Edward H. Schafer

Edward Hetzel Schafer (August 23, 1913 – February 9, 1991) was an American historian, sinologist, and writer noted for his expertise on the Tang dynasty, and was a professor of Chinese at University of California, Berkeley, for 35 years. Schafer's most notable works include The Golden Peaches of Samarkand and The Vermilion Bird, which both explore China's interactions with other cultures and regions during the Tang dynasty.

Life and career Edward H. Schafer was born on August 23, 1913, in Seattle, Washington. After completing secondary school, Schafer followed his family to Los Angeles, California, where they sought better economic prospects. The financial hardships brought about by the Great Depression prevented Schafer's family from sending him to university, and he spent seven years working at a wholesale grocery to save up the money required. Although he was unable to attend university during that time, Schafer spent as much time as he could reading and studying at the Los Angeles Public Library, even managing to teach himself the basics of ancient Egyptian. Schafer decided to retire in 1984, and shortly before his official retirement was honored with the position of Faculty Research Lecturer, the highest position a Berkeley faculty member may be given.

Schafer served as president of the American Oriental Society for the 1975–1976 academic year, and from 1955 to 1968 served as East Asia Editor of the Journal of the American Oriental Society. He is known for his belief in Sinology, which emphasizes philology, language skills and classical texts, an approach often contrasted with the Area Studies, which emphasizes recent history and social science theories. His publications include over 100 scholarly articles and more than a dozen books.

Schafer died in California in 1991, aged 77, following a short battle with liver cancer.

Selected works Schafer, Edward H. (1947). "The Reign of Liu Ch'ang, Last Emperor of the Southern Han: A Critical Translation of the Text of Wu Tai shih, with Special Inquiries into Relevant Phases of Contemporary Chinese Civilization". Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Berkeley.

––– (1961). Tu Wan's Stone Catalogue of Cloudy Forest: A Commentary and Synopsis. Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press. ––– (1963). The Golden Peaches of Samarkand: A Study of T'ang Exotics. Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press. ––– (1967). The Vermilion Bird: T'ang Images of the South. Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press. ––– (1977). Pacing the Void: T'ang Approaches to the Stars. Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press. ––– (1981). "Wu Yün's 'Cantos on Pacing the Void'". Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 41, pp. 377–415.