Mandate of Heaven

It has to do with what the readers find relevant. Just because some topics are relevant to you, doesn't mean most Western readers (or non-Mainland readers) find them relevant.

If you have problem with the scholarship of those two books, please point them out. Or your ranting really is no better.

mingming

Obviously you have never heard of the term "research" before. Otherwise, this wouldn't have been an issue for you.

Mandate of Heaven

One hour research is an issue because it's a joke.

mingming

One hour is more than enough time for me to grasp the basic points of a book.

Belgarion

The only book I have read about Maos China is 'Wild Swans' by Jung Chang, whose description of the evils of the Cultural Revolution makes for frascinating, if disturbing, reading.

Ban Chao

well people always like reading about the 'bad' things or the gory details of any people,

Ban Chao

well people always like reading about the 'bad' things or the gory details of any people, do not hear about the 10's of millions of people taken out of poverty much or other massively beneficial things, the Cold War did a lot of damage on all sides about perception which does last to this day.

To understand Modern China we NEED to know about that part in History but a Jigsaw is made of many pieces one piece doe not make a picture.

We should of course learn about the more horrible things that happens, especially recent, but it does tend to cloud peoples views when the other sides do not come to light no matter what Place or Culture you are studying as you know History is not made of a few years but many Thousands, no sorry Millions as you all well know.

In my opinion this following point is missed -

What Historians who study China know about Chinas History and Contemporay China IS very different to POPULAR views and the POPULAR view makes the majority, we Historians etc are the Minority.

On the bright side things are changing fast which is good.

gaius valerius

Fact of the matter though: this is (part of) the reality - and for that matter of course a reality not unique to China alone, but a simple constant in the history of human civilisation. China for starters was often plagued by famines and natural disasters (especially the Yellow River killed tens of millions of people). The Chinese civilisation itself warrants the importance of this since because of Zhou times they had the "Mandate of Heaven" and the cyclical approach to dynasties, natural disasters being a sign that the Heavens were angry with the ruler. Risings were quite common and were always supressed with brutality. Persecutions happened from time to time as they did everywhere.

These topics are in itself not necessarily picturing a negative image, they picture the actual reality - a reality which always reminds us that it generally sucked to live in the past. If you read a book about European history you'll find the same topics recurring.

Waterbabies

We see topics like this all the time being pushed forward on history forums everywhere.

"Isn't it awful how the Westerners misrepresent Chinese history. Isn't it awful how Westerners don't understand China."

What have Chinese people ever done to fix the problem. Millions upon million of Chinese people nowadays have learned English well, and yet NOT ONE OF THEM has ever made a meaningful contribution to translating their primary source material into English so that "Westerners" can read it.

You all cry the blues about how Westerners just don't understand me. Wah! Wah! But not one of you ever does anything to improve it. You deserve to be misunderstood. If it wasn't for "Westerners" who through their own efforts learned your language, and Classical Chinese, and then translated your texts into Western languages, we'd have nothing at all. Do you know why?

Because it's easy for Chinese people to bitch and cry about Westerners not understanding and misrepresenting them. Mental midgets and cowards never tire of that subject. But actually grinding out translations of your primary sources into English takes time, and effort and self-sacrifice. It wouldn't matter if there were 30 billion of you. Unless white guys learn Chinese, we would not have a single translation of ANY meaningful historical text from your language.

Oh I agree. The West misrepresents you. Their assessment is much too generous.

sculptingman

I think the premise of the OP is entirely false.

I have reads dozens of works on China and only one or two of them so much as mentioned any famines, wars, or other " negative“ historical aspects.

Historians write texts dealing with the inflection points of history that interest them. And they write to support their own notions of what impact which events had on whomever.

If The excesses of Mao seem to dominate RECENT historical works, it's because any real understanding of TODAY'S China requires understanding the reign of Mao.

And anyone thinking the scholarly works present Too Much of THIS and. To enough of THAT, are simply suffering from confirmation bias... They are Imagining the offense because they are specifically seeking the offense and ignoring evidence to the contrary.