Why read The Cambridge Illustrated History of China?

Book cover of The Cambridge Illustrated History of China

Book description

More populous than any other country on earth, China also occupies a unique place in our modern world for the continuity of its history and culture. In this sumptuously illustrated single-volume history, now in its second edition, noted historian Patricia Buckley Ebrey traces the origins of Chinese culture from prehistoric…

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Asian history

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Cambridge Illustrated History of China as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Yang Ye

Author

Enriched by more than 200 pictures, mostly in color, as well as maps and line drawings, it is an illuminating and succinct account of Chines civilization from prehistoric times through the rise of the “Three Teachings” (Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism) to the modern communist state. As someone who taught a popular undergraduate college course on Chinese civilization for many years, I can testify that the overall length (384 pages) of the book and its structure of 12 chapters plus an epilogue make it a perfect choice of required texts.

From Yang's list on The best books to understand China, and its people and civilization.