5 replies to this topic

[karewa]

Mind introducing some Tang history books ?
English translated wan pls....
Thank you

[Yun]

Two new ones that have caught my eye recently (and which both do not concentrate on pure political history) are "Tang China: The Rise of the East in World History", by S.A.M. Adshead, and "China's Golden Age" by Charles Benn. Both are available in the Kinokuniya store in Takashimaya, if you are in Singapore.

[jiangweibaoye]

Mind introducing some Tang history books ?
English translated wan pls....
Thank you

I am also looking for some detail book on Tang History. The one I read was Cambridge History of China. There was several volumes with Tang being one of them. The book is pretty expensive. $100 at Amazon but worth it. Too bad my wife does not share my view.

[jiangji]

Two new ones that have caught my eye recently (and which both do not concentrate on pure political history) are "Tang China: The Rise of the East in World History", by S.A.M. Adshead.

He do make alot of comparison of Tang to other countries. Its hard to verify what he says is true. He states that before 606, India economy are bigger than the china in term of absolute and per capita term. Only by the end of the period 606-647, chinese was able to overtake Indias economically.

[orchid_dreams]

there is the tang shu (唐书), i'm not sure where you can buy them but you'll have them in libraries... ^_~

[Borjigin Ayurbarwada]

He do make alot of comparison of Tang to other countries. Its hard to verify what he says is true. He states that before 606, India economy are bigger than the china in term of absolute and per capita term. Only by the end of the period 606-647, chinese was able to overtake Indias economically.

India's population estimate is very hard to verify because of the lack of written records. Its deomographic fluxuation due to political disintegration and overpopulation is even harder to estimate. Its quite possible that India's economy is already devastated by the collapse of the Gupta followed by the Hephtlite invasion. Any of Adshead's claim must be viewed with that in mind. However, Adshead seem to simply throw around a great quantity of impressive facts that in my opinion is at many times incoherently put together. He put way more importance in certain sectors of economy and culture than it deserves. He still view the Age of Fragmentation as some sort of economic backwater when in fact the Northern and Southern dynasty period is an age of great economic innovation and demographic expansion.