Unfabling the East: The Enlightenment's Encounter with Asia

(Hardback)

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Description

How Enlightenment Europe rediscovered its identity by measuring itself against the great civilizations of Asia During the long eighteenth century, Europe's travelers, scholars, and intellectuals looked to Asia in a spirit of puzzlement, irony, and openness. In this panoramic and colorful book, Jurgen Osterhammel tells the story of the European E

Reviews

"Unfabling the East is a brilliant new book by Jrgen Osterhammel that goes back to the original sources, and carefully reconstructs the evolution of European views of Asia."---Michael Savage, Quillette
"It is impossible to imagine a reader who would not learn a great deal from Osterhammels book."---Robert Irwin, Literary Review
"Osterhammels nuanced position is sensible and intelligent."---Joan-Pau Rubis, Times Higher Education
"A remarkable achievement. . . . In order to appreciate the broader context in which Reland and other sedentary orientalists were working, Jrgen Osterhammels book is an ideal companion."---Alastair Hamilton, Times Literary Supplement
"Unfabling the East is a valuable and timely work."---Edward Weech, Royal Asiatic Society
"A masterful survey of travel literature on and theoretical treatments of Asia by Europeans during the age of Enlightenment."---Simon Kow, European Legacy

Author Bio

Jrgen Osterhammel is professor of modern and contemporary history at the University of Konstanz. He is a recipient of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, Germany's most prestigious academic award. His books include The Transformation of the World: A Global History of the Nineteenth Century and, with Jan C. Jansen, Decolonization: A Short History (both Princeton). He lives in Freiburg, Germany.