Description
Book SynopsisThe
Spring and Autumn is an annals text composed of brief records covering the period 722–479 BCE. Newell Ann Van Auken argues that record-keepers from the ancient Chinese state of Lu—not a later editor—produced the formally regular core of the text.
Trade ReviewNewell Ann Van Auken’s pathbreaking scholarship demolishes the old conventional view of the
Spring and Autumn as a dull and uninteresting chronicle. Her elegant analysis of how the text’s rule-based formulaic language served the interests of the lords of Lu opens the way to an exciting new view of the political dynamics of early China. -- John S. Major, cotranslator of
Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and AutumnLucid and rigorous, this analysis of the
Spring and Autumn is the most valuable study we have of this important early Chinese chronicle. Van Auken’s careful reconstruction of the formal requirements for event notations in the chronicle dramatically advances our understanding of this crucial type of historiographical activity, calling into doubt the traditional association of the chronicle with Confucius and revealing its function in displaying the hierarchical claims and ambitions of the state of Lu. -- David Schaberg, author of
A Patterned Past: Form and Thought in Early Chinese HistoriographyThis book-length study of
Chunqiu (
Spring and Autumn), the first in a Western language, is clearly written and impeccably argued. Through careful analysis, Van Auken convincingly demonstrates that ancient Lu annalists created a rigid verbal form through which they present an idealized and blatantly biased picture of their home state. A brilliant study certain to become a foundation for all subsequent
Chunqiu scholarship. -- Stephen Durrant, professor emeritus, University of Oregon
This book is an eye-opener. Combining philological acumen with theoretical understanding, Van Auken uncovers the regular patterns that underlie the
Spring and Autumn. Her analysis of how the text arranges—or omits—information provides unprecedented insight into the history and function of this seemingly enigmatic classic. -- Kai Vogelsang, Universität Hamburg
Van Auken has resolved two millennia of scholarly speculation and partial interpretations...
Spring andAutumn Historiography is a remarkable academic achievement. -- Grant Hardy, University of North Carolina at Asheville * Journal of Chinese History *
Table of ContentsList of Tables
List of Sets
Acknowledgments
Scholarly Conventions
Chronology: Lu Rulers of the
Spring and AutumnIntroduction
1. Orientations: Approaches to
Spring and Autumn Historiography
2. Recording the Day
3. Encoding Individual Rank
4. An Idealized Interstate Order
5.Registering Judgments
6. Concealing Submission
Conclusions:
Spring and Autumn Historiography and the Formally Regular Core
Appendix 1: Defining a “Record”
Appendix 2: Event Types in the
Spring and AutumnAppendix 3: Diachronic Changes in Frequency and Form in the
Spring and AutumnNotes
Bibliography
Index
