This lively and elegant book by the acclaimed historian Jonathan D. Spence reconstructs an extraordinary episode in the early intercourse between Europe and China. It is the story of John Hu, a lowly but devout Chinese Catholic, who in 1722 accompanied a Jesuit missionary on a journey to France–a journey that ended with Hu’s confinement in a lunatic asylum. At once a triumph of historical detective work and a gripping narrative, The Question of Hu deftly probes the collision of tw ocultures, with their different definitions of faith, madness, and moral obligation.
About The Question of Hu
This lively and elegant book by the acclaimed historian Jonathan D. Spence reconstructs an extraordinary episode in the early intercourse between Europe and China. It is the story of John Hu, a lowly but devout Chinese Catholic, who in 1722 accompanied a Jesuit missionary on a journey to France–a journey that ended with Hu’s confinement in a lunatic asylum. At once a triumph of historical detective work and a gripping narrative, The Question of Hu deftly probes the collision of tw ocultures, with their different definitions of faith, madness, and moral obligation.
Jonathan D. Spence’s 11 books on Chinese history include The Gate of Heavenly Peace, Treason by the Book, and The Death of Woman Wang. He has been awarded Guggenheim and MacArthur fellowships and is professor emeritus of history at Yale University.
About Jonathan D. Spence
Jonathan D. Spence’s 11 books on Chinese history include The Gate of Heavenly Peace, Treason by the Book, and The Death of Woman Wang. He has been awarded Guggenheim and MacArthur fellowships and is professor emeritus of history at Yale University.
