This rich and absorbing history of China from earliest times to the present covers the country's complex political and economic structures and culture in a concise yet nuanced manner. For this new edition, Roberts has developed his analysis of recent interpretations of Chinese history, especially those relating to prehistory and early history, intellectual and cultural trends, China's relationships with her neighbours and the wider world, the rise of the Communists, and the role of women in Chinese society.

Table of Contents

List of Maps - Preface - Acknowledgements - Introduction to the First Edition - Introduction to the Second Edition - Maps - The Prehistory and Early History of China - From the Period of Division to the Tang Dynasty - The Song and Yuan Dynasties - The Early Modern Period: The Ming and the Early Qing - China in the late Qing - Republican China, 1911-49 - China Since the 1949 Revolution - Conclusion - Notes - Further Reading - Index

Author Biography

J. A. G. ROBERTS is Principal Lecturer in History at the University of Huddersfield, UK. He has lectured extensively on the histories of China and Japan and has a special interest in Western perceptions of Chinese and Japanese society.