About this title: Midway through the reign of Ch'ien-lung emperor, Hungli, mass hysteria broke out. It was feared that sorcerers were roaming the land clipping off the ends of men's queues (braids worn by royal decree) and chanting magical incantations over them in order to steal the souls of their owners. In this book, Kuhn chronicles this epidemic of fear and the official prosecution of soulstealers that ensued, so opening up a window on 18th-century China. The book raises questions not just about China, but also about past human behaviour in general and it demonstates how in any society, a provincial panic ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Date Published: 1992
ISBN-13:9780674821521ISBN:0674821521
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Cover has wear. Has some general wear. Has used text stickers on the cover. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 320 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Harvard Univ Pr, Cumbreland, Rhode Island, U.S.A.
Date Published: 1992
ISBN-13:9780674821521ISBN:0674821521
Description: Very Good. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. Very little wear, faint bumping to the bottom corners-no wear besides. Quite clean. "Midway through the reign of the Ch'ien-lung emperor, Hungli, mass hysteria broke out among the common people. It was feared that sorcerers were roaming the land, clipping off the ends of men's queues (the braids worn by royal decree) and chanting magical incantations over them in order to steal the souls of their owners. In a fascinating chronicle of this epidemic of fear and ... read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Cloth
Publisher: Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A.
Date Published: 1990
ISBN-13:9780674821514ISBN:0674821513
Description: Fine in Good jacket. Hardbound Text block, eps, boards/spine and DJ all solid, clean and unmarked save for a short inscription (in english and chinese) and author's signature on the ffep. DJ is now in mylar. Book is inscribed to Lloyd Eastman, the american scholar. read more
Description: Acceptable. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Date Published: 2006-11-01
ISBN-13:9780674821521ISBN:0674821521
Description: Good. Book is in very good shape but there is sporadic faint highlighting. otherwise I would list as very good. Thank you for shopping. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA
Date Published: 1992
ISBN-13:9780674821521ISBN:0674821521
Description: Very Good paperback. General shelfwear to the exterior. Sticker to the spine and rear. Highlighting to the text. A good reading copy. 299 pp. read more
Description: Good. 0674821521 Good condition. May have some markings & or shelfwear. All pages intact. Used items may not include extras such as infotrac, CD or other web access codes. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: HARVARD UNIV PR
Date Published: 1992
ISBN-13:9780674821521ISBN:0674821521
Description: New. Midway through the reign of the Ch'ien-lung emperor, Hungli, in the most prosperous period of China's last imperial dynasty, mass hysteria broke out among the common people. It was feared that sorcerers were roaming the land, clipping off the ends o... read more
Description: Good. 0674821513 Good condition. May have some markings & or shelfwear. All pages intact. Used items may not include extras such as infotrac, CD or other web access codes. read more
Binding: Hard Back
Publisher: Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA,
Date Published: 1990
ISBN-13:9780674821514ISBN:0674821513
Description: Very Good/Very Good. 0674821513 Signed by Author 299pp, illustrated, bottom of spine bumped, small glue stain on top edge, publishers error, some creasing and wrinkling to dust wrapper. read more
"An excellent look at 18th century China, focusing on the the period, incidents, and key figures of the 18th century events surrounding an outbreak of apparent sorcerers who were roaming the lands and clipping the ends of men's queues (the braid of hair hanging at the back of the head). Kuhn focuses his presentation on the challenges faced by Hungli, the reigning Ch'ien-lung emperor and the effects and consequences this outbreak caused for the common people, and a monarchy trying to hold onto power.
I liked the book and am interested in reading more of Kuhn's works, although at times slow, he strategically organizes the book with torture and stories/accounts to keep the reader interested for the entire work."
"This is an incredible book! Professor Kuhn speaks fluent Mandarin and researched the book in China. I took classes taught by Dr. Kuhn at Harvard (1996-1997)."
"perfect example of how yes men spoil a system of checks and balance and how doing something right the first time is more important than just going through the motions."
"I think this book is fascinating, and there are elements of it I think most people would find fascinating, but quite a lot of it is pretty heavy stuff to slug through. It's basically an examination of the cultural, political, and social factors that led to a huge sorcery scare in China in 1768. It gets at so many different angles of what was going on in the culture at the time, as a way of attempting to explain how and why the sorcery scare got so big and out of control. If you are interested in the culture of China in the 18th century, this is a great book. It's very readable."
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