From Yao to Mao: 5000 Years of Chinese History
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From Yao to Mao: 5000 Years of Chinese History
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Narrated by:
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Kenneth J. Hammond
About this listen
For most of its 5,000-year existence, China has been the largest, most populous, wealthiest, and mightiest nation on Earth. And for us as Westerners, it is essential to understand where China has been in order to anticipate its future. These 36 eye-opening lectures deliver a comprehensive political and historical overview of one of the most fascinating and complex countries in world history.
You'll learn about the powerful dynasties that ruled China for centuries; the philosophical and religious foundations-particularly Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism-that have influenced every iteration of Chinese thought, and the larger-than-life personalities, from both inside and outside its borders, of those who have shaped China's history. As you listen to these lectures, you'll see how China's politics, economics, and art reflect the forces of its past.
From the "Mandate of Heaven," a theory of social contract in place by 1500 B.C.E., 3,000 years before Western philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, to the development of agriculture and writing independent of outside influence to the technologically - advanced Han Dynasty during the time of the Roman Empire, this course takes you on a journey across ground that has been largely unexplored in the history courses most of us in the West have taken.
In guiding you through the five millennia of China's history, Professor Hammond tells a fascinating story with an immense scope, a welcome reminder that China is no stranger to that stage and, indeed, has more often than not been the most extraordinary player on it.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2004 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2004 The Great CoursesListeners also enjoyed...
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What listeners say about From Yao to Mao: 5000 Years of Chinese History
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- steven dowson
- 01-02-20
urbane & pithy sweep through 5000 years
I've been very impressed by Professor Hammond's lectures; they are concise and well-paced, offering the listener plenty to research independently while maintaining interest and focus on the sweeping panorama of Chinese history. I'm currently living & working in China and wanted to know more about the history of this fascinating country, Professor Hammond's lectures have been the perfect introduction to a vast subject.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- muovikassi88
- 11-05-17
well worth listening.
A good look at the overall picture of the last 3500 years of chinese history, unfortunately the course moves through dynasties really quickly so we miss many of the juicy details, that being said it is very well done and a facinating journey.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Frederick Hickey
- 18-09-17
A damn good overview of the history of China.
This is a very good overview of the history of China. It's quite accessible for anyone with no prior knowledge of China's vast history and makes a quite daunting task very enjoyable.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 03-02-21
Brilliant
Excellent, informative. The narration is good, but a few "uhs" and "aaahhs" could have been edited out in post. It's nothing extraordinary, totally normal for a live lecture, but sometimes enough to be annoying. All in all probably the best Great Courses lecture series; I've been through it three times.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- APS
- 20-10-19
The best history of China that I’m aware off
A couple of books on Chinese history which are very good at providing a picture of your facts and chronology. They also come with their own particular bias. This history of China was different, it seems very fair, what I particularly liked was that there was a very good explanation of why each phase of history follow ed the previous and what peoples motivations might of been. So it was a very good summary of why China has developed in the way it has.
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- Samuel D. Henning
- 04-03-22
A great introduction to Chinese history
I recommend this book deeply for anyone who wish to gain an understanding of the major threads of development in Chinese society over the previous 5000 years.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- David
- 16-12-14
Interesting but slow delivery grated in the middle
Chinese subject is perhaps too vast a subject to tackle in even a long set of courses such as this and certainly Professor Hammond seemed to struggle to make it manageable in the middle sections of this course. I confess I zoned out a little and got a bit lost in the series of dynasties in the Middle Ages. That being said the rest of the course was fascinating and it really picked up in the later periods when it is, perhaps, easier for a westerner to relate to the individuals involved.
My only serious gripe with the course was Professor Hammond's delivery. He is clearly knowledgable and highly qualified but at times it sounded like his heart wasn't in it with a lot of sighs and very flat delivery. That combined with a habit of finishing a sentence with "OK?" grated a little but not enough to spoil the overall product.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Kindle Customer
- 09-01-21
Incredibly interesting and clearly explained.
I found this to be a compelling story, very well explained. I will be listening to it again.
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- Mrs. Mary Foulkes
- 28-07-18
Chinese History Made Easy
This audible book was exceptional, stimulating and enhanced my knowledge of Chinese history. This book put into perspective the richness of Chinese culture and tradition. The narrator Kenneth Hammond was excellent. I would recommend this book.
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- Amazon Customer
- 14-03-18
not as good as other courses but still excellent
I preferred the fall and rise of China, but this course has a much longer timeframe and lots of interesting stories and insights
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