Denis C. Twitchett
Encyclopedia
Denis Crispin Twitchett (Chinese: 杜希德; pinyin
: Dù Xīdé, September 23, 1925— February 24, 2006) was a British Sinologist, specializing in Chinese history, famous for compiling The Cambridge History of China
.
in 1925. He was a lecturer at the University of London
(1954-56) and Cambridge
(1956-60), the Chair of Chinese at the universities of London (1960-68) and Cambridge (1968-80), and the Gordon Wu '58 Professor of Chinese Studies at Princeton University
(1980-94). He was a fellow of the British Academy
from 1967. He greatly expanded the role of Chinese studies in Western intellectual circles.
During World War II
, Twitchett took a crash course in Japanese and for the remainder of the war he was part of the Bletchley Park
operations acting as a listener at one of the forward listening stations in Sri Lanka
. After the war he gained a degree in geography
at Cambridge. He also spent a great deal of time in Japan
and was able to learn from the best Japanese historians of China (who tended to focus on Tang China
, a period which became his field of expertise also). He married the daughter of one of these Japanese historians (Umeko Ichikawa) in 1956. Together they had two children.
(who taught at Harvard) began plans for the first comprehensive history of China to be published in the English language. Originally expected to be a six volume set of books, the series expanded as time passed and eventually grew to the currently planned 15 volumes. While he was at Princeton, Twitchett worked closely with fellow Sinologist Frederick W. Mote
(who had a related wartime experience).
Drawing upon the most respected living historians for individual chapters of the books, the series (though still incomplete as of late 2007) is very highly regarded as an authoritative history of China. Twitchett wrote many sections and guided the creation of the whole series from the start until his death.
Twitchett deliberately held off creating a book on China before the Ch'in because, as Twitchett put it in the preface to Volume 7, there was still so much work to be done on the period. Since that time the history has become better understood and in 1999 a companion volume The Cambridge History of Ancient China, From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC by Michael Loewe
and Edward L. Shaughnessy was published.
Twitchett was the expert who helped create the China maps for "The Times Atlas of World History" (first published in 1979).
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Dù Xīdé, September 23, 1925— February 24, 2006) was a British Sinologist, specializing in Chinese history, famous for compiling The Cambridge History of China
The Cambridge History of China
The Cambridge History of China is an ongoing series of books published by Cambridge University Press covering the early and modern history of China. It has been described as "the largest and most comprehensive history of China in the English language"....
.
Biography
Twitchett was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1925. He was a lecturer at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
(1954-56) and Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
(1956-60), the Chair of Chinese at the universities of London (1960-68) and Cambridge (1968-80), and the Gordon Wu '58 Professor of Chinese Studies at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
(1980-94). He was a fellow of the British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
from 1967. He greatly expanded the role of Chinese studies in Western intellectual circles.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Twitchett took a crash course in Japanese and for the remainder of the war he was part of the Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
operations acting as a listener at one of the forward listening stations in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. After the war he gained a degree in geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
at Cambridge. He also spent a great deal of time in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and was able to learn from the best Japanese historians of China (who tended to focus on Tang China
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, a period which became his field of expertise also). He married the daughter of one of these Japanese historians (Umeko Ichikawa) in 1956. Together they had two children.
The Cambridge History of China
Starting in 1966, Professor Twitchett and fellow Sinologist John K. FairbankJohn K. Fairbank
John King Fairbank , was a prominent American academic and historian of China.-Education and early career:...
(who taught at Harvard) began plans for the first comprehensive history of China to be published in the English language. Originally expected to be a six volume set of books, the series expanded as time passed and eventually grew to the currently planned 15 volumes. While he was at Princeton, Twitchett worked closely with fellow Sinologist Frederick W. Mote
Frederick W. Mote
Fredrick W. Mote was an American Sinologist and a professor of History at Princeton University for nearly 50 years. His research and teaching interests focused on China during the Ming Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty...
(who had a related wartime experience).
Drawing upon the most respected living historians for individual chapters of the books, the series (though still incomplete as of late 2007) is very highly regarded as an authoritative history of China. Twitchett wrote many sections and guided the creation of the whole series from the start until his death.
Twitchett deliberately held off creating a book on China before the Ch'in because, as Twitchett put it in the preface to Volume 7, there was still so much work to be done on the period. Since that time the history has become better understood and in 1999 a companion volume The Cambridge History of Ancient China, From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC by Michael Loewe
Michael Loewe
Michael Loewe , also known as M. A. N. Loewe, is a British academic and renowned sinologist who has authored dozens of books, articles, and other publications in the fields of Classical Chinese and ancient Chinese history....
and Edward L. Shaughnessy was published.
Other publications
- Financial Administration under the T’ang Dynasty (1963)
- Printing and Publishing in Medieval China (1983)
- The Writing of Official History Under the T’ang (1992)
- (with P. J. M. Geelan) The Times Atlas of China (1974)
Twitchett was the expert who helped create the China maps for "The Times Atlas of World History" (first published in 1979).