A great and detailed list. Thank you for this! I previously read and loved 1587 by the endlessly fascinating Huang. I hate to ask this question after such an in depth review of books, but I am time poor. If you had to recommend just one to understand China today, which would it be? Torn between Deng and How China Works
I'm curious, for the books that were published in China, would they not be subject to any active or passive censorship that would leave out critical facts and not paint the whole picture?
If it's descriptive and focuses on economic polices, instead of politics or history, there is much more room. Censorship in China is complex. 1984 and Animal Farm are allowed in China after all!
Zhao Ziyang's comments really hit the nail on the head. Lan Xiaohuan's book seems worrying. Thanks for this great list of necessary books.
Worrying ? How so ?
Good start, I look forward to watching this blog’s evolution.
A great and detailed list. Thank you for this! I previously read and loved 1587 by the endlessly fascinating Huang. I hate to ask this question after such an in depth review of books, but I am time poor. If you had to recommend just one to understand China today, which would it be? Torn between Deng and How China Works
Thank you!
If I had to pick one, I would pick Deng Xiaoping (2011) by Ezra Vogel.
Thanks - great first article and excited to see this substack blossom
1587 was a really interesting book.
The Chinese version, written by Huang himself, is even better!
Have some of them, need to find the rest. Thank you for this.
Thank you for the book recommendations! My library only has some of them.
Nice work will look to read into these
Thanks for the references and capsule summaries!
Thanks.
Kind of unaffordable prices as far as I’m concerned
Great list! What do you think of the New China Playbook?
Thanks! I would read the foundational books first.
Ang Yuen Yuen, Wang Ying Yao
I'm curious, for the books that were published in China, would they not be subject to any active or passive censorship that would leave out critical facts and not paint the whole picture?
If it's descriptive and focuses on economic polices, instead of politics or history, there is much more room. Censorship in China is complex. 1984 and Animal Farm are allowed in China after all!