China Trip Orientation Book List

The following books are good background for the kinds of things we will see on our trip. All are available in paperback, all (except "White Tiger") are available from Amazon.com and are usually on the shelves of Barnes and Noble.

Mark Salzman, Iron and Silk, (Vintage). ISBN 0394755111

The story of a young American college graduate living for two years in central China. Wonderful insights about the delights and frustrations of living in China.

John Fairbank, The Great Chinese Revolution, 1800-1985 (Harper and Row) ISBN: 0-06-039076-x

John Fairbank--the 'dean of Chinese studies" in the United States--offers a stimulating (and readable) account of recent Chinese history. This is probably the best overview of Chinese history in print today.

Jung Chang, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (Harper Collins, 1992) ISBN 0385425473

This is an extraordinary book--one that my Chinese friends recommend when they are asked for "one book that tells the story of China." The author tells the story of her family against the panorama of Chinese history. The book is insightful and moving. (This book could be substituted for the Fairbank history.)

Robert Stuart Nathan, The White Tiger, (Warner Books) ISBN 0-446-35206-3

This is a "sleeper" of a book-and may be hard (or impossible) to find. This is an old-fashion detective novel that has as its plot line the efforts of a Chinese policeman in the People's republic of China trying to solve a murder case. The books cover describes the contents in terms of "blood and gore." In reality, this is one of the best (and most readable) accounts of Chinese politics I know.

Travel Guide

Lonely Planet, China: Travel Survival Kit (Lonely Planet Publications, 6th Ed. 1998) ISBN 0-86442-5244

In spite of all of its problems (and its popularity, which makes almost any place listed here suddenly overrun by tourists) this is still the best all around guide for budget travelers. Gives you a good sense of each region, an overview of transportation and hotels, a list of each area's high and low lights.

Maintained by Tricia Peterson (tpeterso@carleton.edu)
Last modified Nov. 15, 2000