Choice Review

"A picture is worth a thousand words," as the adage goes. However, modern historiography has traditionally been document-oriented, even though during its formative years, or during the 19th century, archives (libraries) and museums were constructed in tandem, sometimes even coalesced in one building, such as the British Museum. Things are changing, however. This anthology edited by two prominent specialists in the study of modern Chinese history in Euro-America offers a wide array of studies drawing on written sources and, more importantly, on various visual images--photos, posters, cartoons, etc. Moreover, some of the images analyzed here are also moving; namely, they are from movies. The book is also interesting and innovative because of two additional characteristics. One is its periodization: while covering the period of 1845 to 1965, it transcends several markers that historians used to employ in describing the vicissitude of history in that period, such as the Sino-Japanese War, the 1911 Revolution, and the 1949 Revolution. The other is the book's balanced attention to events in both the public and private arenas, such as family and the role of women. All this makes the book a worthwhile read. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students/faculty. Q. E. Wang Rowan University