近读有数十位专家学者参加撰写、由徐泰来同志主编的《中国近代史记》一书(湖南人民出版社1989年8月出版),眼界为之开阔,观感为之一新。这部新书分为上、中、下三卷,共158万余字,堪称鸿篇巨制。其中上卷为“史”,中卷为“表、志”,下卷为“传”。从本书的编写体例、基本论点、搜集史料、探讨问题等方面来看,均有不同于以往问世的同类史书。我以为这部书的主要特点,有如下几个方面。第一是不囿于成说的创新精神。关于中国近代历史的撰述,长期以来多以阶级斗争为线索,以太平天国、义和团、辛亥革命等三大革命高潮为重点进行论述。这样的形式也完全是正确的,但其侧重 Nearly tens of experts and scholars participated in the compilation. Comrade Xu Tailai edited “Modern Chinese Historical Records” (Hunan People’s Publishing House, 1989 August), with a broaden horizon and a new outlook. This new book is divided into upper, middle and lower three volumes, a total of more than 1.58 million words, called grand articles. The volume is “history”, the volume is “table, Chi”, the next volume is “Biography.” From the writing style of the book, the basic arguments, the collection of historical materials, to explore issues, etc., are different from the previous history of similar books. I think the main features of this book, the following aspects. The first is not beyond the spirit of innovation. Regarding the compilation of the history of China’s modern history, it has long been clung to class struggle and focused on the three revolutionary climaxes of the Taiping, Boxers and the Revolution of 1911. This form is also entirely correct, but its focus