Since it had a full-page ad in NRODT, several readers have asked me my
opinion of The Teaching Company’s 36-lecture course on Chinese history,
under the rather too-cute title “From Yao to Mao.” (Yao was an emperor of
the mythical period.) Well, I bought it and have started in on listening to
it — first two lectures so far. Hard to form much of a judgment at this
point — I have only just reached the Bronze Age. Prof. Hammond speaks
well, with not too many irritating mannerisms, and seems to be in command of
his material. He had nothing to say about the controversies surrounding
Chinese archeology, but there is a case to be made for saying nothing in a
course like this, and just giving the consensus opinion, so I won’t mark him
down for that. I’ll report back when I’m deeper into the lectures.