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China: A History (Hardcover)

by John Keay (Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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Product details

Hardcover: 592 pages
Publisher: HarperPress (1 Jul 2008)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0007221770
ISBN-13: 978-0007221776
Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16 x 4.8 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 216,800 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

The Observer

'...John Keay's forensic analysis of China's history makes the world of the ancient emperors appear strikingly modern and relevant.'

Review

'John Keay...has produced a valiant, fluently written attempt to condense a sprawling story into a few hundred pages.'

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	85% buy the item featured on this page: China: A History 4.5 out of 5 stars (4) �16.50
	5% buy The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850-2009 3.2 out of 5 stars (4) �9.07
	5% buy A Brief History of the Dynasties of China (Brief History) 4.7 out of 5 stars (6) �4.99
	2% buy The Cambridge Illustrated History of China (Cambridge Illustrated Histories) 5.0 out of 5 stars (2) �20.67

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews

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4 star:		(2)
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4.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)

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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great read that will have you heading for the travel agents, 3 April 2009

By	Overseas Reviewer - See all my reviews

Just what I wanted - an accessible and well written history of the middle kingdom covering the social, political and dynastic history right up to the ascent of Mao. It's got it all; territorial expansion, dynastic struggles, the interplay between Daoism, Buddhism and Confucian values, the Mongols, evolution of technology and literature, opium wars, the Generalisimo etc, What I found particularly interesting were the recurrent themes of the `mandate of heaven', the importance attributed to history in Chinese society and the repeated inability of `new' empires to consolidate gains. However, with so much to cover, no one area is dealt with in great depth and those seeking more detail, about recent history in particular, might wish to look elsewhere.

I've read a couple of other titles by Keay and found his writing style hard work. Happily I cannot say the same for this book, which I've enjoyed reading immensely and learned a great deal in the process. The maps and photos within are clear and informative too. I find it hard to imagine that there are any significantly better single-volume histories of China available.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars History Meets Legend, 17 Jul 2009

By	Mrs. E. R. Ashcroft "Liz Ashcroft" (Cornwall, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The ability to make history 'come to life' is something many authors of this genre aspire to and few attain. China: A History is written in a style pitched to both inform and entertain. The text is factual, but laced with anecdotes about legends that have grown up in folklore and which have been found to have, at least in part, some verifiable substance. A book designed to give factual details to those who are looking for them and to attract the attention of those with a passing interest in the subject.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Book, 2 Aug 2009

By	Mr. F. J. Evans - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: China: A History (Paperback)

This book is very comprehensive. If you're approaching chinese history from little or no knowledge, this is a good starting point. However, as with all subjects being approached for the first time, it needs to be read in context and alongside other books to give a detailed understanding of the country.
In my opinion, this is best read with a very basic overview of the Chinese language (get a book from the library) and of certain key figures of China's past. This needn't be more than a day's research, although the greater your language knowledge, the better.

Having read this I'm now interested in reading this The Rise of Modern China to provide more detail. After reading that, I intend to read Keay again to make the smaller but crucial details sink in - one reading will always be insufficient for a book of this breadth.

Definitely worthwhile; my only warning would be that its coverage of the modern period (20th cent esp) is inadequate, and needs to be supplemented.

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5.0 out of 5 stars history of china*
This magnificient tome comes from one of that select group of Scottish authors who can turn out non fiction and fiction books that are well researched, easy to read and understand... Read more

Published 4 months ago by G. I. Forbes

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