The Cambridge Illustrated History of China

‘After a quarter century as the most popular textbook of Chinese history, Ebrey’s third edition returns with updated coverage of China’s past and evolving place in the world. The stunning visuals will bring to vivid life the long sweep of Chinese history from the Neolithic to Xi Jinping for another generation of students and readers.’ Charles Hartman, University at Albany, SUNY‘For its scholarly excellence and wonderful illustrations, Ebrey’s work has long stood out as the best concise account of the long history of Chinese culture. The new edition is even better, reflecting new perspectives on interactions among diverse populations inside and outside the shifting borders of Chinese polities as well as highlighting environmental change and its causes. It offers a very engaging introduction to Chinese history.’ Kristin Stapleton, University at Buffalo‘I have used the Cambridge Illustrated History of China in my survey course on Chinese history since the first edition, and by now have taught nearly 2,000 Penn students with it. This latest edition is the best yet: not just updated but reconceptualized from start to finish, and with more visual sources than ever. You simply cannot beat the combination that Patricia B. Ebrey offers: a clear and authoritative narrative, amply supported by quotations from primary sources, with maps and illustrations on virtually every page. It is remarkable for a single author to be able to tell the story of China’s history, from the Stone Age to Xi Jinping, in one earnest but readable volume.’ Paul R. Goldin, University of Pennsylvania‘Ebrey’s The Cambridge Illustrated History of China (third edition) operates on vast scales of time, geography, ecology, culture, and ethnicity, while masterfully knitting thematic threads into stories of China in a global, dynamic context. It is among the most inviting, visually informed, and up-to-date introductions to the history of China …. It certainly deserves a place on the bookshelves of students, teachers, and historians who are interested in the dynamic histories of China in a global and long-duration context.’ Feng Schöneweiß, H-Environment

Patricia Buckley Ebrey has taught Chinese history and culture for many years, both at the University of Illinois and later at the University of Washington. She has played a leadership role helping students learn about Chinese history and civilization. The first edition of her sourcebook, Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook, appeared in 1981 and is still widely used. Among her best-known books are The Inner Quarters: Marriage and the Lives of Women in the Sung Period (1993) and Emperor Huizong (2014), both also available in Chinese translation. She currently is editor of the Journal of Chinese History and working on a book on China as an outlier in world history.