0 version to use in future courses." Jeff Wasserstrom, author of China in the 21st Century : What Everyone Needs to Know.
China is poised to take a key role on the world stage, but in the early twentieth century the situation could not have been more different. This book goes back to this pivotal moment in Chinese history to uncover the origins of the painful transition from a premodern past into a modern world.
China today is never out of the news: from human rights controversies and the continued legacy of Tiananmen Square, to global coverage of the Beijing Olympics, and the Chinese 'economic miracle'. This Very Short Introduction provides an accessible guide to why China looks the way it does today, and how it got there.
