The Soul of China

"A historical study of China, illuminated by brilliant and creative scholarship. One of the most stimulating books to come out in years."
' -THE NEW YORKER
"His discussions of the Chinese sense of time are brilliant, and much of his presentation of the early Western contacts with China and the development of the Chinese Communist movement are good."
-THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
"The book retains the great merit of being one more, and an intelligent attempt, to get away from the Europe-centered thought of Western history, and this is nowhere more apparent and valuable than in the concluding chapters in which the origins and rise of Communism in China are examined with objective lucidity."
- C. P. Fitzgerald, PACIFIC AFFAIRS
"The book well earns its title by its depth, breadth, and the sweep of its historical survey. Everywhere the author shows a penetrating power and familiarity with sources."
- Lin Yutang, SATURDAY REVIEW
"In less than 300 pages, Amaury de Riencourt draws a brilliant portrait of the Chinese people, their feelings, beliefs, culture and relation to the world, past and present. Of the many rich insights in this book, the most important are those that emphasize the profound differences between China and the West."
-LIFE
Synopsis:
"The Soul of China" by Amaury de Riencourt is a philosophical analysis of Chinese history from the second millennium BC to the present. Beginning with the Shang Dynasty which originated the first elements of Chinese higher culture, the author encompasses all successive epochs of China's evolution, resulting in the longest continuous civilisation in history. He draws comparison with other ancient and emerging cultures and civilisations and includes the violent Mongol invasion under Genghis and Kublai Khan. The fatal collision with the West contributed to the collapse of the old civilisation, the spread of the Marxist -Leninist ideology and the unification of China under Communism. De Riencourt then analyses the collapse of the Communist Party's structure and the reconstruction of China.