China's Last Empire: The Great Qing (History of Imperial China)

Note that there are more reviews on the Hardcover version's page.I came to this book having a decently thorough knowledge of Chinese history and having read the five "History of Imperial China" books leading up to it. I was not especially interested in the Qing, and this uniquely exciting treatment of the subject enabled me to understand why, and why I had been led to misunderstand this historical period. Rowe reviews the latest research, the research trends over decades since Wakeman changed things and Spence started his Qing journal in graduate school, while also showing how Western prejudices played their part in creating a hugely oversimplified stereotype: the stagnant Qing ruled by its inadequately modern rulers.In some ways I can measure a Chinese history book now by how many pages I can read without getting overwhelmed and needing to stop for the day in order to absorb what I have read. By that standard, this book has REALLY taken me a lot longer than I expected. The whole series has an amazing topical approach that each volume pursues with various merits, but in this, Rowe's volume, there is an intellectual excitement and a sense of the greater underlying story that I encourage anyone to allow themselves to engage with, with an open mind.China is vast and if you don't want to feel overwhelmed I cannot recommend reading any GOOD books about China. So much of the fun investigating China is the scope, the consistent framework, coming at familiar pieces of it all in unfamiliar ways, the regional and ethnic diversity and their endless implications, and of course the amazing efforts of Chinese civil servants who help Western readers like me NOT feel sorry for ourselves. Wow they had it hard.There is a 3D aspect to the Qing. It is richly documented. It includes interactions with the West and people who played a part in the 20th century. I can advocate this book as a panorama to anyone willing to have fun reading history. For anyone who wants to dig deeper, its footnotes and bibliography provide extensive guidance, explaining what one could gain from reading various Spence or Wakeman titles as well as dozens of other specimens of the academic literature. Page for page, it's a bargain and a good read.

I really, really liked this book. Most of all, the author has been studying the topic for many many years at the most professional level, and after all that effort, he boils it all down to what you need to know, and why it is important and how it relates to prior history and how it affects things years down the road. And while he writes from a Westerner's point of view, he takes pains to make us understand the Qing's Dynasty's achievements from a Chinese point of view as well as a more neutral point of view.For the first half of the book and the Qing Dynasty, the author concentrates on themes, so much so, that I didn't really get a good idea for who the individuals were, but that didn't bother me. I can always look this information up and quickly re-orient myself. The themes roughly did go in chronological order.Learning Chinese history before the modern ago is difficult, and this book made it easy and very, very interesting and clear....one year later in August 2020 I re-read this book, after reading another excellent book on the Qianlong Emperor by Mark Elliot. For some reason, having this Emperor to use as a reference point made the first half of the book that more understandable. Either way, the book was even better the second time around.For the most part, the first half of the Qing was KangXi and Qianlong with YongZheng's short reign in between.

Not many books deal with the rise and fall of the Qing Dynasty. A little light on pure history, and more oriented towards analysis. For instance, there is no deep dive into the reign of Cixi. If you "Look Inside the Book" at the Table-of-Contents, you will see that it is mostly broken down by different concepts, and only loosely unfolds chronologically. I've read through around a dozen big, mainstream books on Modern Chinese History, and this one has by far the best, and clearest overview of how the Manchus arose, and managed to take over the biggest country on EarthOn my first time through I found it tough to read at times. The author sometimes uses really long sentences where you have to stop mentally break them down to understand what they actually meanHOWEVER, there is a lot of good information in this book that I haven't found elsewhere, and unlike many books, I never have reason to doubt the truthfulness or intellectual-honesty of the text.I first read through this book about 3 months ago, but I am constantly browsing back through it all the time now, and I no longer find it difficult to read anymore.I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in this time & place in history.

Once in a long time, comes a history that departs from the unpalatable choice of over-specialized/detailed research topic versus unoriginal/padded general overview. William Rowe's survey volume on the Qing Dynasty is happily one such volume. Rowe has not only thoroughly digested the ever-accumulating [and now fairly massive] specialized research on the period, but also fashioned a new conception of the dynasty that deserves the attention both general readers and specialists. As a past history major, I am usually quite cynical about those who talk of history as a "building block process" in which the specialists lay the bricks and the generalists make the buildings. But in this case, Rowe has built a fine structure that also does honor to those whose contributions he utilizes. This is now the finest general volume on the Qing and is not to be missed.

A strong conclusion to an excellent series of analytical studies of the succession of Chinese dynasties. This book puts Qing state in context of wider early modern and modern history without losing the intrinsic character of China Rowe successfully introduces the reader to important trends in historical interpretation without losing the narrative thread

Well written, beautifully illustrated....Will revisit it many times.

Gostei de tudo.

This book is very beautifully written and everything seems to be in place. In enjoyed it all the way. As a non native speaker many a word had to be looked up in the dictionary, but that didn't change anything at all.I preferred the latter part of the book (XIX and XXth centuries) rather than the first part.The only thing I've missed is a more detailed mention of the emperors (like Puyi, of whom much has been said) and an account of the restoration attempt of 1917 (and what the Qing meant during the rest of the XXth century).Nevertheless, in my opinion, this book develops the topic with great mastery and it's certainly suitable for those not at all versed in the matter.

Throughly enjoying this book the great Qing if you like historical history then buy this book

Very nice intro to Chinese imperial history under the Qing rule. Recommended if you want to get a new narrative.

I have to agree indeed to the other feedback here; this is really a great readable work on a whole dynasty and its sveral aspects of empire building, economic and social change.I could recommend this hightly for students of the subject, yet even for travellers ( although sometimes there are more details than a traveller would need- should not be confused with a Reiseführer). In about 200 pages this book really in readable way brings across all important details of the dynasty.Maybe it is so readable because I studied and lived in Asia, but I think even for beginners this would make a good book on the Qing dynasty.