John King Fairbank (1907–1991)

This book is what I call a chewy read. John King Fairbank has his own style of writing and it took some getting used to but, boy was it worth it.

When I was in my formative years, Mao was leader of the PRC and was not only something of a mystery, but also as much of a bete noire as his Russian counterpart. We were regularly fed the latest crazy escapade of Mao and it was enough to steer me away from communism for many years. JKF does a sterling job with a gargantuan task; explaining China's show more history between 1800 and 1985 in a manner that a totally ignorant westerner might comprehend. Fairbank walks the reader through the story with sufficient confidence to take us along with him but, he has an equal supply of modesty making this an ideal starting place for one such as I (the aforementioned ignoramus). This is not a take it or leave it final word on Chinese history, it is a broad brush explanation which gives the reader a background.

Fairbank does not assume any previous knowledge and starts with a helpful chapter explaining where China stood prior to 1800. He then takes us through the failed attempts at replacing the Emperor right through Mao's audacious, and ultimately successful, revolt and the aftermath thereof. Although this book stops at 1985, and there is plenty to learn of china post that date (or at least, so I am told (remember, I'm the ignoramus)), I would suggest that it is vital reading for anyone wanting to develop an understanding of China and its culture. show less

This is a very interesting survey of China through the Cultural Revolution, but the title is misleading. Rather than being an overview of Sino-U.S. relations, it discusses Chinese society and politics from the Qing Dynasty throught the 1970's and then mixes in U.S. reactions here and there. It was originally written shortly after the Chinese Communist Victory and was subsequently updated three times. This edition is from 1983, but the fingerprints of the 1950's interpretation are still show more present.

The book has two themes. The first is exploring the connections between Imperial China and Communist China. Fairbank spends about a third of the book discussing Chinese society, including the Confucian system, economics and the family structure. Fairbank does not draw outright linkages in most cases but suggests that things such as emphasis on family, morality and foreign policy in modern China were not destroyed by the CCP revolution but were adapted.

Morality was one of the more interesting aspects. Fairbank uses the Confucian mentality that errors are manifestation of shortcomings in a persons character. Alleviating errors is not a matter of learning. Rather it is a matter of correcting character flaws. He argues that this attitude is manifested in the CCP in the form of self-criticism. Making a mistake in policy must lead to a fundamental change in a person if they are to avoid further mistakes. It also demonstrates why Mao was unable to admit a mistake once a policy was implemented. Rather than admit a failing and scrap the policy, he would rather adjust the policy to limit the damage or slowing wind it down.

In foreign policy, Fairbank suggests that the tributary system of Imperial China was manifested in CCP foreign policy. He goes no further than to suggest the connection, but it is an interesting suggestion. He does something similar for Confucian relations, although he develops it a bit more. He argues that the CCP has adapted a similar type of philosophy, but instead of being loyal to the family, Chinese should be loyal to the Party. He also suggests that the CCP has adopted a form of the Mandate of Heaven to justify their rule, although they would never use that term.

Although Sino-American relations should be the emphasis of the book, based on the title, it gets relatively little play. His main point is that the U.S. and China are working off of opposing perceptions of their relationship. Whereas the U.S. sees itself as a protector of China when European powers encroached on her sovereignty, China see the U.S. as another imperialist. The fact that the U.S. was less agressive in the 19th century does not mean it was a friend of China. It's support for the KMT in the civil war and subsequent support for Taiwan and South Korean have cemented it in the Chinese mind as an imperialist aggressor. So when the two sides meet, they are essentially working off of different histories. Fairbank argues that both sides, but particularly the United States, should drop ideological preconceptions and focus on objective matters of potential cooperation and friendship.

His analysis of the differing perceptions is compelling, but his recommendations for improving relations seems fanciful. He outlines very vague principles which would be difficult to implement. Of course, since he prescriptions are 25 years old, it would be hard to take them too seriously today. The value of this book is in Fairbank's analysis of historical connections. The reader, however, must come to his own conclusions, bringing more recent developments into the equation. show less

This was really challenging for me, as someone who doesn't know anything about China. I was determined to get through it, despite having less and less of a clue what was really going on, for its occasional wonderful characters and analyses of social institutions: salt smuggling, footbinding, the Ch'ing Dynasty academic system, etc. But damn it, I misplaced my copy somewhere. I *do* plan to finish it if it turns up.

This splendid general history of China is an authoritative guide through millennia, yet it also includes a great amount of material on recent Chinese history, especially in the chapters added by Merle Goldman. The late professor Fairbank is our guide most of the way, and his easy style makes for delightful reading.
The book addresses a number of continuing themes, such as the contrast between state and family, between urban and rural, between ruling elite and the masses. It devotes show more considerable time to the development and evolution of Confucian thought and the way that philosophical system influenced the government and culture of China. Fairbank also spends some time tracing the development of Mao thought. In addition, the author eases the way for the Westerner by comparing developments in China with similar developments in European history.
Two very useful features in this book: 1.) every so often Fairbank will pause to survey areas that should receive further scholarly research; 2.) an extensive guide to further reading for any subject that the reader might find of interest. All in all, this book is a wonderful narrative history and a worthy introduction to an important topic. show less