The Story of China Audiobook By Michael Wood cover art

The Story of China

The Epic History of a World Power from the Middle Kingdom to Mao and the China Dream

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Michael Wood has travelled the length and breadth of China, the world's oldest civilization and longest lasting state, to tell a thrilling story of intense drama, fabulous creativity, and deep humanity that stretches back thousands of years.

After a century and a half of foreign invasion, civil war, and revolution, China has once again returned to center stage as a global superpower and the world's second largest economy. But how did it become so dominant? Wood argues that in order to comprehend the great significance of China today, we must begin with its history.

The Story of China takes a fresh look at the Middle Kingdom in the light of the recent massive changes inside the country. Taking into account exciting new archeological discoveries, the book begins with China's prehistory. Wood looks at particular periods and themes that are now being reevaluated by historians. Wood explores the encounter with the West, the Opium Wars, the clashes with the British, and the extraordinarily rich debates in the late nineteenth century that pushed China along the path to modernity.

The Story of China is the indispensable book about the most intriguing and powerful country on the world stage today.

©2020 Michael Wood (P)2022 Tantor China Ancient History Asia Imperialism Politics & Government World Middle Ages Imperial Japan Middle East Africa
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Title of review says it all. Excellent portrayal from royals to common people. Nice job!

Great mix of sweeping history and real people

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Concise, balanced, and well researched narrative of the epic history of China and its people.

Excellent!

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The author does a superb job weaving together a broad range of strands of chinese history and culture into a highly enjoyable and deeply informative narrative. Recommend for anyone wishing to get a handle on what makes China, well, China.

Excellent Chinese history overview

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I wasn't expecting much from this book, just mainly to learn a bit about Chinese history --- basically boost myself from 0% knowledge to even 30% knowledge of its history. This book was in fact outstanding in its approach and its presentation. It cited primary sources and direct quotes as much as possible, and focused on different perspectives in each empire's rule all the way up to Covid-19. It was neither too rosy nor too critical, instead giving an objective overview of known facts or opinions based on the sources left for us to dissect. I would recommend this audiobook to anyone interested in getting a crash course on Chinese History.

Well researched, balanced, and informative

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Learning about China has been so much eye-opener people tell you different things about China but at the reading this book I want to learn more

Love this book

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