The Question of Hu

(Paperback)

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This lively and elegant book by the acclaimed historian Jonathan D. Spence reconstructs an extraordinary episode in the early intercourse between Europe and China. It is the story of John Hu, a lowly but devout Chinese Catholic, who in 1722 accompanied a Jesuit missionary on a journey to France--a journey that ended with Hu's confinement in a lunatic asylum. At once a triumph of historical detective work and a gripping narrative, The Question of Hu deftly probes the collision of tw ocultures, with their different definitions of faith, madness, and moral obligation.

Author Bio

Jonathan Spence's eleven books on Chinese history includeThe Gate of Heavenly Peace,Treason by the Book, andThe Death of Woman Wang. His awards include a Guggenheim and a MacArthur Fellowship. He teaches at Yale University.