Ancestors, 900 Years in the Life of a Chinese Family/Ch'in Shih Ch'ien Tsai Shih: Ch'in Shih Ch'ien Tsai Shih

by Frank Ching

Book Overview

Frank Ching brings to life 900 years of Chinese history through his own fascinating family tree. Beginning with his search for the grave of his first-recorded ancestor, the 11th-century poet Qin Guan,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688044611
• ISBN13: 9780688044619
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 2.15 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Family History

"Ancestors" is a well written and engaging account of 900 years in China's history as experienced by members of the Qin clan. The author, an experienced journalist and political commentator, does a fine job in conveying his findings from years of laborious research into his family's genealogy.

Chinese history as experienced by individuals

Frank Ching has done a remarkable job of tracing his family tree back over 900 years of Chinese history and uncovering the stories of the many notable figures that he found there. I was struck by the continuity of Chinese life over the years and the value placed on remembering and honoring those who have gone before. The individual biographies and the overall picture of Chinese history that emerges are very interesting.

Personal look at Chinese history.

Even though this book claims to be a history of one Chinese family, it is actually a thoughly engrossing history of the China from the viewpoint of the members of one Chinese family -- one that had many famous people thoughout the years. I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand China or Chinese people better.