Timothy Brook

Timothy James Brook is a Canadian historian and sinologist renowned for his expertise in Chinese history and global historiography. His acclaimed works include "The Confusions of Pleasure," which explores the social transformations of the Ming Dynasty, and "Vermeer’s Hat," a groundbreaking study connecting 17th-century Dutch art to global trade networks. He also authored "Mr. Selden’s Map of China," examining early modern cartography, and "Great State: China and the World," a sweeping analysis of China's historical engagement with global forces. Brook served as editor-in-chief for Harvard University Press's six-volume history of imperial China, contributing "The Troubled Empire," which became a bestseller in its Chinese translation.

Brook's scholarship bridges Chinese and global history, emphasizing cultural exchange, law, and societal change. His research spans diverse topics, from Ming Dynasty social history to war crimes during Japan's occupation of China. After teaching at prestigious institutions such as the University of Toronto, Stanford, Oxford, and the University of British Columbia, he retired to focus on writing. Current projects include studies on climate disasters in Ming China and the library of John Selden, a 17th-century English legal scholar. In his leisure time, Brook pursues a passion for music.