An Outline History of China - From the Manchu Conquest to the Recognition #267793

In view of the kindly reception the first volume of this Outline History has had at the hands of the press and public, the author is hopeful that the completion of the work will be as generously judged. It still, however, seems necessary to emphasize the fact that the book is neither a com plete history of China nor a selection of episodes chosen according to the writer's taste. The word Outline is intended to be taken literally. The bulk of the book might all too easily have been increased, but in that event the idea of writing a brief, fairly-proportioned sketch would have re mained unfulfilled. One or two critics have com plained of the prominence of military episodes. The only excuse that need be made is that (as the Vicomte b'ollone has so often repeated) Chinese history is unfortunately very full of campaigns which cannot be left unchronicled if a true pic ture is to be presented. At the same time the Kulturgeschichte has by no means been neglected. The philosophers and literati undoubtedly con tributed much to Chinese history. Nevertheless, the framework of the story must necessarily be political and the effect of such a work as the present would have been invertebrate had not thedynastic changes been carefully observed. The author believes that those who take the trouble to make this general outline their own will appreci ate as they have not done before the ample ma terials provided elsewhere for filling up the gaps which have been deliberately left.