This definitive guide to a remarkable transformation chronicles the turbulent journey of a country, known as the "sick man of Asia," from oppression, war and famine to becoming the most important glob
With the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, the next two centuries for France would be tumultuous. Critically acclaimed historian and political commentator Jonathan F
No country on earth has suffered a more bitter history in modern times than China. In the second half of the nineteenth century, it was viewed as doomed to extinction. Its imperial rulers, heading an
In 1850, China was the "sick man of Asia." Now it is set to become the most powerful nation on earth. The Penguin History of Modern China shows how turbulent that journey has been. For 150 y
They were the most powerful rulers on earth. The mighty Qin Shi Huangdu (r. 221-210 BC), who began the construction of the Great Wall. The long-lived Han emperor Wudi (r. 141-87 BC), who developed Chi
Profiles the first president of the Fifth Republic, including his experiences during the World Wars, his political maneuvering that avoided a civil war, and his lasting legacy in France.
No leader of modern times was more uniquely patriotic thanCharles de Gaulle. As founder and first president of the FifthRepublic, General de Gaulle saw himself as “carrying France on[his] shoulders.”
Chiang Kai-shek was the man who lost China to the Communists. As leader of the nationalist movement, the Kuomintang, Chiang established himself as head of the government in Nanking in 1928. Yet althou
The Times Book of the YearBBC History Magazine Book of the YearDaily Telegraph Book of the YearBOOK OF THE WEEK - The Times‘The strength of this book lies in the cold realities it delivers. “The thirt
With a narrative as briskly paced and vividly detailed as an international thriller, this definitive biography of Chiang Kai-shek masterfully maps the tumultuous political career of Nationalist China
The only battle of World War I to be fought in East Asia, how it came about, and why its aftermath is still relevant todayIn 1914, Europe was not the only continent coming to terms with a new form of
France today remains in crisis. High unemployment, an archaic economic system, a self-selecting governing class unable to handle serious problems, and a debilitating nostalgia for things past have cre
One year shaped the world we know today. This is the page-turning story of the pivotal changes which were forged in the space of thirteen months of 1947-48 Two years after the end of the second
As China emerges as a great world economic power, this book shows what makes it such a special country and civilization, with topics ranging from the natural wonders of mountains and rivers to the Sil
