The Forbidden City

Wonders of Man

by Roderick MacFarquhar

Peking China-history

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Travel

172 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Roderick Lemonde MacFarquhar was a Harvard University professor and China specialist, British politician, newspaper and television journalist and academic orientalist.

Reviews

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this book is weird.

The title suggests that it might be about the Forbidden City, but most of the book focuses on the periods well before the Forbidden City is built. So, most of the book is not about the Forbidden City...but then, it is hard to say what it really is about. The book is kind of a history of China...it is kind of a history of Beijing. However, it does end focusing on the history of the Forbidden City.

It is not only the topic that is strange but also the style and the content. The book claims it is authored both by Roderick MacFarquhar, one of the most important scholars on China, and also authored by "the Editors of the Newsweek Book Division." Essentially, a great scholar writes a book, it is dumbed down by the editors of Newsweek to make sure that it does not frighten away the general public.

And the book is at times interesting information. I am a China scholar, but I still learned quite a bit (this was the MacFarquhar part). But much of book was general history of China, stuff that might be interesting if one knows little about China, but it is very basic.

Just all around a weird, uneven book.

[Paul Shaloka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised, this seemed like a coffee table book but it gave a really interesting narrative overview of Chinese history and of the building itself

[Piper Winchester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the whole book about the Forbidden City but a nice book on the history,.