China: Land of Dragons and Emperors

Book Review by Sarah Mar ([email protected]) If you want just one book that provides not only insight into China's rich history, but also offers a glimpse of its traditions and beliefs (such as why the 2008 Beijing Olympics opened on 8/8/08 at 8 pm), Adeline Mah's "China, Land of Dragons and Emperors" would be it. This non-fiction book reviews the last 2200 years of China's past. It is a relatively brief, but comprehensive coverage of a long and diverse history. After introducing the First Emperor, who unified China and is mostly known for building the Great Wall as well as the over 7,000 Terra Cotta Warriors in his enormous tomb, six major dynasties are highlighted, each with a noteworthy and descriptive heading: The Founding Dynasty (Han), The Golden Dynasty (Tang), The Divided Dynasty (Song), The Mongol Dynasty (Yuan), The Eunuchs' Dynasty (Ming), and The Crippled Dynasty (Qing). The abdication of the last emperor in 1912 ended this dynastic system which endured for over 2,000 years. Best-selling author, Mah, concisely reviews each period with salient clarity. Each episode with an opening remarks, to give reader a preview of the era that is about to be learned. I especially like the remarks from 1912 to Today's capital City: Beijing "After WWII... the most powerful man was Mao Zedong who unified the country but caused millions of deaths and great suffering. After Mao, China opens its doors, and transformed itself into a modern nation" This illustrates how succinctly the essence of just one time-period can be characterized. This book is an easy read and a unique resource for anyone interested in China's rich history but daunted by its lengthy past.