Jonathan Spence is best known for being

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Let's examine each option in turn to understand who Jonathan Spence is most widely recognized as.
Option a: 'An apologist for British imperialism.' This is not an accurate characterization of Spence. He is best known for critical and nuanced interpretations of Chinese history, not for defending imperialist agendas. The portrayal of him as an apologist would misrepresent his scholarly approach and conclusions.
Option b: 'An orientalist.' While Spence writes about East Asian history, labeling him as an orientalist would be an oversimplification and, in many contexts, pejorative. His work is often praised for its depth, readability, and methodological rigor, and he is typically described as a scholar of Chinese history rather than as simply an orientalist.
Option c: 'A popularizer of Chinese history.' This description captures a core aspect of his reputation: he helped bring Chinese history to a broad audience through accessible books and engaging narrative, making complex topics approachable for non-specialists while maintaining scholarly integrity.
Option d: 'A British historian at Yale University.' This option is partly misleading. Spence did originate from the United Kingdom and taught at Yale University, but he is best described as a historian who became a prominent professor at Yale rather than simply a 'British historian' in the sense of a nationality-based label. The more precise framing would emphasize his role as an American (and British-born) historian at Yale, but as stated, the phrasing can mischaracterize his professional identity.
In summary, the most accurate characterization among the options is that Spence is best known as a popularizer of Chinese history, because it aligns with his widely recognized impact on making Chinese historical topics accessible to a broad readership, while the other descriptions either misrepresent his stance (a), oversimplify his scholarly identity (b), or risk a partly misleading nationality framing (d).

Jonathan Spence is best known for being

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