The final speaker for the WKU Libraries’ 2015-2016 season of “Far Away Places” was Peter Lorge, who is an Assistant Professor of History and Asian Studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN specializing in the history of 10th and 11th century China, war history and military thought, guns and gunpowder, Chinese martial arts, and Chinese film. Lorge spoke about his book Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century on the evening of April 22, 2016 at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Bowling Green, Ky, a co-sponsor of the event.
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The final speaker for the 2015-2016 season of Far Away Places will be Peter Lorge, speaking about his book Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century. Lorge earned his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996 where he studied military history in medieval China during the Song dynasty. Currently he is an Assistant Professor of History and Asian Studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN specializing in the history of 10th and 11th century China, war history and military thought, guns and gunpowder, Chinese martial arts, and Chinese film. In addition to teaching, Lorge helped found the Chinese Military History Society, won the Harriet S. Gilliam Award for Excellence in Teaching (2004), attended the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies workshop on teaching National Security (2007), and has appeared on CNN discussing Chinese military affairs. He is the author of several books including War, Politics and Society in Early Modern China in 2005 and The Asian Military Revolution: From Gunpowder to the Bomb in 2008, edited Warfare in China to 1600 (2005) and Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms in 2011 for the Chinese University Press, and established a new book series with Routledge titled Asian States and Empires. He is currently working on a project with Brill called Debating War in Chinese History.
Peter Lorge, Asst. Prof., Vanderbilt Univ.
Lorge will be speaking about his recently published book, Chinese Martial Arts, about the history of martial arts usage in the Chinese military. While martial arts are seen as sport or self-defense today, they were a central component of Chinese military practice for millennia. The book discusses the transformation of martial arts skills, techniques, and weaponry throughout Chinese history from the Bronze age to contemporary times. The story of Chinese martial arts is told through literature, poetry, the stories of individual warriors, and battlefield accounts, and even includes the account of the first female martial artist!
Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century
Come hear Peter Lorge talk about “Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century” on Thursday, April 21 at 7 p.m. at Barnes & Noble (1680 Campbell Lane). The event is free and open to the public, as well as ‘swipeable’ for WKU students. Door prizes and a book signing will follow, we hope you’ll join us!