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The Story of China

A Portrait of a Civilisation and Its People

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The Story of China

By: Michael Wood
Narrated by: Michael Wood
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About this listen

 'A learned, wise, wonderfully written single volume history of a civilisation that I knew I should know more about' Tom Holland

'Masterful and engrossing...well-paced, eminently readable and well-timed. A must-read for those who want – and need – to know about the China of yesterday, today and tomorrow' Peter Frankopan

China’s story is extraordinarily rich and dramatic. Now Michael Wood, one of the UK's pre-eminent historians, brings it all together in a major new one-volume history of China that is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand its burgeoning role in our world today.

China is the oldest living civilisation on earth, but its history is still surprisingly little known in the wider world. Michael Wood's sparkling narrative, which mingles the grand sweep with local and personal stories, woven together with the author’s own travel journals, is an enthralling account of China’s 4000-year-old tradition, taking in life stationed on the Great Wall or inside the Forbidden City. The story is enriched with the latest archaeological and documentary discoveries; correspondence and court cases going back to the Qin and Han dynasties; family letters from soldiers in the real-life Terracotta Army; stories from Silk Road merchants and Buddhist travellers, along with memoirs and diaries of emperors, poets and peasants.

In the modern era, the book is full of new insights, with the electrifying manifestos of the feminist revolutionaries Qiu Jin and He Zhen, extraordinary eye-witness accounts of the Japanese invasion, the Great Famine and the Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao, and fascinating newly published sources for the great turning points in China’s modern history, including the Tiananmen Square crisis of 1989, and the new order of President Xi Jinping.

A compelling portrait of a single civilisation over an immense period of time, the book is full of intimate detail and colourful voices, taking us from the desolate Mongolian steppes to the ultra-modern world of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. It also asks what were the forces that have kept China together for so long? Why was China overtaken by the west after the 18th century? What lies behind China’s extraordinary rise today? The Story of China tells a thrilling story of intense drama, fabulous creativity and deep humanity; a portrait of a country that will be of the greatest importance to the world in the twenty-first century.©2020 Michael Wood (P)2020 Simon & Schuster UK Asia China Thought-Provoking Ancient History

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All stars
Most relevant  
Clear and enjoyable narration

Looking for more thirst quenching stories.
would highly recommend.
Thanks

An eye opener ...

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the 4000 year sweep gives an overview not often heard and allows a greater understanding of how China got to where it is today

A revelatory insight into Chinese history

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Great to have a consolidated and comprehensive history on one book.
Great expanse but as a result not deep detail, instead uses cultural references to reflect themes and provide examples

Consolidated and comprehensive view of Chinese history

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I came into this with some trepidation but it was worth it!. Excellent allround work!

excellent history of China

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A good story spolied by poor direction.
to make this intelligable speed narration up by 20 %

Speed

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As someone who has a thirst for history but has mainly concentrated on European up until now, this looked ideal for developing a beginning of understanding about China and it’s history. Mission accomplished. 4000 years of history explained brilliantly and with accounts taken from all levels of society through the ages…very enjoyable, informative and thought provoking.

Enlightening..

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The author did an amazing job on a very complex history. He kept it interesting the whole way through, this book gave me an insight into China, it’s culture and the tenacity of its ordinary people that was necessary for me to understand. I have to admit it frightens me how cruel some leaders can be to their people.

Eye opening

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I thought this was excellent, I liked the narration and the presentation. In one book I got a better overview of Chinese history than I have ever had before, most of this great history was previously unknown to me so it was fascinating and interesting all the way through.

Really enjoyed this, loads of info.

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The China story is obviously pretty big. I knew nearly nothing about China before this book. Michael Wood breaks down the larger narrative with individual human stories, which I found very engaging. His knowledge of China is very deep and this makes the story telling very informative. I felt that I've taken away not only the facts but also a cultural feeling of China, which is exactly what I wanted from the history. Well worth your time to listen to this.

An epic story made enjoyable and entertaining

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Superbly written. Thoroughly engaging and read beautifully by the author himself, this is a fantastic book!

Exquisite history of China

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