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Jonathan D. Spence (Japanese name: simplified Chinese: 史景迁; traditional Chinese: 史景遷; pinyin: Shǐ Jǐngqiān, August 11, 1936– ) is a British-born historian and public intellectual specializing in Chinese history. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. See also History An historian is an individual who studies and writes about History, and is regarded as an Authority on it An intellectual (from the adjective meaning "involving thought and reason" is a person who tries to use his or her Intelligence and analytical thinking, Chinese civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River ( valley in the Neolithic era He has been Sterling Professor of History at Yale University since 1993. A Sterling Professorship is the highest academic rank at Yale University, awarded to a tenured faculty member considered one of the best in his or her field His most famous book is The Search for Modern China, which has become one of the standard texts on the last several hundred years of Chinese history. A prolific author, reviewer, and essayist, he has written a dozen books on China. His research takes him to many Chinese universities.

He is to give the 2008 Reith Lectures, which will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4; 2008 marks the 60th anniversary year of the Reith Lectures.

Spence's major interest is modern China, and especially its relations with the West[1]. A notable recurring theme in Spence's work is the use of biographies to examine the wider cultural history of China[2]. A biography (from the Greek words bíos (βίος meaning "life" and gráphein (γράφειν meaning "to write" is an account Another common theme to Spence's work is his interests in efforts on the part of both Westerners and Chinese to Westernize China, and why such efforts have failed[3].

Contents

History

Jonathan Spence was president of the American Historical Association for the 2004-2005 term. The American Historical Association ( AHA) is the oldest and largest society of Historians and Teachers of History in the United States Recognized as one of the foremost scholars of Chinese civilization from the 16th century to the present, Spence has written extensively on the role of history in shaping modern China. His recent works include a biography of Mao Zedong and Treason by the Book, exploring an intriguing episode of 18th-century history. Mao Zedong ( 26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese Military and political leader who led Treason by the Book, by Jonathan Spence is a fast-paced historical account of the Zeng Jing case which took place during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng Spence teaches one of the most popular undergraduate classes at Yale on the history of Modern China 1600-2007. The class is offered every other year during the spring semester and is a perennial favorite among history majors and non-history majors alike. Spence was educated at Winchester College, a famous independent school for boys in Winchester, England, and at Clare College at the University of Cambridge and holds a bachelor's degree from there and master's and doctoral degrees from Yale University in the United States. Winchester College is a well-known boys' Independent school, and an example of an English Public school, in the city of Winchester in Hampshire An independent school is a school which is not dependent upon national or local Government for financing its operation and is instead operated by tuition charges gifts and Winchester or Winton ( archaic) is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40000 within a radius of its centre England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Clare College is a college of the University of Cambridge, the second oldest surviving college after Peterhouse. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Honors

Spence has received eight honorary degrees from various colleges in the United States as well as the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In 2003 Professor Spence received an honorary degree from Oxford University. He was also invited to become a visiting professor at Peking University and an honorary professor at Nanjing University. Peking University ( of Beijing, colloquially known in Chinese as Beida (北大 Běidà) is the first formally established university and the first Nanjing University ( colloquially 南大 Nándà is a national comprehensive university located in Nanjing, an ancient capital of China. Four years ago he was named CMG (Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George) on the Queen of England's Birthday Honours List, and in 2006 he was elected an Honorary Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge. The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George Prince Regent (later George

In 1978 he received the William C. DeVane Medal of the Yale Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; in 1979, a Guggenheim Fellowship; in 1982, the Los Angeles Times History Prize; and in 1983, the Vursel Prize of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic Honor society with the mission of "fostering and recognizing excellence" in the Undergraduate Liberal arts Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 250-member organization whose goal is to "foster assist and sustain excellence" in American Literature, Professor Spence was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1985 and was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1988, the same year he was appointed to the Council of Scholars at the Library of Congress. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS is an organization dedicated to scholarship and the advancement of learning The MacArthur Fellows Program or MacArthur Fellowship (sometimes Nicknamed the "genius grant") is an award given by the John D The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress In 1993 he was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society and in 1997 was named a corresponding fellow of the British Academy. The American Philosophical Society is a discussion group founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin as an offshoot of his earlier club the Junto. The British Academy is the United Kingdom 's National academy for the Humanities and the Social sciences It was established by Royal Charter

Family

He lives in West Haven with his wife, Annping Chin (a Senior Lecturer in History at Yale who got her PhD in Classical Chinese Philosophy at Columbia). "West Haven" redirects here For other uses see West Haven (disambiguation West Haven is a city in New Haven County, Annping Chin (金安平 born in Taiwan in 1950 is a Professor of History at Yale. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. He has two sons from a previous marriage, Colin and Ian Spence, and two stepchildren, Yar Woo and Mei Chin. Mei Chin

Endnotes

  1. ^ Roberts, Priscilla "Spence, Jonathan D. " pages 1136-1137 from The Encyclopedia of Historians and Historical Writing edited by Kelly Boyd, Volume 2, London:Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1999 page 1136.
  2. ^ Roberts, Priscilla "Spence, Jonathan D. " pages 1136-1137 from The Encyclopedia of Historians and Historical Writing edited by Kelly Boyd, Volume 2, London:Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1999 page 1136.
  3. ^ Roberts, Priscilla "Spence, Jonathan D. " pages 1136-1137 from The Encyclopedia of Historians and Historical Writing edited by Kelly Boyd, Volume 2, London:Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1999 page 1136.

Reference

Books

External links

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