China: A 5,000-Year Odyssey is written by a Chinese
person who grew-up in China and both taught about, and conducted research on,
Chinese civilization for over half a century in India and the US. The book credits the two great
rivers, the Yangtze and Huanghe, for marking the contours of China
on our globe, creating a Common Geographical Entity. Eventually, residents of
the two river valleys developed a Common Civilization Entity within these
contours. China emerged approximately 4,000 years ago, when a Common Political
Entity was formed within this Common Civilization Entity. Over a period of
1,500 years into the 14th century, China became a unique Common Entity of
Destiny and a highly-developed civilization state. Sadly, 100,000 Chinese
military and civilians jumped, along with the Song emperor, into the sea, thus
cutting short a merrymaking pacifist civilization. Mongol Yuan and Manchu Qing
conquered China and infused the nation state element with the persevering native
civilization ethos. Beginning in the 19th century, China succumbed to the
challenge from the sea: However, now China has resurrected like a phoenix from
the ashes to continue on its 5,000 year odyssey along the civilization highway.
While so many books on China have provided inaccurate depictions, pulling the
wool over the eyes of readers, at long last we have a refreshing, holistic,
true picture of China, which will endear it to all of us.
本书引用诸多文献史料,详细阐述了中华文明五千年来的发展历程,并与其他国家的文明发展进行了比照。通过引入“民族国家”和“文明国家”的概念,以及对历史事件和国际趋势的分析,谭中先生有力地彰显了中国发展的基本价值取向。而作为外国作者,他的论述体系与中国传统史学界的大不一样,读来令人耳目一新。
撰写本书期间,谭中先生的眼睛已经无法承受长时间的工作,他坦言以后没法再写书了,故在本书中倾注了全部的心血,融合了毕生的研究成果。因此,这堪称是他力求完美、学术性与文学性俱佳的封刀之作,具有较大的阅读价值,强力推荐。