Power of Print in Modern China: Intellectuals and Industrial Publishing from the End of Empire to Maoist State Socialism

During China's early twentieth-century cultural shifts, a commercial publishing industry emerged, employing late Qing literati, foreign-trained academics, and modernized school system graduates as authors and editors. Publishers produced textbooks, reference books, book series, and reprints of classical texts, providing a living to many Chinese intellectuals and offering a platform to transform Chinese cultural life. Robert Culp's book explores the world of commercial publishing and the role of intellectuals in cultural change, examining China's largest and most influential publishing companies during the late Qing and Republican periods.

Format: Hardback
Length: 392 pages
Publication date: 28 May 2019
Publisher: Columbia University Press

Amidst the transformative era of early twentieth-century China, a vibrant and prolific commercial publishing industry emerged, harnessing the talents of late Qing literati, foreign-trained academics, and recent graduates of the modernized school system. These publishers, driven by a keen desire for profit, embarked on a mission to produce an overwhelming abundance of textbooks, reference books, book series, and reprints of classical texts. Their operations were characterized by substantial financial gains, providing a livelihood to numerous Chinese intellectuals and offering them a platform to shape and transform Chinese cultural life.

The world of commercial publishing in modern China is explored in depth in Robert Culp's insightful book, The Power of Print in Modern China. Culp delves into the history of China's largest and most influential publishing companies, including Commercial Press, Zhonghua Book Company, and World Book Company, during the late Qing and Republican periods, as well as in the early years of the People's Republic. By reconstructing the cultural activities and work lives of editors, Culp offers a unique lens through which to understand the role of intellectuals in cultural change.

Culp's examination of China's distinct modes of industrial publishing sheds light on the emergence of the modern Chinese intellectual. He challenges the conventional notion that the intellectual emerged solely through political revolution and social movements. Instead, Culp argues that the modern Chinese intellectual was shaped by commercial and industrial processes, which played a crucial role in the production of new forms of knowledge and culture in the twentieth century.

Through his meticulous research and analysis, Culp provides an original account of Chinese intellectual and cultural history, as well as global book history. The Power of Print in Modern China illuminates the intricate interplay between publishers, authors, editors, and readers, revealing how the printed word shaped the intellectual landscape of China and contributed to the broader global cultural exchange.

This book is a valuable resource for scholars, students, and anyone interested in understanding the complex relationship between culture, power, and the printed word in modern China. It offers a rich tapestry of historical anecdotes, insightful observations, and provocative arguments, making it an essential read for anyone seeking to gain a deeper understanding of this pivotal period in Chinese history.

Weight: 666g
Dimension: 163 x 238 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231184168