Timothy Brook
Author of Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World
About the Author
Timothy Brook is principal of St. John's College at the University of British Columbia, and holds the Shaw Chair in Chinese Studies at Oxford University.
Works by Timothy Brook
Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World (2008) — Author — 762 copies, 14 reviews
Mr Selden's Map of China: the spice trade, a lost chart and the South China Sea (2013) 151 copies, 6 reviews
Associated Works
China Between Empires: The Northern and Southern Dynasties (2009) — Editor, some editions — 154 copies, 3 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Brook, Timothy
- Legal name
- Brook, Timothy James
- Birthdate
- 1951-01-06
- Gender
- male
- Education
- University of Toronto (BA|1973)
Harvard University (MA|Regional Studies-East Asia|1977)
Harvard University (PhD|History and East Asian Languages|1984) - Occupations
- university professor
historian
sinologist - Organizations
- University of British Columbia
University of Oxford
Stanford University
University of Toronto - Awards and honors
- Royal Society of Canada (Fellow, 2013)
British Academy (Corresponding Fellow, 2022)
Grand prix des Rendez-vous de l'Histoire (2020)
Mark Lynton Prize (2009)
Prix Auguste Pavie (2010)
François-Xavier Garneau Medal (2005) (show all 8)
Wallace K. Ferguson Prize (2009)
Joseph Levenson Prize (2000) - Agent
- InkWell Management
- Short biography
- A native of Toronto, Timothy Brook has taught Chinese history at the University of British Columbia since 2004. He was appointed Shaw Professor of Chinese at Oxford in 2007, but returned to UBC in 2009, where he holds the Republic of China Chair in UBC’s Institute of Asian Research. An honorary professor of East China Normal University in Shanghai, he holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Warwick.
Primarily a historian of the 16th and 17th centuries, Brook also works on Japan’s wartime occupation of China and human rights in contemporary China. He has written eight books and edited nine, in addition to serving as editor-in-chief of the six-volume History of Imperial China from Harvard University Press.
Brook lives on Salt Spring Island with his wife, Fay Sims. - Nationality
- Canada
- Birthplace
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Places of residence
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada - Associated Place (for map)
- British Columbia, Canada
Members
Reviews
A good microhistorical study using Vermeer's paintings (and a couple other pieces of artwork) to explore the connections between Europe and Asia (mostly China). There are a few moments where it gets too far afield and the attempted connections are too tenuous, but it was an engaging read.
seniális témaválasztás! Rendkívül ollvasmányos formában kelti fel a figyelmet a világkereskedelem, globalizáció, földrajzi felfedezések, népek-nemzetek keveredése és egymásra hatása irtánt. Igazi élmény az olvasása, nagyon jó a nézőpont és hihetetlen távolságokat fog át térben, ill. emberi sorsok és nemzettörténetek alakulása kapcsán.
Brook guides us through studies of numerous, mostly Vermeer, paintings and objets d'art; and from each one chooses what he calls a 'door' to help us understand the rapidly globalizing world of the seventeenth century. A clever, imaginative, and thought-provoking book.
Brooks uses the objects and actions shown in scenes painted by Vermeer to spark an exploration of the history of European exploration and conquest. The hat in question, of the beaver felt returned to fashion because trade with North America had provided a new supply of pelt, leads to discussion of the exploration of Canada, the search for the Northwest Passage and related topics. Good for a sense of the era and some interesting details, but not a systematic work. The author is actually a show more specialist in Chinese history. show less
Lists
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 24
- Also by
- 7
- Members
- 1,539
- Popularity
- #16,725
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 26
- ISBNs
- 113
- Languages
- 10
