Timothy James Brook (
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
name: 卜正民; born January 6, 1951) is a Canadian
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...
, sinologist, and writer specializing in the study of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
(
sinology
Sinology, or Chinese studies, is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of China primarily through Chinese philosophy, language, literature, culture and history and often refers to Western scholarship. Its origin "may be traced to th ...
).
He holds the Republic of China Chair, Department of History,
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...
.
His research interests include the
social
Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not.
Etymology
The word "social" derives from ...
and
cultural history
Cultural history combines the approaches of anthropology and history to examine popular cultural traditions and cultural interpretations of historical experience. It examines the records and narrative descriptions of past matter, encompassing the ...
of the
Ming Dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
in China; law and punishment in
Imperial China
The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapte ...
;
collaboration
Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. Most ...
during Japan's
wartime occupation of China, 1937–45 and
war crimes trials in Asia; global history; and
historiography
Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians ha ...
.
Early life and education
Timothy Brook was born on January 6, 1951, in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, grew up in that city and currently lives in Vancouver.
After graduating from the
University of Toronto Schools
University of Toronto Schools (UTS) is an independent secondary day school affiliated with the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The school follows a specialized academic curriculum, and admission is determined by competitive ex ...
, Brook received a
bachelor's
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ye ...
degree in English literature at the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
in 1973; a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in Regional Studies–East Asia at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
in 1977, and in 1984 received a
Ph.D.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
in History and
East Asian Languages
The East Asian languages are a language family (alternatively ''macrofamily'' or ''superphylum'') proposed by Stanley Starosta in 2001. The proposal has since been adopted by George van Driem.
Classifications Early proposals
Early proposals of s ...
at Harvard University, where his dissertation advisor was
Philip A. Kuhn .
Academic positions
From 1984–86 Brook was a MacTaggart Fellow at the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Rutherfor ...
; from 1986–97 he progressed from Assistant to Full Professor at the University of Toronto; from 1997–99 he was Professor of History at
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
, and 1999–2004 he was Professor of History at the University of Toronto,
and
Shaw Professor of Chinese
The position of Shaw Professor of Chinese is one of the permanent professorships at the University of Oxford, England. It was established in 1876 as the Professor of Chinese, and is now associated with a professorial fellowship at University Colle ...
at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
.
He came to
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...
in 2004, and was Principal,
St. John's College 2004–2009.
He is also Academic Director of the Contemporary Tibetan Studies Program at the University of British Columbia's
Institute of Asian Research
The Institute of Asian Research (IAR) at the University of British Columbia is a research institute founded in 1978 and has been the foremost research centre in Canada for the inter-disciplinary study of Asia. With a broad geographic reach exten ...
.
He was elected President of the
Association for Asian Studies The Association for Asian Studies (AAS) is a scholarly, non-political and non-profit professional association focusing on Asia and the study of Asia. It is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.
The Association provides members with an Annua ...
2015.
Selected honors
*2010 D.Litt., honoris causa,
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick ( ; abbreviated as ''Warw.'' in post-nominal letters) is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands (county), West Midlands and Warwickshire, England. The university was founded i ...
*2010
Prix Auguste Pavie,
Académie des Sciences d'Outre-mer, Paris, for ''Le Chapeau de Vermee''r
*2009
Mark Lynton Prize in History, Columbia University School of Journalism and Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, for ''Vermeer's Hat''
*2009
Wallace K. Ferguson Prize, Canadian Historical Association, for ''Death by a Thousand Cuts''
*2006
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative abi ...
*2005
François-Xavier Garneau Medal, Canadian Historical Association., for ''The Confusions of Pleasure''
* 2000
Joseph Levenson Prize Joseph Levenson Book Prize is awarded each year in memory of Joseph R. Levenson by the Association for Asian Studies to two English-language books, one whose main focus is on China before 1900 and the other for works on post-1900 China. According to ...
, Association for Asian Studies, for ''The Confusions of Pleasure''
Editorial positions
American Historical Review
''The American Historical Review'' is a quarterly academic history journal and the official publication of the American Historical Association. It targets readers interested in all periods and facets of history and has often been described as the ...
, 2012--; ''Handbook of Oriental Studies'', Brill, Leiden; ''Studies in Comparative Early Modern History'', University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; ''International Journal of Asian Studies'', University of Tokyo; ''Journal of Ming Studies'', Taipei; ''Ming Studies'', Society for Ming Studies, New Mexico State University; ''Shilin'' 史林 (Historical studies), Shanghai. Since 2008, he has been Editor-in-chief of ''The History of Imperial China'', a six-volume series published by
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...
.
Publications
Brook's scholarly publications in the fields of
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
n
social
Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not.
Etymology
The word "social" derives from ...
,
economic
An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...
and
legal history
Legal history or the history of law is the study of how law has evolved and why it has changed. Legal history is closely connected to the development of civilisations and operates in the wider context of social history. Certain jurists and histo ...
and
international trade
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (see: World economy)
In most countries, such trade represents a significant ...
include:
Books written
* ''Geographical Sources of Ming-Qing History''. Ann Arbor: Center for Chinese Studies,
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
, 1988. Second expanded edition, 2002.
* ''
Quelling the People: The Military Suppression of the Beijing Democracy Movement''. New York:
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, Toronto: Lester Publishing, 1992; Stanford:
Stanford University Press
Stanford University Press (SUP) is the publishing house of Stanford University. It is one of the oldest academic presses in the United States and the first university press to be established on the West Coast. It was among the presses officially ...
, 1998.
* ''
Praying for Power: Buddhism and the Formation of Gentry Society in Late-Ming China''. Cambridge: Council on East Asian Studies,
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, 1993.
** ''Wei quanli qidao: fojiao yu wan Ming Zhongguo shishen shehui de xingcheng''. Nanjing: Jiangsu renmin chubanshe, 2005.
* ''
The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China''. Berkeley:
University of California Press
The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by faculty ...
, 1998. Winner of the
Joseph Levenson Book Prize Joseph Levenson Book Prize is awarded each year in memory of Joseph R. Levenson by the Association for Asian Studies to two English-language books, one whose main focus is on China before 1900 and the other for works on post-1900 China. According to ...
of 2000.
** ''Čtvero ročních dob dynastie Ming: Čína v období 1368–1644''. Prague: Vyšehrad, 2003.
** ''Zongle de kunhuo: Mingdai de shangye yu wenhua''. Beijing: Sanlian, Taipei: Linking, 2004.
** ''K'waerak ǔi hondon: Chungguk Myǒngdaeǔi sangǒp kwa munhwa''. Seoul: Yeesan, 2005.
* ''
Collaboration: Japanese Agents and Local Elites in Wartime China''. Cambridge, Massachusetts:
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...
, 2005.
* ''
The Chinese State in Ming Society
''The Chinese State in Ming Society'' is a history book which investigates the role of the state in China in the Ming dynasty (from 1368 to 1644 in the late Imperial Chinese era); the interface between the state and society, and the effect of the ...
''. London:
Routledge
Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...
Curzon, 2005.
* ''
Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World''. New York: Bloomsbury; Toronto:
Penguin
Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
; London: Profile, 2008.
** ''Le chapeau de Vermeer : Le XVIIe siècle à l'aube de la mondialisation''. France: Payot, 2010.
** ''Il cappello di Vermeer : il Seicento e la nascita del mondo globalizzato''. Turin: Einaudi, 2015.
* ''
Death by a Thousand Cuts
''Lingchi'' (; ), translated variously as the slow process, the lingering death, or slow slicing, and also known as death by a thousand cuts, was a form of torture and execution used in China from roughly 900 CE up until the practice ended aro ...
'', with Jérôme Bourgon and Gregory Blue. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2008.
* ''
The Troubled Empire: China in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2010; Cambridge, Massachusetts:
Belknap Press, 2013.
* ''Mr. Selden's Map of China. Decoding the Secrets of a Vanished Cartographer''. New York, Bloomsbury, 2013.
** ''La mappa della Cina del signor Selden : il commercio delle spezie, una carta perduta e il Mar Cinese Meridionale''. Turin: Einaudi, 2016.
* ''
Great State: China and the World''. London, Profile Books, 2019.
Books edited
* ''The Asiatic Mode of Production in China''. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 1989.
* ''National Polity and Local Power: The Transformation of Late Imperial China'', by Min Tu-ki. Co- edited with Philip Kuhn. Cambridge: Council on East Asian Studies, Harvard University, 1989.
* ''Culture and Economy: The Shaping of Capitalism in Eastern Asia''. Co-edited with Hy Van Luong. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1997.
* ''Civil Society in China''. Co-edited with B. Michael Frolic. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 1997.
* ''China and Historical Capitalism: Genealogies of Sinological Knowledge''. Co-edited with Gregory Blue. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
** ''Zhongguo yu lishi zibenzhuyi: hanxue zhishi de xipuxue''. Taipei: Chu liu tushu gongsi, 2004. Simplified character edition: Shanghai: Xinxing chubanshe, 2005.
* ''Documents on the Rape of Nanking''. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1999.
** Expanded Chinese translation: ''Nanjing datusha yingwen shiliao ji''. Taipei: Shangwu yinshuguan, 2007.
* ''Nation Work: Asian Elites and National Identities''. Co-edited with Andre Schmid. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2000.
** ''Minzu de goujian: Yazhou jingying ji qi minzu rentong'', 2008.
* ''Opium Regimes: China, Britain, and Japan, 1839–1952''. Co-edited with Bob Tadashi Wakabayashi. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000.
* ''The History of Imperial China'' (6 vols). Cambridge: Harvard University Press (2008-). Editor-in-chief from 2008 to date.
Awards
In 2009, '' Vermeer's Hat'' won Brook the Mark Lynton History Prize The Mark Lynton History Prize is an annual award in the amount of $10,000 given to a book "of history, on any subject, that best combines intellectual or scholarly distinction with felicity of expression". The prize is one of three awards given as p ...
from Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
in New York, worth $10,000 (U.S.). The prize is one of the Lukas Prize Project awards. The book was described as a "bold, original and compulsively readable work of history."
''Death by a Thousand Cuts
''Lingchi'' (; ), translated variously as the slow process, the lingering death, or slow slicing, and also known as death by a thousand cuts, was a form of torture and execution used in China from roughly 900 CE up until the practice ended aro ...
'' was a finalist and received an honourable mention for the Professional/Scholarly Publishing (PSP) Division of the Association of American Publishers
The Association of American Publishers (AAP) is the national trade association of the American book publishing industry. AAP lobbies for book, journal, and education publishers in the United States. AAP members include most of the major commercia ...
2008 PROSE Award, in the World History and Biography/Autobiography category.
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brook, Timothy
1951 births
Living people
20th-century Canadian historians
Canadian male non-fiction writers
Canadian sinologists
Cultural historians
Economic historians
Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni
Legal historians
Shaw Professors of Chinese
Social historians
University of British Columbia faculty
University of Toronto alumni
Writers from Toronto
21st-century Canadian historians