China

Little of anything in life has this many compelling stories. Just a taste of what later study could explore, this book does an able job getting a beginner like me started.

This small book provides an excellent background on Chinese history for those who seek a quick and basic guide without the academic jargon or criticism. Ho's writing is simple and direct, and his work transitions smoothly from one period to the next. He presents the history in chronological order with uneven attention to the post-Qing era. Nevertheless, it remains a rather complete work, from Huangdi and the legendary Xia dynasty to the present. Every era, including periods of disunity and minor dynasties, is discussed.I'm quite pleased with this book because properly introduces Chinese history to someone with scant or no knowledge of the country without confusing him or her with names and places. Ho emphasizes major events, people, etc. and does not burden the reader with excess information that could be gathered from further study. It's a great starting point for anyone who wants to learn more, though those with more knowledge of Chinese history will find this work overly condensed. Ho also remains fairly unbiased in his presentation. While a book like this could always use more photos, the ones included convey ample sense of the subject's place in history; there's a good variety of black and white paintings, artifacts, portraits, and landscapes.