The Wobbling Pivot, China since 1800: An Interpretive History
"The book is organized around a singular perception of modern Chinese history, but it offers a thorough and engaging narrative that provides the detail necessary for teaching and learning. It is accessible, complete and readable,. As a synthesis of twentieth century Chinese history it is both original and provocative, and a valuable introduction to the perennial issues that China poses in the undergraduate classroom."          R. Kent Guy inThe China Quarterly"Crossley has produced a lively and innovative introduction to the most recent centuries of Chinese history, one that promises to serve as a stimulant rather than a soporific to beginning students and which, through the bold interpretations that it ventures, should also spark the interest of advanced students and scholars. If I were still teaching, I would look forward to using this book."          Paul Cohen inThe China Journal"...an excellent and illuminating introduction to the history of the period."          Peter Wood inAsian Review of Books"...[a milestone] on the path toward new ways of constructing a history of China that doesn't rely upon the assumption of an increasingly homogenous 'modern' world compelled by the overwhelming power of economic and political forces capable of rendering every state in the world in the image of the celebrated West."          Maura Dykstra atThe China Beat“Finding a fresh angle to a familiar story is a challenge, one that this book has dealt with creatively and convincingly.”  (English Historical Review, 1 June 2014"As a textbook, The Wobbling Pivot is accessible, complete and readable, and as a synthesis of twentieth century Chinese history, it is both original and provocative, and a valuable introduction to the perennial issues that China poses in the undergraduate classroom.”  (The China Quarterly, 1 September 2012)"[A] lively survey ... .It sheds considerable light on contemporary Chinese dilemmas." (Shanghaiist, December 2010)