Ancestors: The Story of China Told through the Lives of an Extraordinary Family
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.42 (959 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1846041775 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 544 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-01-13 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
"Long as hell, but very interesting" according to J. I should have known by the title - 900 years - that this book would go on and on. Nonetheless, it was very interesting and I read the entire thing. I recommend it if you're not in a rush and like to learn about cultures - especially Chinese.. David Bonesteel said Chinese history as experienced by individuals. Frank Ching has done a remarkable job of tracing his family tree back over 900 years of Chinese history and uncovering the stories of the many notable figures that he found there. I was struck by the continuity of Chinese life over the years and the value placed on remembering and honoring those who have gone before. The individual biographies and the overall picture of Chinese history that emerges are very interesting.. Personal look at Chinese history. Dale Dellinger Even though this book claims to be a history of one Chinese family, it is actually a thoughly engrossing history of the China from the viewpoint of the members of one Chinese family -- one that had many famous people thoughout the years. I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand China or Chinese people better.
Beginning with his search for the grave of his first-recorded ancestor, the 11th-century poet Qin Guan, and ending with a moving account of his relationship with his father, a victim of China's historic upheaval, Frank Ching introduces a colorful cast of characters. Frank Ching brings to life 900 years of Chinese history through his own fascinating family tree. Through his vivid and personal portraits of his ancestors, the history of China itself unfolds: from the days of the ancient empire to its radical transformation today.. His unbroken family line includes—among many others—a lovelorn concubine, a traitor, a military hero, an imperial ghost-writer, a minister of punishments, and a woman noted for her skills in both verse and martial arts. There is scarcely an aspect of Chinese life, from shamanism to violent rebellion, that Ching doesn't touch upon in this fascinating work
Photos. Focusing on some 20 members of his family, prominent figures all, and with the aid of a 17-volume family record that survived the Cultural Revolution, Ching has produced what virtually amounts to a social and political history of China. Among the family members are a romantic poet, a military hero, an imperial ghost-writer, a minister of punishments and a woman noted for her skills in both poetry and the martial arts. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Publishers Weekly In Chinese tradition, to forget one's ancestors is contemptibleyet to trace them back to the 11th century, as the author has done, is quite a feat. . And there's scarcely an aspect of Chinese life, from shamanism to bloody rebellion, that Ching doesn't touch upon in this engrossing narrative. Ching, who grew up i