The Way Forward: From Early Republic to Peoples Republic (19121949)

(Paperback)

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Description

China entered the 20th century as an agrarian society, weakened under internal and external pressures. Revolutionaries came together to bring down the last imperial dynasty but quickly split over the direction of reconstruction. Civil wars ensued, followed by WWI.

The fate of the country appeared to be in the hands of industrial powers like Britain, Germany, Japan, the Soviet Union, and the United States. All seemed lost when Japan seized all Chinese seaports, railways, industries, and fertile farmland. Yet Chinese resistance continued for eight years and the entire society was mobilized. After decades of struggling, China finally regained independence that laid the foundation for its own modernization.

Reviews

"A great way to learn about China's vast history!"

Amy Tan, author ofThe Joy Luck Club

"Excels at clarifying the often-confusing transitional periods between dynasties An excellent introduction to the large trends of early Chinese history."

School Library Journal

"Chinese language is being taught in all but one state... A comic format teaching China's history is the perfect companion."

US-China Review

"Combines breezy style with historical rigor to strike just the right gong-tone for a middle school audience approaching the vast scope of Chinese history."

Education About Asia

5/5 Stars "An invaluable source... Chinese history is a vast subject, but Jing Liu has a skillful ability to condense it all into an interesting and manageable narrative."

Kids' Book Buzz

"The combination of silhouettesoften threatening, martial oneswith open-faced, expressively individualized figures of many social classes adds dramatic tension while neatly balancing the big-picture narrative. There's a lot to absorb even in this abbreviated form, but the visual approach lightens the load considerably."

Kirkus Reviews

"The lucid, economical text makes one eager for successive volumes."

Booklist

"Simple and effectiveThis direct, appealing introduction to the foundations of one of the worlds oldest civilizations is recommended for teens and adults."

Library Journal

"Given China's superpower ambitions, it goes without saying that our politicians must pick up a copy."

HuffPost

"A clear and concise survey of Chinese history and culture that is sure to please."

The Comics Grinder

4.5/5 Stars "A very nice way to establish a foundation to understanding Chinas history and a possible gateway to more intense study and comprehension of a very complex subject."

Portland Book Review

"The book does what it says it does: a child will come away with a basic understanding of early Chinese history, what makes the Chinese tick as a people and culture."

Asian Review of Books

"It is certainly a fascinating look at Chinese history, and doing it in comics has certainly made it more accessible to people, especially for the Western world."

Radio Australia

Teacher and Professor Testimonials

"This book is The Magic School Bus for those starting to explore Chinese culture."

Dan Cao, Instructor at Confucius Institute at UC Davis

"An excellent history that clearly explains the great (and ordinary) people who have made China what it is and the conflicts and debates that have shaped Chinese history. There is nothing else like it in English or Chinese."

Alan Baumler, Professor of History at Indiana University of Pennsylvania

"No more burying yourself in text-heavy history books to learn about China, this comic-style book manages to be rich in information and bring Chinese history to readers in a more clear, fun, and accessible way than its ever been done before. Easily integrated into a social studies or Chinese culture curriculum, I cant wait to get a copy for my class."

Grace Zeng, Chinese Teacher and Middle School Chinese Curriculum Area Leader at International School of Beijing

"Jing Liu has brought to life the long and complex early period of Chinese history in this wonderful graphic novel.Foundations of Chinese Civilizationis a delight to read; humorous, informative, and truly captivating."

Alexandra Pearson, Founder of The Bookworm Literary Festival

"Since the 1990s, Jing Liu has been entertaining and informing foreigners about China with his cartoons. His new series of comic books is a fun, easy, accessible way to gain a basic understanding of Chinese history and culture."

Jeremy Goldkorn, Founder of Danwei

"This comic series is fantastic to use in the classroom. My students are drawn to this book - not only do they enjoy this graphic-novel style, it also helps them understand difficult historical concepts. What a fun supplement to the regular textbook!"

Leslie Burgoine, Middle School History Teacher, Portland, Oregon

"I was really impressed with how the author explained, taught, explored and visually told the story of China.Impressive and very informative.It was not only a page turner for me, but my students would run into class to get their hands on a copy to keep reading!"

Sasha Johnson, World History Teacher at Black Pine Circle School, Berkeley, CA

Author Bio

Jing Liu is an artist and entrepreneur from Beijing, China. He is currently the Managing Director of Moli Design, a China-based design firm that counts the BBC, The Ford Foundation, and UNICEF among its many clients. Liu graduated from Beijing University of Technology with undergraduate degrees in industrial design and engineering, and a masters in international economics and trade. Jing currently uses his artistry to tell the story of China.

Lorie Hammond, PhD, isFounder and Academic Director of Peregrine School in Davis, CA, which offers a Chinese immersion program.