Michael Wood: The Story of China

by Wood, Michael

ISBN: 9781471175992

Published: 2020-04

One of the world's oldest civilisations and the longest lasting state, China's story is extraordinarily rich and dramatic, stretching back thousands of years. In our time, after a century and a half of foreign invasion, civil war and revolution, China has once more returned to centre stage in the world, a global superpower and as of 2016, the world's second largest economy. But in order to understand the great significance of China today, we must begin with its history. It is only when we look at China that we can become exactly aware of our own identity, and that we can begin to perceive which part of our heritage truly pertains to universal humanity, and which merely reflects Western idiosyncrasies. In other words, to understand the story of humanity is impossible without China. Michael Wood takes a fresh look at Chinese history in the light of the current massive changes inside the country, and how its people and leaders see their place in the world, and its place on the world...