Lu Jiandong

4.51140 learners

This book chronicles the final twenty years (1949–1969) of Chen Yinke, one of 20th-century China’s preeminent historians, as he navigates profound political upheaval in Lingnan (Guangzhou). After rejecting offers to relocate to Taiwan, Chen was warmly welcomed by Lingnan University president Chen Xujing, who shielded him from early political pressures and enabled his academic work. Though facing declining student interest, ideological campaigns, and repeated attempts to co-opt his scholarship, Chen unwaveringly defended his core creed: "independent spirit, free thought." He refused a top position at the Chinese Academy of Sciences rather than compromise his academic autonomy, and produced landmark works like *On Regeneration* and *Liu Rushi Biography*—pieces blending rigorous textual research with personal lament for fading traditional culture. The book traces his struggles through purges, the Cultural Revolution, and physical decline, highlighting his unyielding commitment to intellectual integrity as a symbol of cultural resilience amid chaos.

Wang Di

3.6600 learners

In *Small Voice of History*, renowned historian Wang Di weaves a compelling narrative of his academic journey and a critical reexamination of Chinese historical scholarship. From his childhood reading street-side comic books in Chengdu to his transformative PhD studies in the U.S., Wang traces how his experiences fueled his mission to center marginalized voices in history. The book champions microhistory as a vital framework to amplify stories of ordinary people—from a 16th-century Italian miller to 20th-century Sichuan salt merchants—challenging traditional grand narratives that overlook everyday lives. Wang engages with landmark works by scholars like Carlo Ginzburg, William T. Rowe, and Paul Cohen, unpacking their methodologies while advocating for cross-disciplinary and global perspectives in studying China’s past. Blending personal memoir with rigorous analysis, this volume invites readers to rethink how history is written and understood, emphasizing that the "small voices" of common people hold the key to a more nuanced, human-centered grasp of the past.