Denis Twitchett - John K. Fairbank: The Cambridge History of China

The Cambridge History of China is the largest and most comprehensive history of China in the English language. Planned in the 1960s by the late, distinguished China scholar Professor John K. Fairbank of Harvard, and Denis Twitchett, Professor Emeritus of Princeton, the series covers the grand scale of Chinese history from the 3rd century BC, to the death of Mao Tse-tung.

Consisting of fifteen volumes (two of which, Volumes 5 and 9 are to be published in two books), the history embodies both existing scholarship and extensive original research into hitherto neglected subjects and periods. The contributors, all specialists from the international community of Sinologists, cover the main developments in political, social, economic and intellectual life of China in their respective periods. Collectively they present the major events in a long history that encompasses both a very old civilisation and a great modern power.

Written not only for students and scholars, but with the general reader in mind, the volumes are designed to be read continuously, or as works of reference. No knowledge of Chinese is necessary; for readers with Chinese, proper names and terms are identified with their characters in the glossary, and full references to Chinese, Japanese, and other works are given in the bibliographies. Numerous maps illustrate the texts. The published volumes have constituted essential reading in Chinese history. See also, The Cambridge History of Ancient China, Michael Loewe and Edward Shaughnessy, eds., a companion to this series covering the period 1500 to 221 BC.

The volumes of the series are as follows:

1. The Ch'in and Han Empires, 221 BC–AD 220 (edited by Twitchett and Michael Loewe), May 1987. 
2. (China from 220 to 587, still unpublished)
3. Sui and T'ang China, 589–906 AD, Part 1 (edited by Twitchett), December 1979. This covers the political history of the time.
4. Sui and T'ang China, 589–906 AD, Part 2 (still unpublished. This is intended to cover cultural and economic topics related to the Sui and Tang Dynasties).
5. The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907–1279, Part 1 (edited by Twitchett and Paul Jakov Smith), May 2009.  This part covers the political history of the period. Part 2 (still unpublished) is intended to cover cultural and economic topics related to the Song dynasty.
6. Alien Regimes and Border States, 910–1368 (edited by Twitchett and Herbert Franke), January 1995. This covers the northern states of the Khitan, the Jurchen, and the Mongols.
7. The Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644, Part 1 (edited by Frederick W. Mote and Twitchett), March 1988. This covers the political history of the Ming.
8. The Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644, Part 2 (edited by Twitchett and Frederick W. Mote), April 1998.  This is a set of essentially unrelated chapters about cultural and economic topics from the Ming period.
9. The Ch'ing Empire to 1800, Part 1 (edited by Willard J. Peterson), February 2003. This covers the political history of the first Manchu rulers, from Nurhaci to the Qianlong Emperor.
10. Late Ch'ing 1800–1911, Part 1 (edited by John K. Fairbank), June 1978.  This covers the political history of the last 111 years of Manchu rule over China.
11. Late Ch'ing 1800–1911, Part 2 (edited by John K. Fairbank and Kwang-Ching Liu), October 1980.
12. Republican China, 1912–1949, Part 1 (edited by John K. Fairbank and Twitchett), October 1983. 
13. Republican China, 1912–1949, Part 2 (edited by John K. Fairbank and Albert Feuerwerker), July 1986. 
14. The People's Republic, Part 1: Emergence of Revolutionary China, 1949–1965 (edited by Roderick MacFarquhar and John K. Fairbank), September 1987. 
15. The People's Republic, Part 2: Revolutions Within the Chinese Revolution, 1966–1982 (edited by Roderick MacFarquhar and John K. Fairbank), March 1992.