Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t read the book before, funny thing is I just received it.  You won’t believe it; my wife bought this book online.  Why did she?  She said she intends to give the book to our son and let him have a better understanding on modern history of China.  I don’t think this would work simply because my son won’t read it now.  Maybe I will. 

Jonathan D. Spencer, a professor in Chinese history of Yale, passed away last month at 85.  When I was in college, he had been a rising star in Chinese history within Western intellectual circle.  I knew his name then, but there was no translated version of his works, so I didn’t have chance to read his works.  Besides, a professor once told us that most of western "historians" who are not conversant with Chinese language most likely are dilettantes or even CIA agents.  Well, maybe it is true; anyway, I haven’t read any works pertaining to Professor Spencer. 

Now I may start to read that " The Search for Modern China" if I have time and energy to read that "masterpiece" nearly 700 pages. 

PS The book gives me a pretty good first impression.  It is written with plain English, and Pinyin, instead of Wade-Giles, is used to translate those Chinese persons and places related to the historical events .