Episode 120: On the Boxer Rebellion with Dr. Peter Worthing

The Old School welcomes the great Dr. Peter Worthing of TCU to discuss the Boxer Rebellion. The three gentlemen discuss the origins of the movement, what it was and how it influenced China going into the 20th century and beyond. It is a great conversation that highlights not just the philosophical ideals that modern historians attribute to the Boxers but the real world circumstances that motivated agrarian Chinese to attack the western presence in their country. Patriots, rebels or a desperate lot frantically hoping their efforts will approve their lives? All three? The Old School attempts to address these ideas and more.In the course of the discussion, Dr. Worthing references a couple of great books on the Boxer Rebellion if one is interested in learning more about this very fascinating topic.The Origins of the Boxer Uprising by Joseph W. Esherick History in Three Keys: The Boxers as Event, Experience and Myth by Paul A. CohenFor a more popular but still riveting account of the uprising, check out:The Boxer Rebellion: The Dramatic Story of China's War on Foreigners that Shook the World in the Summer of 1900 by Diana Preston. This episode is sponsored by Ahart Solutions.