ChinaTalk

Paul Kennedy's Jonathan Spence Memories

Sep 8, 2022

Paul Kennedy, a historian and former colleague of Jonathan Spence at Yale, shares heartfelt stories about the late Sinologist. He recalls the humorous struggles of British soldiers in Germany and engaging discussions about Chinese history with Henry Kissinger. Kennedy reflects on Spence's unique research approach, intertwining rigorous scholarship with personal anecdotes. He also highlights how Spence bridged history and business by creatively leveraging archaeological projects for corporate interests, emphasizing the lasting impact of Spence's work.

52:28

Episode guests

Paul Kennedy

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

A Personal Lens on Military Life During the Cold War

4min

Historical Narrative and Local Legends

10min

Chronicles of a China Historian

25min

Bridging History and Business

10min

Celebrating a Scholar's Legacy

2min

Prepare a nice cup of tea and put your feet up for a special episode of stories and anecdotes about the late American historian and Sinologist Jonathan Spence, as told by his friend and colleague Paul Kennedy.

He takes us through

Why the worst thing about being stationed in Germany was the drunk British soldiers
Conversations about Chinese history with Henry Kissinger
How archaeological digs win you contracts with provincial governments
Spence's approach to research and scholarship

Outro Music: 'This Map' from the opera The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci (!!!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71cJopakfAw

Here's a video recording of the whole opera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_susz11wE9Q

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